Laura Calvo (born in the 1960s) is an American politician and activist based in Oregon. She has been known for being the first

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...

woman to be elected to the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well a ...

. She has worked and helped pass laws that have helped the

LGBTQ+ community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a common culture and social ...

, such as the

Oregon Equality Act The Oregon Equality Act is a law of the U.S. state of Oregon which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, and other categories. Enacted in 2007, it became effective in ...

. She is the treasurer of the

Democratic Party of Oregon The Democratic Party of Oregon is the Oregon affiliate of the Democratic Party. The State Central Committee, made up of two delegates elected from each of Oregon's 36 counties and one additional delegate for every 15,000 registered Democrats, is ...

. Calvo was born to an immigrant family in the

Haight-Ashbury Haight-Ashbury () is a district of San Francisco, California, named for the intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets. It is also called The Haight and The Upper Haight. The neighborhood is known as one of the main centers of the counterculture ...

neighborhood of San Francisco and studied there until college. Calvo went to school for public service as a paramedic in Haight-Ashbury. During that time she also had her first political activity, helping

Harvey Milk Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised in N ...

’s campaign with gay rights. Later, she moved to The Grant in the 1980s to pursue law enforcement and political activism. Calvo came out as transgender three times throughout this time. To herself, then involuntarily outed and then by her choice. In 2004 Calvo moved to Portland, where she still continues to live. Calvo was out of work and lost her career in law enforcement, and endured many judgments and discrimination against her. Through her hardships Calvo received an email asking for her help from an organization to create a law for people who have been mistreated because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. She accepted and testified in-person of her problems in work. Calvo then started working as the Treasurer of the Democratic Party of Oregon. In early 2013, Calvo became the first transgender woman to be elected to the Democratic National Committee. She helped pass the Oregon’s Equality Act and Family Fairness Act. She has become a leader in the BRO’s Transgender Justice Program. She is also a part of the

Q Center Q Center is an LGBT community center and non-profit organization located in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. History The community center was established in 2005, championed by then-city Commissioner Sam Adams. Kendall Clawson, an Afr ...

’s Board of Directors. Calvo won the Pride Award from Pride Northwest and the International Foundation of Gender Education Trinity award.Women who Lead: Laura Calvo. (2015, April 06). Retrieved March 14, 2021, from http://www.equityfoundation.org/blog/women-who-lead-laura-calvo/

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calvo, Laura Living people 1960s births Year of birth uncertain LGBT people from San Francisco Oregon Democrats Activists from Oregon American LGBT rights activists American transgender women American transgender politicians Transgender women politicians Activists from San Francisco Politicians from San Francisco