Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who is the 40th governor of California, serving since January 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California from 2011 to 2019 and as the 42nd mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011.
Gay longtime CA state worker Kenneth Topper dies
Kenneth William Topper, a gay man and longtime state government worker in Sacramento, died April 17 at his home in Arden, North Carolina.
He was 65.According to an online obituary posted by his family, his passing was unexpected. He had worked in California state government for over 20 years in various capacities and was involved in charitable organizations.Mr.
Topper was known in LGBTQ activist circles and media outlets as the person responsible for getting the rainbow flag flown at the state Capitol in Sacramento.
A Pride flag was raised above the dome of the Sacramento structure on Coming Out Day October 11, 1990. It was said to mark the first time the symbol of the LGBTQ community had flown at a state Capitol building in the U.S.A 2019 Bay Area Reporter article recalled that event, as Governor Gavin Newsom had a Pride flag raised at the Capitol that June, and his office and Equality California had claimed it was the "first time" that had occurred.The 1990 article in the Bay Area Reporter explained that the flag-raising was the result of a joint resolution passed October 10 that year by the Assembly and Senate.
