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.
Samples prepare to get tested for COVID-19. Photo: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. After substantial pushback and repeated pleas for help from LGBTQ health advocates, California finally decided to act.
On Tuesday, Dr. Mark Ghaly, Secretary of the California Department of Health and Human Services, announced emergency regulations — Healthcare providers and local health departments must immediately collect and report voluntary data on the gender identity and sexual orientation of patients to understand how the LGBTQ community is impacted by COVID-19. “This data will finally give our government, our public health leaders and our community an understanding of the degree to which this pandemic is devastating LGBTQ+ people — and