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New Leader of Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center Is Straight

New Leader of Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center Is Straight

The Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center's mission state is to serve the lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual community of the Greater Sacramento area and surrounding counties and its allies by providing space, diverse programming, advocacy, and cultural competency awareness in an affirming, compassionate and safe environment. The naming of the center's new executive director has surprised some, not for Shara Perkins Murphy's policy or outreach plans, but because she's straight.

CBS Sacramento spoke with Murphy at the city's "Sacramento Pride 2012"  festival over the weekend, where she explained that from her new position, she will serve as a voice for equality.

“I think there’s a lot of parallels between the civil right struggle of African Americans and the civil rights struggle of the LGBT community,” said Murphy, who is an African-American woman. “People should care about this because prejudice somewhere is prejudice anywhere.”

In her bio on the center's web page, Murphy further relates her position to the civil rights movement of the 20th century:

As a black woman raised in Sacramento, Murphy has seen Sacramento and the region change and diversify. The deed for her and her husband’s

Tahoe Park home (built in the 1940s) states that non-Whites cannot occupy the main house on the property. Yet, in 2002, Sacramento city was recognized as one of the most racially and ethnically integrated cities in the nation. She believes the LGBT movement is making the same strides for equality and justice.

California Governor Jerry Brown recently issued a proclamation declaring June 2012 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month. CBS video from Saturday's festival in Sacramento:

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