GLT » Grand Marshal: Alice A. Huffman

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Grand Marshal: Alice A. Huffman

Published Thursday, 28-Jul-2005 in issue 918

Regarded as one of the most powerful people in California by the Los Angeles Times and as a champion for full inclusion of GLBT individuals by San Diego LGBT Pride organizers, Alice Huffman’s action within the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has been far-reaching.

As president of the California State Conference of the NAACP, the venerable civil and politically powerful civil rights organization, Huffman was instrumental in persuading the California chapter to endorse a resolution favoring same-sex marriage and supporting domestic partnership legislation.

A member of the NAACP’s national board of directors, Huffman reminded members that the NAACP fights to end discrimination and ensure equal rights for all.

As a direct result of her work, the California Chapter of the NAACP openly supported the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act (AB19), which failed in the state Assembly last month and is now progressing through the state Senate. The state NAACP chapter now rallies for the California Family Code to be changed to recognize marriage as between “two persons,” rather than specifically a man and a woman.

Despite significant resistance from within the NAACP, Huffman’s political stride for GLBT civil rights was a huge political step forward.

“It’s very important for the NAACP to live true to its mission,” Huffman said, “and openly align itself to any group that’s being suppressed and working within the law … and to have the courage to speak out for a people who may not be so popular, as people had done for our cause when we weren’t so popular.”

Huffman is also founder and president of A.C. Public Affairs, Inc., a firm that specializes in public and grass-roots advocacy. In addition to these great feats, she serves as a commissioner on the Commission for One California and is a member of the Rules Committee for the California Democratic Party.