The Los Angeles Times ran an interview with the California State Assembly’s out Speaker-elect John Perez, highlighting what his new job entails and what his election means for the various communities he is a part of.  Here is an excerpt from the article:

John Pérez is easy to like: pleasant, articulate and thoughtful, exuding calm and candor.

And self-confidence. Why not? The Los Angeles native was just chosen by fellow Democrats to be the next state Assembly speaker after only one year in elective office. Quite a political feat, even with term-limit turnover.

Being likable doesn’t make one a leader, but it’s a start.

Pérez will be California’s first openly gay legislative leader.

“This means there’s one less barrier for people,” says the 40-year-old. “When I grew up, there were only a handful of Latino state elected officials and there weren’t any openly gay ones. So I never thought I would be in office. . . .

“It speaks to the fact that California has a sophisticated electorate that struggles with issues of gay rights but really is driven by an overwhelming sense of fairness.”