On November 17, Assemblymember Marc Levine issued a statement condemning Courage California for language included in an October 2020 Voter Guide, which recommended the Assemblymember.
Courage California has long been committed to fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights, gender equity, environmental justice, economic equity, and other issues championing the rights of all Californians. As part of that commitment, we issue a voter guide to help people vote in line with their values across issues.
Irene Kao, Executive Director of Courage California, issued the following statement in response:
Courage California’s 2020 Voter Guide recommendation of Assemblymember Marc Levine included a flawed and problematic inference and bordered on an anti-Semitic trope. This was a regretful failure in our process, and we apologized to Assemblymember Levine and other members of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus.
Immediately upon learning that the language used was harmful, it was removed from our site — on October 15, twenty days prior to Election Day. Since, Courage California has taken proactive steps to ensure this never happens again, including consulting with several of our Jewish partners, board members, and advisors, including the Legislative Jewish Caucus, to learn from our mistake and be a better partner against all anti-Semitism. We sent a letter to Caucus Chair Ben Allen, Vice-Chair Jesse Gabriel, and Assemblymember Levine on November 17, reiterating our apology and commitment to working with the Caucus. And we will honor our commitment to learning from our mistake, preventing this from happening again, and standing with the Caucus against all anti-Semitism.
Courage California is dedicated to fighting for equity, justice, and accountability on behalf of all Californians, including standing up against all anti-Semitism.