Message from Michael Nava

Dear Friends:


Many of you know me as the author of the Henry Rios novels, published between 1988 and 2000, which won a total of six Lambda Literary Awards. These books traced the life and the cases of a gay Latino criminal defense lawyer, Henry Rios, through the dark days of the AIDS epidemic. When I retired Rios in the last novel, Rag & Bone, I made him a judge. For my work I was honored with the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement in LGBT Literature.

Now, I am trying to see if life will imitate art. I am running for the San Francisco Superior Court, attempting to become the first openly gay judge of color in San Francisco’s history. I have been a lawyer for 28 years and most of that time working as an attorney in the California court system; currently I am a staff attorney for Carlos Moreno, a justice on the California Supreme Court. I am unquestionably qualified for the position. I also would represent San Francisco’s values of social tolerance, progressive politics and community and reflect San Francisco’s rich diversity.

My opponent is a sitting judge appointed by the Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. At the time of his appointment, my opponent did not work or live in San Francisco and had a long record of supporting conservative politicians including George W. Bush. A partner at a big law firm, he wrote himself a check for $50,000 to begin to fund his campaign.I am reaching out for help to those of you who know the Rios novels or who support the cause of LGBT equality. Many of the elected officials of San Francisco have rallied behind me, and I have raised nearly $65,000, but this is going to a tough race because of my opponent’s deep pockets. I am asking you to go to my website http://www.navaforjudge.com to learn more about me, to join my Facebook fan page and, above all, to make a donation to my campaign; even a $25 donation by enough of you will help me level the playing field. You can make a contribution on-line at my website or download the donor form and mail one in. Thank you so much. 

Respectfully,
Michael Nava