OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The hiring of a former Republican state party chairman and state senator by an influential labor union has upset prominent gay lawmakers and advocates, fracturing two political camps that are usually allies.
Luke Esser was ousted in January as the chairman of the state’s Republican party. He is now a lobbyist in Olympia and one of his clients is the Service Employees International Union, the home-care workers union. It was an unusual political marriage — the union is a prominent liberal.
But gay rights advocates remember that Esser as a state senator was one of the key voices of opposition during the efforts to establish civil rights for gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people in Washington. Esser voted against establishing gay rights and often spoke on the floor against it.
Josh Friedes of Equal Rights Washington, an advocacy group, says that the group was surprised and disappointed the union hired Esser.
Adam Glickman of SEIU says the union is deeply committed to equal rights. He says they hired Esser to work with Republican lawmakers to lobby for home care workers.
