[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 106 (Thursday, September 9, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1573]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO WIGGSY SIVERTSEN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ZOE LOFGREN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 9, 2004

  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, today (Mr. Honda, Ms. Eshoo and I) rise to 
recognize the achievements of Wiggsy Sivertsen, Director of Counseling 
for San Jose State University and co-founder of Bay Area Municipal 
Elections Committee (BAYMEC), a four county Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and 
Transgender (LGBT) political action group celebrating 20 years of civil 
rights advocacy. Wiggsy is retiring from BAYMEC this year.
  Wiggsy is currently the Director of Counseling Services and a 
visiting Professor in the Sociology Department at San Jose State 
University where she has been employed for the past 36 years. She is a 
graduate of Stephens College, San Jose State University and received 
her Master's degree from Tulane University in Social Work.
  Wiggsy became involved in addressing the problems of discrimination 
against gays and lesbians when she was fired from a position when the 
organization found out about her lesbianism. She has dedicated her 
entire professional life educating the public about the LGBT 
communities and fighting for their rights and the rights of all ``at 
risk'' communities.
  BAYMEC was founded to educate and inform, and has raised its concerns 
with countless elected officials; lobbied Sacramento and the state on 
AIDS and LGBT civil rights; and worked with police, fire department, 
governmental, organizational, and a variety of community groups to 
further equality for LGBTs. BAYMEC continues to lobby for hate crime 
legislation, transgender issues, domestic partnership rights and civil 
unions, and to bring LGBT sensitivity to the forefront in the domestic 
violence field.
  Wiggsy has founded two other advocacy organizations: Advocates for 
Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Youth, which provides legal representation for 
gay, lesbian and bisexual youth who are discriminated against in the 
school system, and Open Mind Network, Inc. (OMNI), which is dedicated 
to educating organizations about lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
  Wiggsy has received the American Civil Liberties Union ``Don Edwards 
Defender of Constitutional Liberty Award.'' She has also been named to 
the ``The Millennium 100, Pillars of their Communities'' by the San 
Jose Mercury News, and received the California State Special 
Recognition Award For Service to the Lesbian and Gay Community.
  We wish to thank Wiggsy Sivertsen for her tireless and loyal service 
to the cause of civil rights, and particularly the LGBT community. 
Though we will all miss her leadership in BAYMEC, the work of BAYMEC 
will move forward. Until all people are treated with dignity and 
respect, none of us can truly be free.

                          ____________________