Assemblymember Ira Ruskin (D-Redwood City) and the California State Assembly will honor Wiggsy Sivertsen of Los Gatos as “Woman of the Year” for Assembly District 21.  Special ceremonies will be conducted on the Assembly and Senate Floors on Monday, March 5, 2007, to recognize “Women of the Year” from every Assembly and Senate district in the state.

“Ms. Sivertsen has dedicated her life to fighting for civil rights for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities.  By founding the pioneering civil rights organization BAYMEC, working on city and county commissions to prevent domestic violence and counseling students at San Jose State University, Wiggsy has made a monumental difference in our community,” Ruskin stated.

Wiggsy Sivertsen is 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 thirty-eight years.  She is a graduate of San Jose State University and received her Master’s Degree from Tulane University in Social Work.

In 1968, Ms. Sivertsen was fired from her position as a program coordinator at a community center because she was a lesbian. She has dedicated her entire professional life to educating the public about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities and fighting for their rights and the rights of all “at risk” communities.

In 1984, Wiggsy Sivertsen was one of the founding members of the Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee (BAYMEC), the only political action committee (PAC) dedicated to advocating for the civil rights of LGBT people in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties.  She also is involved in many community organizations including: Board Member, Santa Clara County AIDS/KS Foundation, past Chair, Santa Clara County Commission on the Status of Women, and Public Relations Chair, City of San Jose Domestic Violence Committee.

“Wiggsy is an inspiration and remarkable example of civil rights leadership.  She is on the fore-front of today’s biggest civil rights issues and I am proud to name her as ‘Woman of the Year’ for my district,” Ruskin said.

The Legislature’s “Woman of the Year” ceremony is sponsored by the Women’s Legislative Caucus and is held annually in March to coincide with Women’s History Month.