News Stories

David Bohnett, Philanthropist With a Social Justice Mission

American democracy has changed. Politics is now 24/7, a constant barrage of opinions, petitions, and email and online solicitations like relentless fastballs in a batting cage. Head-spinning happens.

But to gay philanthropist David Bohnett, the angst-ridden reaction to President Donald Trump’s untethered actions recalls the days after the anti-gay marriage Prop 8 initiative was passed by California voters in 2008. Then, like now, people had been informed about what would happen, how fundamental rights would be taken away—but were genuinely shocked when that really transpired.

“Wake up people! If you didn’t think it could get this bad—where were you?” Bohnett asked rhetorically during a recent phone interview. “We have the responsibility to get as many people as possible in our community energized and activated because this is bad and it’s going to get worse.”

A major donor to the Democratic Party, Bohnett has been keeping up with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s efforts to take back the House of Representatives. “I think there’s a lot of momentum and yes, we’re participating and we will wait to see as the time gets closer how much and where we’re going to participate,” he says. “But there’s a great ground swell and the possibility we would be able to retake the House.”

Read the full article at the Los Angeles Blade website.