Americans United for Separation of Church and State Orange County Chapter

AU-OC Presents:
Hans Johnson

Hans Johnson is a 30-year member of Americans United and a long-time friend of the Orange County chapter. In that time, he has tangled with and earned victories against Ralph Reed, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell and Rush Limbaugh, Betsy DeVos, and Ginni Thomas. 

A leader in LGBTQ+ advocacy for three decades, Hans has trained nearly 500 frontline organizers and worked in nearly all the U.S. states and D.C. This includes the first campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT state constitutional amendments in 1992 (Oregon) and 1994 (Idaho) and the first campaigns to stop repeal of marriage equality (Massachusetts, 2007) and statewide domestic-partnership protections (Washington state, 2009). 

Through his consulting with Progressive Victory, Hans guides winning strategies for immigrant rights, language access, housing justice, and environmental policy. In 2014, he led the coalition that passed Californians’ statewide ban on throwaway plastic bags, the first of its kind in the nation. In 2022, he was integrally involved in defeating the Poseidon desalination scheme at Huntington Beach. And in August 2023, he spearheaded efforts in L.A. to hold a publicly funded, privately operated military school accountable for fraud, prompting the school to shut down and surrender its charter. On a personal note, Hans raised funds to endow an LGBTQ+ scholarship at his alma mater, the College of Wooster in Ohio, and presided this year at its 15th annual awarding. He tells that story here: 

https://www.cleveland.com/opinion/2023/04/fighting-lgbtq-repression-with-recognition-ohio-style-hans-johnson.html 

It’s one example of his columns that appear in USA Today, the Daily News and Orange County Register, and many outlets nationwide. Join us to hear more stories from Hans!