passing of former republican Speaker Antonio (Tony) R. Unpingco. The election of Cruz shifted the majority of the 15-seat At-large Legislature from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party. In July 2008, Cruz worked to convince Navy Rear Admiral William French, Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Marianas and other U.S. Navy officials to ease restrictions on the access of local veterans to the island's only VA Clinic located in a gated Naval hospital facility. In 2009, Cruz introduced Same-sex Civil Union Legislation on behalf of the Guam Youth Congress. The legislation has been publicly opposed by Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron, Archdiocese of Hagatna, Guam. In July 2009, Cruz revised the legislation to provide for Domestic Partnerships between any two people. This legislation has also been opposed by the Catholic Church on Guam. Apuron has called for fasting and prayer for the Guam Legislature to reject the legislation. Personal life Cruz's nomination to be a Judge in the Superior Court of Guam in 1984 was marked with protests from evangelical and Baptist church groups because he was gay. Cruz was later confirmed as a judge and was assigned to lead the Family Court for nearly ten years. Cruz revealed a longstanding homosexual relationship in a local article published in Latte Magazine in 1995. Cruz eventually became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Guam and was featured in an article in The Advocate about his homosexuality. See also List of LGBT jurists in the United States References External links Senator BJ Cruz' Official Website Profile on Supreme Court of Guam website |- 1951 births 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians Chamorro people Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Guam Claremont McKenna College alumni Gay politicians Guamanian Democrats Guamanian judges Guamanian lawyers Guamanian people of Spanish descent LGBT judges LGBT legislators in the United States Guamanian LGBT people Living people Members of the Legislature of Guam Santa Clara University School of Law alumni Speakers of the Legislature of Guam Justices of the Supreme Court of Guam 21st-century LGBT people