User:Cloakjingles/sandbox

Dr. Steve Krantz, Ph.D is a LGBT Rights activist and computer engineer living in Los Angeles, California.

Personal Life
Krantz holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Nova Southeastern University. In 2007 he retired from his four decade career at as a Distinguished Engineer at IBM. For the last 8 years of tenure with IBM, he served as Chief Architect and Strategy Leader of the company's internal IT infrastructure.

He has been a runner for over three decades, and has completed the Los Angeles Marathon, San Diego Marathon, New York Marathon, and Las Vegas Marathons. He and his wife, Annick, are amateur competitive tennis players.

His son came out as gay at the age of 17, prompting Krantz to join PFLAG and begin his advocacy work for LGBT Rights. Krantz admits to making, what he thought were innoculous, homophobic jokes in front of his closeted gay son, and he immediately felt remorse for his word the moment his son came out. Though his work with various LGBT advocacy groups he learned to appreciate the struggle of LGBT people and the courage of the LGBT rights movement founders and leaders.

Activism
Krantz was President of PFLAG Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. His family joined the chapter in 1998 after his younger son came out as gay. He assumed the position of President in 1999. Dr. Steve Krantz is a member of the Board of PFLAG Los Angeles. He served as Director of PFLAG’s Southern Pacific Region and a member of PFLAG’s National Board from 2007 through 2013. Until mid-2007, Krantz was the President of the Los Angeles chapter, after joining in fall 2003.

In October 2005, Krantz founded Jews for Marriage Equality, an advocacy organization, to educate the Jewish population of California in the great need for equal civil marriage rights for gays and lesbians. With his team of clergy and secular volunteers, Krantz gained the support of the majority of California rabbis for equal marriage rights in order to defeat Proposition 8. Over 78% of California Jews voted against Proposition 8.

In June 2007, Krantz formed the Youth Advocates Coalition, a coalition of the gay youth supportive organizations in Los Angeles County, which includes the LA Unified School District, The Trevor Project, GSA Network, the LA Gay and Lesbian Center’s Lifeworks, Bienestar, Friends of Project 10, the City of West Hollywood, Teenline, LA Children’s Hospital – Connect to Protect, and USC and UCLA LGBT Resource Centers,. Krantz currently serves on the Board of the LA County LGBT Child Abuse Prevention Council, and the RISE Project’s Leadership Council.

Awards and Honors
2008 Rainbow Key Award - City of West Hollywood.

2009 Vanguard Award - Gay and Lesbian Administrators Alliance (GALAA) of the LA Unified School District