Avenger of the Week | Louette Colombano

When Louette Colombano made a donation to GenderAvenger during the match campaign, GA founder Gina Glantz’s curiosity was sparked, and she wanted to learn more about her. We are really glad she did, because Louette’s story needs to be remembered:

Former Officer Louette Colombano, who later became a sort of Joan of Arc for women's rights in the department, recalled, "Going to the academy every day - it was always something about your body. The sergeant called us pencil necks, made fun of women's fat butts or cellulite. It was endless."

Gina reached out to Jennifer Reisch, Legal Director of Equal Rights Advocates, and here’s what she had to say about Louette:

Anyone who is familiar with Louette’s life or career knows there’s no better example of a GenderAvenger. One of San Francisco’s first women police officers, she refused to back down in her fight against horrific discrimination and harassment at Police Department all those decades ago, even after being viciously attacked by local media, and even as all her female colleagues stepped back one by one, because it was all too much. We were proud to represent Louette through that case, and we’re honored that she continues to passionately support our organization to this day.

Louette is as steadfast in her determination to achieve gender equality today as she was then, and continues to be a strong advocate for women in male-dominated fields. In everything she does, she is the model of cool confidence. Put a red cape around Louette’s shoulders, and it would hardly look out of place. She’s an inspiration to the entire team at Equal Rights Advocates.

‪After suffering 9 years of sexual harassment as a San Francisco police officer, #AvengerOfTheWeek Louette Columbano enlisted the services of @EqualRightsAdv to fight for justice and remains a strong gender equality advocate. 💪 #GenderAvenger‬ https://www.genderavenger.com/blog/avenger-of-the-week-louette-colombano