January 10, 2008
LGBT Affairs Office Releases Annual Report
Did you know that D.C. has an Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs? I certainly didn't, and the Office's annual report indicated that it has more work to do to raise awareness of its existence. After surveys administered online, at DC Black Pride and Capital Pride, the office found that respondents rated the agency an average of 3.3 points on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being least aware of the office and 5 being most aware.
Nevertheless, Metro Weekly reports that LGBT Affairs had a very productive 2007. Among other accomplishments, the office reached out to 2,500 residents at 130 community events; produced a directory of local LGBT organizations and their respective leaders; and worked with the MPD to revise their treatment of transgender inmates.
The agency set a laundry list of goals for 2008. These include expanding participation in community events; addressing public policy issues such as health and wellness, economic development, and LGBT youth and transgender residents; organizing LGBT job fairs; and co-sponsoring community forums.
photo by yospyn
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an awareness scale? aren't you either a) aware of something or b) never heard of it ?
waste of tax money
Cool. We should have a pregnancy scale, with one being very pregnant, five being not pregnant, and the numbers in between being various levels of sorta pregnant.
One question - aren't we all just "people"? Why must we segregate people depending on their skin color/religion/sexual preference/ethnic heritage? Weren't we all taught (and supposedly still learning) to accept people for who they are - be proud of them and their accomplishments - to be "tolerant" of everyones differences? Maybe I'm dim, but it seems kinda sad that we have to have all these support organizations to "help" people who are different. Don't get me wrong, I think the Pride groups are cool - what I know of them - because it sounds to me like they're teaching "their" people to be proud and strong. But to have separate job fairs?? I just see us compartmentalizing people more and more.
we need this office. queer people of all ilk deal with a lot of discrimination, even in DC. I'm glad I've worked with the office as part of the DC Trans Coalition, which I'm sure most of you haven't heard of, either. no worry. it's more important for us to have legal protections than marketing on DCIst. ;)
that said, I'm wondering when Fenty will appoint a permanent director to this department. he gave the last director the boot when he took office, and she'd been doing a very good job. it's a shame.
Whicheditor: In an ideal world it would work that way.
Unfortunately we don't live in that world and units such as the G&L Liaison unit are necessary to ensure that there is sensitivity to concerns of the gay and lesbian community within the police force. Having a dedicated gay and lesbian unit is necessary so that if a gay or lesbian person or establishment experiences a crime they know that they can go to someone in the police without fear that they will be mocked or retaliated against because of their sexuality. Think of a domestic abuse situation where the cop that goes to investigate is a homophobe and just laughs it off. Unfortunately these types of things happen all too often.
Is it bad that I read "These include expanding participation" as "These include expanding poplation"? Yay, more gay people!
I'm kind of surprised that you weren't aware of the unit (heh), seeing as how they were the focus of a Page 1 story in the Post a few years ago:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5489-2005Mar27.html
The gay cop mentioned in the story works the High Heel Drag Race every year.
@hotdiggitydog: Not sure who you're addressing here, but in case it was me, I've been long aware of the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit, but the Office of LGBT Affairs is separate and relatively new in comparison.
Thanks for pointing out the Post link, though; I missed that article when it came out. (No pun intended.)
Mayor Fenty named Chris Dyer as permanent Director of LGBT Affairs.
Everett: Chris Dyer was named the permanent director in September.
ShawnDC & hotdiggitydog: the MPD Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit is not the same as the Mayor's Office of LGBT Affairs. Both are neccessary.
And we need job fairs because some of us get really tired of not being sure whether or not our places of employment are actually supportive or not. Actively recruiting LGBT job candidates is a good sign that the workplace is welcoming and affirming of their employees, no matter what their gender/sexual identity. But keep up that hetero privilege, Whicheditor, I'm sure it's working well.
WhichEditor:
This whole "aren't we all the same" crap (obv. not just you who uses it) is really hurting our communities. It keeps many people from realizing that there are still problems (institutional, cultural, etc.) in terms of gender, orientation, and race discrimination. Futhermore, "toleration" is a very paternalistic term -- you, being the dominant, basically "puts up" with those that are different. Units like this attempt to raise awareness to culture differences, needs, issues, etc. to bring about understanding and acceptance. Equity doesn't mean we have to have homogenity, especially since there's still so much more that needs to be addressed. Yes, things are better for the LGBT community than they were. Yes, some things have changed (voting rights) for "minorities"... but going around with the whole, "let's not talk about it or have programs that address it 'cause doesn't that just mean we aren't all equal" rhetoric detracts from the "mainstream" having any substantive dialogue about what's still going on in social justice.
Shewhoisthat is absolutely right about the need for LGBT job fairs-- I wish I'd known about one when I was job searching.
These events are also beneficial to the employers participating in them. Gays and lesbians have strong buying power and like to support companies who share their values. Savvy companies know this and will make an effort to show that they're hiring gay employees.
Odd that you didn't know about this office because the murder of Wanda Alston was covered pretty extensively here at DCist. It's how I first heard of the office as she was in the Cabinet of Anthony Williams -- remember him? mayor? bow tie? liked to jump into pools? -- talk about being born yesterday.
I'll never forget when an acquaintance of mine in the Tidewater, VA, area was brutally mauled by his partner. The cops refused to investigate, saying quite literally that 'faggots beat on each other all the time, what do you want us to do about it?".
This is a common attitude amongst many law enforcement and government agencies. I've routinely heard some of the dumbest ant-gay crap come out of the mouths of DC employees. A lot of this is spread by some (but not all) churches in DC, and since churches in DC are a de facto branch of the DC government, their idiotic teachings end up bearing the force of policy.
Oh, he did appoint Dyer? Okay, then. But interesting that although DCist covered all of the other appointments, it missed this one. I can see how having a drag queen running a city agency -- one of the very few gay/lesbian/trans city agencies in the country, in fact -- wouldn't be news.
And I really missed the cannonball last year, DC1974. Maybe this summer someone will just go on and push the mayor in instead.
Cookie is retired, so it's just Chris now. No drag queens in the mayor's office, unfortunately.