Charlottesville Pride Community Network

After reading your questions, I noticed that they had covered topics that I would have little effect on if elected to city council.

However, I appreciate your need to understand more about me and how I might act in the best interest of the GLBT community.  As a policeman, I took seriously the idea “to protect and defend” and that extended to all citizens regardless of race, creed or sexual preference. To many in the GLBT those might sound like empty words but I believe those words have been back up with actions over my life.  I worked at Club 216 and Tryangles as security for about 5 years for Clyde and with Kris Graziano–a long time dear friend. Through that experience I met many of the gay and lesbian community.   To this day I still have friends from those days of working at Club 216.

However my closest relationship in the GLBT community is one of the loves of my life, my daughter. I have four daughters and one of them is gay. I love her as I love all my children. She and her partner are a regular part of our family. We feel lucky that she lives nearby, in Richmond, and we see each other often.

I have told you about my life in order to give you a deeper understanding of my view on proclamations and some ordinances. If elected to council I will not support any ordinance that would have no enforceable effect. It is nothing more than an empty promise that lacks the true force of government but makes those who pass it feel good.  A resolution acknowledging the girl’s HS basketball team, or our HS chorus would be a proper document celebrating their success and I would support that.  But whether it is nuclear weapons, attacking Syria or banning drones or endorsing marijuana, I will defer or vote no every time.  And that is not a reflection of my thoughts pro or con on any of those subjects, it is just a principle.  As for another principle, I am sure we agree that just because someone doesn’t march in a parade or carry a banner doesn’t show a lack of respect because true freedom of choice applies to everyone.

And in the area of bullying or hate crimes, I detest both and would fight as I did as a police officer to protect the victims of any such circumstances.

I hope you understand  a little better who I am and what kind of City Councilor I would be.

1. The County Supervisors failed to adopt a community-proposed and community-supported resolution recognizing the local LGBTQ community and the community’s September, 14 2013 Cville Pride Festival. Question: If elected, would you likely support or likely not support such a resolution?

Most resolutions considered and passed by governing bodies in the public and nonprofit community are positive affirmations or are meant to draw attention to a day, week, month or event where something is celebrated.  I wrote many resolutions for my board when I was Chamber president and from time to time we asked our surrounding jurisdictions to adopt resolutions we wrote for them.

I would be pleased to help author and support a resolution recognizing the local LGBTQ community or any public event celebrating the local LGBTQ community that was thoughtfully organized.

2. The Virginia Constitution treats same-sex partners, their children, and other dependents in the household as legal strangers by its particular definition of marriage, and forbids local governments to “create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status,” with the stated purpose to deny rights and benefits to disapproved households ( Section 15.A). Lesbian and gay households are harmed in many ways because of these legal mandates, which local governments participate in and enforce against its local residents. Question: Do you believe that these harms are justifiable?  If justifiable, for what reasons?

Other states have changed these discriminatory practices but not so here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. These harms are not justifiable.

3. Albemarle is a place where people come to work, live, and retire from all over the country and the world. Around the world, many countries respect and recognize same-sex marriage, and many more have human rights protections for LGBT. And recently the City of Charlottesville included LGBT within its human rights ordinance, although Virginia’s human rights statute does not include them. [ for lists of countries that broadly protect the human rights of LGBT - e.g. Canada, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, etc - and for countries that do not – e.g. Libya, Sudan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Cameroon, Zambia, United Arab Emirates, Syria, etc ] Question: Should the human rights of LGBT be protected in Albemarle County?

Yes.

4. Recent  research reports significant employment discrimination against gay and lesbian people: 42% had experienced employment discrimination at some point in their lives, and 27% had experienced employment discrimination just during the five-year period prior to the survey; employment discrimination is more common among LGB employees who are open about their sexual orientation in the workplace than among those who are not ( 38% of employees who are out in the workplace had experienced discrimination in the five year period prior to the survey, compared with 10% of those who are not out). Transgender persons report widespread discrimination, harassment and other abuses in workplaces. Question: Should Albemarle County maintain policies, and implement strategies, to ensure awareness and fairness in County workplaces for LGBT workers?

Yes.

Thank You for asking me the questions about the local LGBTQ.

“I support Albemarle Counties no discriminatory policy related to employment”

Thank You.

1. The County Supervisors FAILED TO ADOPT a community-proposed and community-supported resolution recognizing the local LGBTQ community and the community’s September 14 2013 LGBTQ Pride Festival.   Question: If elected, would you likely support or likely not support such a resolution?

I would have easily supported the resolution.

2. The Virginia Constitution treats same-sex partners, their children, and other dependents in the household as legal strangers by its particular definition of marriage, and forbids local governments to “create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status”, with the stated purpose to deny rights and benefits to disapproved households ( Section 15.A, accessed at http://constitution.legis.virginia.gov/  ).  Lesbian and gay households are harmed in many ways because of these legal mandates, which local governments participate in and enforce against its local residents.  Question: Do you believe that these harms are justifiable?  If justifiable, for what reasons?

                 I do not believe these harms are justifiable.

3. Albemarle is a place where people come to work, live, and retire from all over the country and the world.  Around the world, many countries respect and recognize same-sex marriage, and many more have human rights protections for LGBT.  And recently the City of Charlottesville included LGBT within its human rights ordinance, although Virginia’s human rights statute does not include them. [ for lists of countries that broadly protect the human rights of LGBT  - e.g. Canada, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, etc - and  for countries that do not  – e.g. Libya, Sudan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Cameroon, Zambia, United Arab Emirates, Syria, etc  - ] Question: Should the human rights of LGBT be protected in Albemarle County?

                 Yes. 

4. Recent reliable research reports significant employment discrimination against gay and lesbian people: 42% had experienced employment discrimination at some point in their lives, and 27% had experienced employment discrimination just during the five-year period prior to the survey; employment discrimination is more common among LGBT employees who are open about their sexual orientation in the workplace than among those who are not ( 38% of employees who are out in the workplace had experienced discrimination in the five year period prior to the survey, compared with 10% of those who are not out).  Transgender persons report widespread discrimination, harassment and other abuses in workplaces. Question: Should Albemarle County maintain policies, and implement strategies, to ensure awareness and fairness in County workplaces for LGBT workers?

Yes.

My general feelings are that no student in Albemarle’s public schools should face discrimination, harassment, or any harmful treatment based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation.  Our current policies state that with clarity.  I support same-sex marriage, specialty training for teachers on gender issues, and free expression.

I did meet with Beth Panilaitis, ED of ROSMY, on Friday and had a good conversation about what ROSMY does and the interactions it has had with Albemarle County Schools and their students.  I’ve also looked at the formal anti-discrimination policies of ACPS and have noted that protections for LBGTQ students are not specified, which surprised me.  However, I have spoken with a School Board member who has noted that informally at least these issues are being addressed by the Division.

Note that, overall, I believe that discrimination against any student is wrong, that anti-bullying efforts should include bullying against LGBTQ students, and schools should be  places where tolerance is promoted.

1. A 2011 National School Climate Survey reported that many LGBTQ secondary school students in Virginia schools were not safe in school and faced many barriers to successful education because of unsafe school environment ( accessed at http://glsen.org/sites/default/files/Virginia%20NSCS%20Snapshot%202011.pdf ). Among recommendations to help ensure a safe school environment for LGBTQ students is for school systems to maintain clear policies on LGBTQ-related bullying and inclusion in the school environment.

Question: If elected, would you work with the School System to ensure transparent, fair, and effective policies protecting and respecting LGBTQ students in the school environment?

Answer: Yes. I support transparent, fair, and effective policies protecting and respecting LGBTQ students in the school environment.

2. The Virginia Constitution treats same-sex partners, their children, and other dependents in the household as legal strangers by its particular definition of marriage, and forbids local governments to “create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status”, with the stated purpose to deny rights and benefits to disapproved households ( Section 15.A, accessed at http://constitution.legis.virginia.gov/ ). Lesbian and gay households are harmed in many ways because of these legal mandates, and local governments, including local public school systems, participate in these harms.

Question: Do you believe that these harms are justifiable? If justifiable, for what reasons?

Answer: I do not believe harms of any type directed against families with children are justifiable. However, as a school board member I have no legal control over the mandates of the Constitution of Virginia. The Albemarle County Public Schools cannot by law deny attendance to any child who is a legal resident of Albemarle County. In this regard, I support the provisions of Albemarle County School Board Policy JEC-School Admission.

3. School systems that work intentionally to respect and include gender in all of its variety create an environment for learning in which all forms of diversity can thrive. There is evidence that ignorance and/or biases about gender may be frequently at the root of various forms of student bullying and other harassment or maltreatment; therefore, training in the school system toward ensuring gender inclusive schools are important to achieve bullying-free schools.

Question: Do you support school system training regarding gender and gender issues which would work towards creating supportive climates for students of diverse gender identity and expression?

Answer: I support school system training towards recognizing gender issues that would encourage supportive climates for students of diverse gender identity and expression.

4. Question: Do you support the rights of gender non-conforming students to express their gender as the student deems appropriate?

Answer: Yes, as long as that expression conforms to the standards of good conduct expected of all students under Albemarle County Public Schools Policy JFC-Student Conduct.