Protect our LGBTQ+ Community

Human rights are not negotiable.

Violence against the LGBTQ+ community must be addressed by Council. We know that LGBTQ+ people face substantial discrimination in the workplace. We know that LGBTQ+ youth make up a disproportionate amount of our homeless youth population, especially our Trans* friends. We know that transgender people are some of the bravest people in our nation. And no one should have to be brave just to be themselves.

DC has strong LGBTQ+ related legal and regulatory protections:

Right to marry regardless of gender, gender identification or sexual orientation
Employment and housing discrimination protections, dutifully enforced by the District of Columbia Office of Human Rights.
Right to have vital records (including birth certificate) reflect current gender identification, regardless of gender identification at birth
Continuing education requirements for licensed health professionals

Though the District is progressive in a lot of ways, we have a long way to go to protect our LGBTQ+ community.

Below are just some of the alarming statistics facing the LGBTQ+ community in DC:

19% of the LGBTQ+ community is food insecure and 18% have an income of less than $24,000
10.7% of District of Columbia adults identified as either lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender
LGBTQ+ adults were more likely than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts to report 15-30 days of mental health not being good, which includes stress, depression, et cetera
LGBTQ+ adults were more likely than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts to test positive for HIV
LGBTQ+ adults were more likely than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts to be diagnosed with asthma and depression.

I will be a strong ally on Council and will look to support the LGBTQ+ community by:

Making constituent services for LGBTQ+ folks a cornerstone in my office. People can come to a safe space, talk, and find access to resources they need.
Fighting to create more low- and no-barrier shelters for those in the LGBTQ+ community who are unhoused. This will include senior-specific shelters and youth-specific shelters.
Everyone should be able to walk down the street without the fear of violence against them for who they are.
Reinstituting the Transgender and Gender Identity Respect program – an awareness program you may remember from busses and bus shelters about a decade ago – we need to center LGBTQ voices in our community to demonstrate to our neighbors and our youth that dignity and respect are central to who we are as a city.
Increasing education in our schools about LGBTQ+ issues:
- We need to expand our efforts to educate our children against even using the language that is used to justify acts of violence. We need to teach our youth starting at a young age about dignity and respect for all. We need LGBTQ+ rights taught in our schools. I would like to see DCPS partner with the DC Center and other organizations to ensure we work to protect our LGBTQ+ youth and work to prevent prejudice in our youth.
- Our teachers need to go through cultural competency and implicit bias training to make sure our schools are a safe place for all youth.
Ensuring that our Seniors can age with pride. I would like to see the Mayor’s Office on LGBTQ+ Affairs have a full-time healthcare coordinator to address health access issues among our LGBTQ+ seniors.