GLBT Subcommittee Report for Williams Transition

ACTION TEAM J - SPECIAL CONSTITUENCIES INTERIM REPORT: GLBT SUB-COMMITTEE

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Trangendered (GLBT) Sub-committee reports that the following issues and action items reflect the priorities and needs of the GLBT community in areas including human services, public education, public safety and infrastructure, and government operations.

• Within the first 100 days of the new Williams administration, the Health Care Finance Administration, the Department of Health, and the Agency for HIV/AIDS should submit a section 1115 waiver to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the expansion of Medicaid eligibility to HIV-infected, non AIDS-diagnosed residents of the District of Columbia at 200 percent of the Federal poverty level.
• Within the first 100 days of the new Williams administration, the Directors of the Agency for HIV/AIDS, the Department of Health, and the Health Care Finance Administration should convene a public summit on HIV/AIDS, at which time an HIV/AIDS 2000 Task Force should be established.
• A task force comprised of non-government experts should be convened to analyze current ADAP programs and make recommendations for improving access, enrollment, and utilization, particularly of protease inhibitors and new FDA-approved drugs.
• An HIV tracking system should be initiated using unique identifiers with comprehensive confidentiality protections for all HIV/AIDS-related data, and penalties for confidentiality violations should be established and enforced.
• The Mayor should urge the Superintendent of the D.C. Public Schools to develop counseling services within the school system for all children, especially those GLBT and other youth who are at increased risk for suicide, abuse, assault, violence, etc. The Superintendent should also issue a clear and strong policy against homophobic harassment in D.C. Public Schools.
• Prompt implementation of the new Civilian Complaint Review Board should be ensured.
• Community relations and diversity training should be expanded for police officers, fire fighters, and EMS personnel, with special training provided on GLBT issues and same-sex domestic violence and sexual assault.
• A liaison to represent GLBT related concerns to the Executive Office of the Mayor and to all District agencies should be established/appointed.
• The Office of Human Rights should be established as a separate, fully funded and staffed agency in order to eliminate caseload backlogs and comply with statutory deadlines.

II. TEAM MEMBERS

Name	Sub-Committee Role
1. Carlene Cheatam	Co-chair, Infrastructure liaison
2. Philip Pannell	Co-chair
3. Craig Bowman
4. Ellen Kahn
5. Loyal Snyder	Information Technology back-up
6. Rick Rosendall	Report Writer
7. Tammy Seltzer
8. Martin Hiraga
9. Carl Schmidt
10. Charlotte Young	Home Rule liaison
11. Peter H. Share	Education/Culture liaison
12. Paul Dionne	Information Technology liaison
13. Robert Siegel	Planning & Development liaison
14. Peter Rosenstein	Operations liaison
15. Pat Hawkins	Report Writer
16. Bob Summersgill
17. Mitch Wood
18. Darren Buckner
19. Earline Budd
20. Terrance Calhoun
21. Kevin Davis
22. Rebecca Helem
23. Renee Lohman
24. Hiroko Makebe
25. Quentin Manson III
26. Dana Priesing
27. Mark Randolf
28. Nadine Rawls

III. DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

How many gay people are there in the District of Columbia? The reality is that nobody knows and if one wanted to pursue the arduous task of finding out, the effort would be filled with discrepancies and insurmountable obstacles. Nonetheless, in the District of Columbia we may not know the exact numbers but we are ever so reminded of the presence of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered citizens in this community. According to Lou Chibbaro, a reporter at the Washington Blade, some 7% to 10% of the total population in the United States is homosexual; this figure is thought to be significantly higher in urban centers. DC is more progressive than most cities because it has an ordinance against the discrimination of people based on their sexual orientation but more importantly it is the nation's capital, an urban magnet that has attracted multitudes of LGBT people and the organizations that represent them. The zip code 20009 has the highest concentration of gays, according to Carl Schmidt of the Human Rights Campaign. Therefore, it can be assumed that the percentage of LGBT people in this community is presumably much higher than perpetuating national estimates.

In 1948, Alfred Kinsey did a face to face study and found that 10% of the respondents were gay and 5% were lesbians. Yet, no one knows the exact numbers because individuals don't respond honestly for fear of being outed and discriminated against. Even when information gatherers reasonably assure confidentiality for participants, people lie and as a result the information continues to not be available for public analysis.

In this country there are nearly a hundred national organizations that work in some capacity on behalf of the LGBT community and over 80% of those organizations have offices located in the District of Columbia. Two of the largest organizations are the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The combined membership of these organizations totals well over half a million nationwide. Also, the second largest LGBT community health center is the Whitman Walker Clinic and it services several thousand LGBT people every year. The most widely read gay publication in the nation is the Washington Blade with a readership of close to 200,000 in the DC metropolitan area.

Anthony Williams is more than aware of the impact LGBT citizens have in this city and that was evident when he appointed Carlene Cheatam as the LGBT community liaison for the Williams for Mayor campaign. Mr. Williams has continued his acknowledgement of the importance of the LGBT community with the inclusion of a sub-committee for LGBT concerns during his transition. It is a well-known fact that the LGBT community can sway elections and anyone in DC politics and government is attentive and carefully courts the LGBT community.

After careful examination of national data, the current estimate of lesbian and gay people in this country is 7%. Let us advance to the new administration that this national percentage represents an approximation of the number of people self-identifying as LGBT and for the District of Columbia it is safe to assume that 10% of this population (50,000 people minimally) are LGBT. In short, the LGBT community has had measurable impact on DC elections and the existence of hundreds of organizations that are active in this community is a clear indicator that there are more LGBT people living in DC than in many other places across the country.

One thing is clear, the LGBT community is entitled to equal access to government services not because we are gay, but because we are district citizens and we are everywhere. While it may be convenient for the DC government to prioritize LGBT-related services based on numbers or bureaucratic reporting or measurement structures, this methodology is not all inclusive and in the end will not serve the LGBT community.

The LGBT community is often hated and often one of many invisible minorities but we are confident that the Williams administration will adhere to the facts regarding our demographics and be responsible enough to adjust for the purpose of ensuring tangible inclusion of the LGBT community.

IV. ISSUES, OPTION & ALTERNATIVES, & FOLLOW THROUGH

ACTION TEAM A: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Issues

The process for issuing contracts and payments for vital services such as AIDS-related services should be streamlined and accelerated.

The new Administration is strongly urged to commit to convening an open policy forum, including making background material available on the worldwide web, before promulgating any major policy initiative.

ACTION TEAM B: PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Issues:

Clear priorities should be established for DCRA based on public safety and health, and DCRA should be forbidden from disproportionately targeting and engaging in regulatory harassment of gay-oriented businesses.

DCRA should not be in the business of deciding what percentage of a video store's stock or revenues may derive from adult-oriented videos; this amounts to censorship and is an infringement of the rights of consumers to choose their own entertainment.

ACTION TEAM C - HUMAN SERVICE NETWORK

Issue

The need for HIV-positive individuals to qualify for Medicaid to cover their medical expenses.

Viable Options and Alternatives

Require the initiation of an 1115 waiver to expand Medicaid to HIV + individuals at 200 % of Federal Poverty Level (FPL) within the first 90 days and submit the completed waiver within 90 to 120 days.

Methods to Ensure Implementation and Follow Through

• Ensure release and award of Request for Application (RFA) for 1115 waiver consultant (currently awaiting release from Department of Health.)
• Ensure sufficient funds are available to expedite process of completing waiver and submit to the DHHS-Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) within 90 to 120 days.
• Assign oversight of process for 1115 waiver development, submission and progress through HRSA to the Planning Subcommittee of the Ryan White Title I Planning Council.

Issue

Current AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) programs are not sufficiently enrolling participants and are not fully utilizing allocated dollars which put the program in jeopardy of losing future funding.

Viable Options and Alternatives

Convene an expert task force (non-governmental members) to analyze the current AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) programs and make recommendations to improve access, enrollment, and utilization particularly of Protease Inhibitors (PI) and new FDA-approved drugs.

Methods to Ensure Implementation and Follow Through

• (Short term) Immediately charge the Agency for HIV/AIDS (AHA) with making monthly full, comprehensive reports on current ADAP issues to ADAP Advisory Committee and/or Planning Committee of the Ryan White Council.
• Empower current ADAP to meet monthly and receive comprehensive reports and make recommendations directly to the Director of the Health Department.
• Charge current ADAP Advisory Committee and/or Planning Committee of the Ryan White Council with convening an expanded task force to evaluate current program and make appropriate recommendations.
• Charge AHA with cooperating fully with committee review and with providing all appropriate information and data with respect to current access strategies (i.e., publicity) formulary, and monthly enrollment, utilization and prescription data.

Issue

The D.C. Government has not established short/mid/long term strategic plans to effectively respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the District of Columbia. There is a need to maximize the effectiveness of the response in the District of Columbia to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to assure cross-departmental and agency collaboration in doing so.

Viable Options and Alternatives

The Mayor will direct the Administrator of the Agency for HIV/AIDS (AHA), the Director of the Department of Health and the Director of the Health Care Finance Administration to convene an HIV/AIDS 2000 Task Force and public summit in the District of Columbia within the first 100 days of the new administration.

Methods to Ensure Implementation and Follow Through

• Broad-based participation from the community will be encouraged and solicited.
• Other district, and governmental boards, agencies and staff (i.e., DC CARE Consortium, HCC, and the Ryan White Planning Council) will be made part of the planning and summit as appropriate. The output of the summit and work by the Task Force will be specific recommendations and establishment of a strategic plan.

Issue

Lack of adequate resources (i.e., the number of investigators) to effectively execute the responsibilities of The Office of Human Rights (OHR)

Viable Options and Alternatives

Establish the Office of Human Rights as a separate, fully funded and staffed agency to eliminate the caseload backlog and to comply with the statutory deadline.

Methods to Ensure Implementation and Follow Through

• An increase in the number of investigators and other staff assigned to OHR.
• A clear goal should be set to eliminate the current backlog within a reasonable time frame.
• After the backlog is under control, the staff at OHR should be maintained at a level that will keep the backlog low.
• Prioritize the complaints of discrimination from persons afflicted with AIDS or other health conditions that are immediately life threatening.

Issue

The lack of an employed individual/liaison who confers and works with the Mayor to facilitate positive interaction between city government and the LGBT community.

Viable Options and Alternatives

Establish a liaison to represent Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered (LGBT) related concerns to the Executive Office of the Mayor with access and interaction with all District agencies.

Methods to Ensure Implementation and Follow Through

Establish placement of a LGBT Liaison within either the Office of Diversity (EOM) or the Office of the Ombudsman (EOM), with the responsibility to act as a liaison between the Mayor, city government and the LGBT community. Also, the LGBT Liaison will work with community organizations and local businesses to ensure cooperation and improved services to the LGBT community. Lastly, to identify, track and strategically promote the elimination of discrimination experienced by the LGBT community in the District of Columbia.

Other Human Service Network Issues:

• Convene an expert task force (non-governmental members) to analyze the current ADAP programs and make recommendations to improve access, enrollment, and utilization particularly of protease inhibitors and new FDA-approved drugs.
• Initiate an HIV tracking system using unique identifiers with comprehensive confidentiality protections for all HIV/AIDS-related data, including penalties for violation.
• Initiate a task force to develop language that ensures HMOs have appropriate HIV expertise, GLBT sensitivity, and appropriate patients rights protections.
• Require that all agencies develop (and implement) HIV/AIDS state of the art prevention and voluntary testing treatment protocols for institutionalized and housing dependent populations (i.e., St. E's, juvenile, and MR facilities and group homes).
• Require that all human service agencies develop and implement policies, training, and specifically targeted services addressing GLBT communities and issues, based on a clearly articulated policy of access parity.
• Institute HIV/AIDS awareness training for all government employees.
• Convene a task force within 90 days to enhance nursing home and long term care options within the District by providing appropriate funding by level of care so that District residents currently forced into out-of-state placements, particularly those with AIDS, can be served within the District with access to significant others, friends, and family members, however determined.
• Reaffirm support for effective condom availability programs in schools and prisons.
• Include AIDS prevention and treatment efforts in requirements, documents and RFPs for all prison privatization contracts [See also Infrastructure].
• State clear support for clean needle exchange program (including police coordination and cooperation to prevent undermining of program through aggressive enforcement of anti-paraphernalia law against program participants).

ACTION TEAM D - EDUCATION & CULTURE

Issue

The District of Columbia Public Schools lacks counseling services and a policy against discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation.

Viable Options and Alternatives

The Mayor will advocate and require the Superintendent of the D.C. Public Schools to develop counseling services within the school system for all children, specially those youth at risk including LGBT youth. Also, the Superintendent will establish a school wide policy against discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Methods to Ensure Implementation and Follow Through

• The Superintendent will evaluate current counseling services offered within DC Public Schools and implement for school year 99-00 the expansion of counseling services to all youth. The highly trained counselors will be able to assist LGBT youth and youth at risk of suicide, abuse, assault, violence, etc.
• The Superintendent will take the appropriate steps to establish within the entire DC Public School system a policy against discrimination based on an individual's sexual orientation.

ACTION TEAM E - INFRASTRUCTURE

Issue

Equal access of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered citizens to professional and respectful public safety services.

Viable Options and Alternatives

Ensure prompt implementation of the new Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB).

Methods to Ensure Implementation and Follow Through

• Start up funding for CCRB exists for FY 1999; ensure full funding for CCRB in FY 2000 budget.
• Monitor CCRB implementation and follow-up.

Issue

Equal access of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered citizens to professional and respectful public safety services.

Viable Options and Alternatives

Expand community relations and diversity training for police officers, fire fighters and EMS personnel to include special training in same-sex domestic violence and sexual assault in addition to other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered issues.

Methods to Ensure Implementation and Follow Through

• Plan sufficient hours in training program for inclusion of LGBT concerns in addition to those of other special constituencies.
• Tap expertise of LGBT community members in curriculum planning and in training itself.
• Require supervisory follow-through to ensure success of training.

ACTION TEAM F: FINANCE

Issue

The need to streamline and accelerate the process for issuing contracts and payments for vital services such as AIDS-related services.

ACTION TEAM G - OPERATIONS

Issue

The lack of an employed individual/liaison who confers and works with the Mayor to facilitate positive interaction between city government and the LGBT community.

Viable Options and Alternatives

Establish a liaison to represent Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered (LGBT) related concerns to the Executive Office of the Mayor with access and interaction with all District agencies.

Methods to Ensure Implementation and Follow Through

• Establish placement of a LGBT Liaison within either the Office of Diversity (EOM) or the Office of the Ombudsman (EOM), with the responsibility to act as a liaison between the Mayor, city government and the LGBT community.
• Also, the LGBT Liaison will work with community organizations and local businesses to ensure cooperation and improved services to the LGBT community.
• Lastly, identify, track and strategically promote the elimination of discrimination experienced by the LGBT community in the District of Columbia.

Issue

Equal access of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered citizens to professional and respectful public safety services.

Viable Options and Alternatives

Expand community relations and diversity training for police officers, fire fighters and EMS personnel to include special training in same-sex domestic violence and sexual assault in addition to other lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered issues.

Methods to Ensure Implementation and Follow Through

• Plan sufficient hours in training program for inclusion of GLBT concerns in addition to those of other special constituencies
• Tap expertise of GLBT community members in curriculum planning and in training itself
• Require supervisory follow-through to ensure success of training.

Other Operations Issues

• Commit to convening an open policy forum, including making background material available on the worldwide web, before promulgating any major policy initiative.
• Survey current Boards and Commissions for "out" GLBT members and ensure timely response to applicants for boards and commissions.

ACTION TEAM I: TRANSITION TO HOME RULE

Issues

• Include defense of domestic partners, adoptions by unmarried couples, and clean needle exchange in any strategizing on self-determination with regard to Congress and the White House.
• Defend the integrity of the District's elections and initiative process, and the right of District voters to have their votes count, against Congressional encroachments such as the Barr Amendment.
• Give copies of GLAA's paper "Federal Intrusions and the Gay Community" to members of Action Team 1: Transition to Home Rule.

ACTION TEAM J: SPECIAL CONSTITUENCIES

Issue

Lack of adequate resources (i.e., the number of investigators) to effectively execute the responsibilities of The Office of Human Rights (OHR)

Viable Options and Alternatives

Establish the Office of Human Rights as a separate, fully funded and staffed agency to eliminate the caseload backlog and to comply with the statutory deadline.

Methods to Ensure Implementation and Follow Through

• Increase the number of investigators and other staff assigned to OHR.
• A clear goal should be set to eliminate the current backlog within a reasonable time frame.
• After the backlog is under control, the staff at OHR should be maintained at a level that will keep the backlog low.
• Prioritize the complaints of discrimination from persons afflicted with AIDS or other health conditions that are immediately life threatening.

Issue (See Operations)

The lack of an employed individual/liaison who confers and works with the Mayor to facilitate positive interaction between city government and the LGBT community.

Viable Options and Alternatives

Establish a liaison to represent Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered (LGBT) related concerns to the Executive Office of the Mayor with access and interaction with all District agencies.

Methods to Ensure Implementation and Follow Through

Establish placement of a LGBT Liaison within either the Office of Diversity (EOM) or the Office of the Ombudsman (EOM), with the responsibility to act as a liaison between the Mayor, city government and the LGBT community. Also, the LGBT Liaison will work with community organizations and local businesses to ensure cooperation and improved services to the LGBT community. Lastly, to identify, track and strategically promote the elimination of discrimination experienced by the LGBT community in the District of Columbia.