Responses of Arturo Griffiths to GLAA 2000 Questionnaire
for DC Council Candidates
| Yes/No | Substance | Record | Championship | Total |
| 2 | 3.5 | .5 | 0 | 6 |
PUBLIC SAFETY
1. Will you vote for a budget for the new Citizen Complaint Review Board and the Office of Citizen Complaint Review large enough to prevent the development of a case backlog?
Yes. The DC Statehood Green party has testified in favor of authorizing an effective Citizen Complaint Review Board. Right now the CCRB needs sufficient funding to ensure the use of mediators and other kinds of contract service providers. Failure to provide these funds will continue to indicate 1hc city's lack of commitment to a forceful and effective CCRB. In addition, the Board needs to be independent, with a diverse representation. The following constituencies should be included: African American, Latino, Asians, gay and lesbians, and women.
2. Will you support legislation that will reverse the Council's recent enactment of a ban on moonlighting by members of the Metropolitan Police Department at bars and sexually oriented establishments?
Yes. Chief Ramsey is responsible for asking City Council to prohibit officers from taking after-hour jobs at bars and sexually oriented established. I am against Chief Ramsey's position on this issue. I believe that allowing off-duty officers to provide security on streets outside of these establishments actually helps cut down on hate crimes and others acts of criminality. I would work to overturn this legislation.
3. Will you support amending recently enacted Sexual Offenders Registration Act, "Megan's Law," so that those who can prove to the court that they no longer constitute a danger to the community will not be required to register as a sex offender?
Yes. The recently-enacted Sexual Offenders Registration Act, "Megan's Law" contains provisions that could potentially endanger gay men in the District. Firm, I believe that the law should allow sex offenders to be excused from registration requirements if they are no longer a danger to the community. Secondly, attorneys should be allowed compensation if they win suits for individuals who should not be listed in the sex offender registry.
4. Will you support the full funding and full staffing of the Metropolitan Police Department's newly created Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit (GLLU) as currently proposed?
Yes. I would strongly support the full funding and staffing of the newly created Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit. In fact, the city should establish a Gay and Lesbian Advisory Board. Members of the Gay Men And Lesbians Opposing Violence (GLOV) should play a leadership role. The DC Statehood Green Party has several members who are leaders of GLOV. The Advisory Board should include a range of community groups and should not be appointed by the Police Department. One of the themes of my campaign is to organize people in the community to speak on their own behalf. This belief - community participation - is inherent in all of the work I have done my entire life and if elected, I will continue to push for this goal.
5. Will you demand mandatory gay male, lesbian, bisexual and transgender sensitivity and diversity training including gay and transgender community representative as a continuing part of the training for all members of the Metropolitan Police Department and the Fire/EMS Department?
Yes. This type of training is essential for all current and new members of the Metropolitan Police Department and the Fire/EMS Department. Recently, the MPD announced its intentions to use its own officers to conduct community relations training. The recent Tyra Hunter case shows how serious this issue is. If the Department is serious about changing officers' attitudes about gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender individuals, it must hire outside trainers who are GLOV volunteers and have personal experience as openly gay men and women. I would also like to point out that this same issue has arisen in the Latino community, and I know personally that many officers need cultural sensitivity training on D.C.'s Latino community .The Latino community bas pushed for the trainers to be bi-lingual and bi-cultural. That can only be achieved if outside trainers with community experience be hired to provide the training. Because of my experience, I can help facilitate efforts for the gay and lesbian community in their efforts to convince the MPD about the importance of cultural sensitivity training by outside contractors.
PUBLIC HEALTH & HIV
6. Last year, a unique identifier system for tracking the spread of HIV was approved by the Council and Mayor, rather than a names reporting system that would deter some people from being tested in the first place. Will you insist that unique identifier system be implemented without delay and fairly evaluated?
Yes. I agree that a unique identifier system for tracking the spread of HIV is preferable to a names reporting system. We all know that individuals who might have HIV infections do not want to be publicly identified. There is still a lot of stigma associated with HIV. I am familiar with the issue because of the spread of HIV in the Latino community. Given the increase in the number of AIDS cases among minority youth, it is important to use the unique identifier system so that more people get tested at an earlier stage of the disease.
7. Will you oppose Bill 13-240 which would make possession and distribution of marijuana for medical purposes a felony?
Yes. I will oppose Bill 13-240. The DC Statehood Green party has made it clear that harsh sentencing and the war on drugs, in general, has failed. We see drug abuse as a medical problem. Members of the DC Statehood and Green parties, which are now merged, campaigned hard for Initiative 59 (the Marijuana Ballot Initiative) in 1998 and turned in a plurality of the signatures that were on the ballot. Unfortunately, that bill was not enacted. Bin 13-240, the Distribution of Marijuana Amendment Act of 1999, threatens to criminalize people we are trying to support. It targets our youth and turns youthful non-violent offenders into felons. Consequently, they come out of jail as hardened criminals. In addition, filling up jails with young people who are convicted on non-violent marijuana charges creates jail crowding, thus forcing the early release of more violent prisoners.
8. Will you support the use of District taxpayer funds to implement a needle exchange program?
Yes. The DC Statehood Green Party is on record as supporting a needle exchange program. DC Statehood Green Party members have testified and worked with ACT UP Washington DC in favor of a well-funded needle exchange program.
9. The Administration for HIV/AIDS (AHA) is still unable to account for its spending. Will you ask the Inspector General to audit AHA contracting.
Yes. We have supported ACT UP Washington DC in calling for accountability and bringing this in front of the media.
10. Will you support earmarking funds to combat mental health problems and homelessness among sexual minority youth?
Yes. Gay, lesbians, bisexual and transgender young people are especially vulnerable because they get kicked out of homes because of sexual orientation. They are at higher risk of being crime victims and being victims of hate crimes and at risk of HIV and other infections. Earmarking funds to combat mental health problems and homelessness among sexual minority youth is not only important for our young people but also important because these issues affect the entire community and are thus a public health issue. I am quite familiar with the lack of mental health services available to the Latino community and I know what happens when one member of the family becomes ill and ends up on the streets - without resources or access to permanent housing. Our entire community pays a much higher price when we do not provide health care services to our young people.
HUMAN RIGHTS
11. Will you support a temporary increase in the annual budget for the Office of Human Rights (OHR) over the next several years until its persistent 700-case backlog has been eliminated?
Yes. I will support a temporary increase in the annual budget for the Office of Human Rights. Throughout the 1990's this office suffered repeated staff reductions. This issue comes up every year and is never resolved. It is high time that OHR reduce the huge 700 case back-log. OHR must show progress this year in issuing a finding of probable cause, especially for the older cases. If elected, I will push to get rid of the back log and ensure that OHR becomes an independent agency.
12. Will you support legislation that will codify OHR's former practice of giving top priority to discrimination complaints filed by people with AIDS or other major life- threatening diseases?
Yes. I will support efforts to codify OHR's practice of giving top priority to discrimination complaints filed by people with AIDS. It is a tragedy that now people with HIV or other life-threatening illnesses don't have their cases resolved until after they die. People who are sick should have their cases resolved.
13. DC's rate of HIV infections among teenagers is significantly higher than the national average. Will you support legislation to increase HIV prevention efforts targeted towards sexual minority youth?
Yes. I support education on the dangers of HIV/AIDS for the young people in our community. As a founding member of the Latin American Youth Center, I was actively involved in promoting sex education for young Latinos. Twenty-five years later, the Latin American Youth Center continues to provide sex education for its constituents, as well as programs on how to avoid life-threatening diseases, such as HIV. Therefore, I would continue to work aggressively to encourage continued education for DC's sexual minority youth. It is important to provide materials translated into Spanish in order to reach this community that has a high incidence of AIDS.
DEFENDING OUR FAMILIES
14. Will you support legal recognition of marriages between partners of the same sex?
Yes. I will support legal recognition of marriages between partners of the same sex. On August 6th, Ralph Nader, Green Party candidate for U.S. President, announced his endorsement of this measure. The DC Statehood Green Party also supports it.
15. Will you agree that the District should recognize the same-sex civil unions established in Vermont or other jurisdictions?
Yes. In the eyes of the D.C. government, all unions between two people - whether same sex or opposite sex -should be equally recognized as civil unions.
16. Will you support legislation in the District similar to Vermont's civil unions law?
Yes. The DC Statehood Green Party can be counted on to defend this law, if it is passed locally against Congress' likely attempts to overturn this.
17. Will you support the well-established decision by D.C. Courts, which recognize the right of unmarried couples to adopt children jointly?
Yes. I would work aggressively to support efforts to allow unmarried couples to adopt children jointly. We have a major problem in DC where many minority youth languish in foster care. It is important that these children, and others be adopted by loving parents, no matter what their sexual orientation or marital status. The DC Statehood Green Party has campaigned intently for rights of DC people not to have their legislation on these points overturned by Congress. Specifically this year several party members participated in civil disobedience protesting Congress' attacks on our local laws, especially the adoption statute. Of 8 people who were arrested in the House Galley, a majority belonged to the DC Statehood Green Party .They were protesting the floor vote on the DC appropriations bill which included riders that Congress had placed on the bill.
YOUTH AND PUBLIC EDUCATION
18. Will you support legislation prohibiting harassment of students in the District schools (both public and charter) on the basis of any of the protected categories enumerated in the D.C. Human Rights Law?
Yes. I support not just punitive measures, but efforts to educate children about diversity including sexual minority issues. This education is critical. It helps prevent the kind of despair and high risk behavior, mental health problems and alienation and homelessness discussed above in earlier questions.
For more information on my positions, please refer to our local DC Statehood Green party platform which can be found at our Website: http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org, as well as the national platform for the Green party which is http://www.gp.org