Responses of Yvette M. Alexander to GLAA 2007 Questionnaire
for DC Council Candidates
| Yes/No | Substance | Record | Championship | Total |
| 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 2.5 |
PUBLIC SAFETY
1. As a member of the Public Safety and Judiciary Committee, will you support funding for mandatory gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) sensitivity and diversity training for all members of the Fire/EMS Department?
As a member of the Public Safety and Judiciary Committee I will support funding for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) sensitivity and diversity training for all members of the Fire/EMS Department. I will also include gender and race sensitivity training as well.
2. Will you press the Metropolitan Police Department to combat the transphobia entrenched within our police force, expressed in the widespread assumption among police officers that every transgendered person is a prostitute until proven otherwise?
Without drawing any conclusions about current perceptions within the police department. I would support programs that inform our first responders about all groups within our community. I am a proponent of community policing; as such, increased training about all of our community groups increases the policing effort.
3. Will you support a budget for the Office of Police Complaints large enough to continue to avoid developing a backlog of cases?
Yes; complaints filed against the police department should be resolved in a timely manner. I support efforts that insure complaints are resolved in a timely manner.
AIDS AND PUBLIC HEALTH
4. Do you agree that the drive to make HIV testing routine among District residents should include funding for counseling and referrals to treatment facilities for those testing positive?
Yes; the HIV/Aids infection rates in this city are at national highs. I support greater education of all aspects of HIV/Aids training, education and testing.
Having done community outreach for a local insurance provider I saw up close how the lack of information on HIV/Aids had a detrimental affect on the community as a whole.
5. Are you committed to continuing and expanding the District’s condom distribution program?
Yes, condom distribution is an integral part of this type of community outreach effort.
6. The District is being forced by the federal government to switch from a unique identifier system to a names reporting system for people testing positive for HIV. Will you support legislation to strengthen our medical privacy laws, such as by creating a private right of action for those whose confidentiality is violated by District government employees or contractors?
I support increasing the privacy associated with medical records and attempts to disclose that information. I will review this issue closely to insure that an individual whose medical information privacy rights has been violated will have recourse options available to him or her.
HUMAN RIGHTS
7. Will you support a budget for the Office of Human Rights (OHR) large enough to allow it to reduce to 270 days the average gap between the time that a discrimination complaint is filed and the time OHR issues a finding of probable cause?
I support the Office of Human Rights (OHR) reviewing the timeline that currently exists. Once reviewed, if this time period is unduly long I will work to reduce this time period to a reasonable time period. I look to this organization to provide information and background on issues such as this.
8. Will you block ceremonial resolutions and otherwise decline to honor individuals or organizations that promote any sort of bigotry?
I will not support resolutions ceremonial or otherwise that honor persons that are known bigots.
9. Are you committed to publicizing and enforcing the provisions of the D.C. Human Rights Act forbidding discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression?
Yes, I am committed to publicizing and enforcing the provisions of the D.C. Human Rights Act forbidding discrimination on the basis of gender identity expression.
10. Do you agree that the Director of the Office of Human Rights should be required to have professional training and experience in civil rights law enforcement?
I believe that the Director of the Office of Human Rights should meet nationally recognized standards for this position.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
11. Do you support legal recognition of marriages between partners of the same sex?
I support legal recognition of unions between partners of the same sex.
12. Will you support legislation in the District to continue expanding the existing domestic partnership program to include all relevant rights and responsibilities of marriage in D.C. law?
I believe that domestic partner programs should afford same sex couples the rights and privileges of all other couples.
13. Will you support the legislative and/or regulatory changes necessary to ensure that the District recognizes civil unions, domestic partnerships and similar legal relationships established in other jurisdictions?
Yes, I support legislation/and or regulatory changes that increases the Districts recognition of civil unions, domestic partnerships and similar legal relationships established in other jurisdictions.
14. Will you oppose legislation giving special benefits to PEPCO until it implements an equitable domestic partner benefit program?
I will review legislation that gives special benefits to PEPCO concerning theor domestic partnership efforts. I do believe that all businesses that do business with the District government should follow similar guidelines on all issues. I will review this legislation closely and take input from this group.
15. Do you agree that private contractors doing business with the District should be required to provide domestic partner programs?
I am a proponent of expanding business opportunities, as such I review closely all regulations implemented against businesses. As a know consensus builder, and a long-time member of Gertrude Stein I will review this and work to implement policies that all sides agree with.
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND YOUTH
16. Do you oppose both federal and local voucher programs that fund students in religious schools that are beyond the protections of the D.C. Human Rights Act?
Yes; I oppose both federal and local voucher programs that fund students in religious schools that are beyond the protections of the D.C. Human Rights Act. I support D.C. Public Schools and our charter schools and will work to have these institutions capable of meeting our community education needs.
17. As a member of the Committee of the Whole which now has jurisdiction over the public school system, will you oppose the use of either federal or District taxpayer funds to promote “abstinence only until marriage” sex education that undermines safer-sex programs by discouraging the use of condoms and that effectively tells gay and lesbian students that they must remain celibate forever because they may not legally marry?
As a member of the Committee of the Whole I will promote funding formulas and budget oversight that will allow our designated curriculum folks, which will probably the school board, to do their job effectively.
I am sensitive to the idea that District taxpayer funds might promote “abstinence only until marriage” sex education that undermines safer-sex programs by discouraging the use of condoms and that effectively tells gay and lesbian students that they must remain celibate forever because they may not legally marry. I will make this know to the proper person, though this is not the job of the council as currently constituted.
CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES
18. As a member of the Public Works and Environment Committee which has jurisdiction over ABC licenses, will you support the relocation of the many gay bars and businesses that were displaced by the new ballpark, even if local NIMBYs and homophobes oppose them?
As a member of the Public Works and Environment Committee which has jurisdiction over ABC licenses any time our local businesses are displaced because of the District’s effort I will work with those businesses and community leaders to identify new locations for those businesses.
19. Will you support legislation to curb the abuses of NIMBYs who are now allowed to file an endless series of baseless complaints to harass or extort bars and restaurants?
I will review whether there are abuses in the filing of complaints concerning bar relocations, etc. One of my greatest qualities is as a consensus builder, and someone who will look to find creative solutions to tough problems. I support all persons right to utilize the legal system and will work to insure that all parties are functioning within their rights.
Please provide the URL for your campaign website, if you have one. We will include it on our candidate links page.
Your record is part of your rating. Please list any actions that you have taken that may help illustrate your record on behalf of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders.