Responses of Vincent Orange to GLAA 2011 Special Election Questionnaire
for DC Council Candidates
| Yes/No | Substance | Record | Championship | Total |
| 2 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 | 3.5 |
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
1. In the event of congressional action leading to a ballot initiative in the District that would take away the civil marriage rights now enjoyed by same-sex couples, will you oppose the initiative and publicly campaign for the preservation of civil marriage equality?
Yes, I will oppose the initiative and publicly campaign for the preservation of civil marriage equality.
PUBLIC HEALTH
2. Will you support legislation giving the directors of the Office of GLBT Affairs and the Office of African Affairs the authority to issue competitive grants as other minority constituent offices have, that will be open to organizations serving the populations within the offices’ purview?
Yes. As Chairman of the Committee on Government Operations, I marshaled legislation through the Council to ensure the LGBT office was made permanent so future administrations could not abolish the office.
3. Describe steps you will support to improve performance at the HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Administration (HAHSTA), including in HIV prevention, HIV/AIDS surveillance, and mental health services.
I would engage the LGBT office, the LGBT community, the DC Health Committee, Councilmember David Catania and Councilmember Jim Graham to secure the proper avenue to support and improve the performance of HAHSTA. The key is to have good stable leadership that works with the community in the HAHSTA administration.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE JUDICIARY
4. Will you support a budget for the Office of Police Complaints large enough to avoid developing a backlog of cases?
Yes, I would support a budget for this Office to reduce and avoid a backlog of cases.
5. Will you support efforts to rein in police officials who respond to legitimate crime concerns with unsustainable, media-centric quick fixes that infringe constitutionally protected civil liberties? And will you do so without waiting for courts to overturn them, as the U.S. Court of Appeals did to the Neighborhood Safety Zone initiative in 2009?
Yes. Yes.
6. Will you press for increased oversight of the Metropolitan Police Department’s gathering and analysis of crime statistics to ensure greater comprehensiveness and objectivity, including transgender-related hate crime data?
Yes. I along with Councilmember Jim Graham marshaled legislation through the DC Council, which amended the Human Rights Act to protect transgender against discrimination. I will press for increased oversight by the MPD to ensure greater comprehensiveness and objectivity.
HUMAN RIGHTS
7. Will you support a budget for the Office of Human Rights large enough to allow it to keep the backlog at below 70 aged cases; keep below 210 days the average time it takes to issue a probable cause finding; and expand education, prevention, and language access efforts?
Yes. Having had oversight over the Office of Human Rights, I know this issue needs to be addressed by providing budget support.
8. Are you committed to including a transgender representative on the D.C. Commission on Human Rights?
Yes. I expand Human Rights protections to the transgender community.
9. 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?
Absolutely!
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND YOUTH
10. Will 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.
11. 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 excluding more comprehensive information?
Yes. Clearly, “abstinence” does not resonate with a large part of the population. Thus, sex education is needed.
CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES
12. Do you support the right of adults in the District to choose adult-oriented entertainment for themselves, and the right of appropriately licensed and zoned businesses to provide it?
Yes.
13. Will you support legislation to curb abuses by NIMBYs who are now allowed to file an endless series of baseless complaints to harass or extort bars and restaurants?
Yes.
14. What are your thoughts regarding GLAA’s proposal, explained in Agenda: 2010, to mitigate the problems associated with prostitution by legalizing and regulating it? What will you do to provide alternatives to survival sex for at-risk populations like homeless youth and transgenders?
I do not support legalizing and regulating prostitution. Educate myself on the alternatives to survival sex for at-risk populations and engages the appropriate communities for recommendations
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.
I. During my tenure on the DC Council and as Chairman of the Committee on Government Affairs, I championed along with DC Councilmember Jim Graham Bill 16-235, the Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs Act of 2005. This Bill was in honor of my good friend Wanda R. Alston and to permanently establish the office without fear of it being abolished by subsequent administrations.
II. Councilmember Jim Graham and I also introduced the “District of Columbia Human Rights Act Clarification Act of 2005” to amend the District of Columbia Human Rights Act of 1977 to add “gender identity or expression” to the list of already enumerated classes protected by current District law. This Act was important because it clarified that discrimination against transgender and gender variant people is illegal in the District of Columbia.
III. During my tenure with Pepco commencing in 2007, Rick Rosendall brought to my attention during DC Council hearings that Pepco did not provide benefits to domestic partners or civil unions. I immediately had this changed and benefits were provided.
IV. The District of Columbia one year ago passed same-sex marriage legislation. As the Democratic National Committeeman, I supported this legislation and voted in favor of the resolution passed by the DC Democratic State Committee.
V. Attended the HRC affair celebrating the DC Court of Appeals upholding Marriage Equality.
VI. Attended the one year anniversary of the DC Marriage Equality Act.
VII. Two year member of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club.
VIII. Attended event at ReedSmith honoring those in the leadership for Marriage Equality.