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September 02, 2010

tcwaters

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Hate Crimes are Not a LGBT Issue

I posted yesterday and last week about the gay bashing in Highland Park, and the meeting with zone 5 police where we focused on response time, and the commitment of the police to treat all crimes equally because some within the LGBT community feel as if some police are not interested in helping if the victim is a gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender person. The police, including an out lesbian officer affirmed for me that the police treat every incident the same regardless, and their goal is to stop crime and “catch bad guys” in all situations. In the Highland Park incident, the victim wanted the attack listed as a hate crime, but the report didn’t contain enough evidence to warrant that. In Pennsylvania, there is no Hate Crimes legislation- only the Federal Matthew Shepherd Act would apply. Attempts to pass PA HB 745 haven’t been successful, and opponents of Hate Crimes legislation, call it unnecessary gay legislation.

But the article below suggests that Hate Crimes may be on the rise, and are fueled by racial, as well as other motivations like religion or sexual orientation or gender expression.

HAPPY VALLEY, Ore. — Racial slurs were spray painted on a Happy Valley house this week shortly after an Asian family moved into the home, deputies said.

Sang Huynh and his family found the vandalism Monday, three days after starting their move-in process, said Detective Jim Strovink in a Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office news release.

There was a note found at the house that read, “Leave.” Another note said, “Last warning. We will burn your house down if we have to,” according to deputies. Investigators said they also found a book of matches and a clear plastic water bottle filled with gasoline.

Deputies said the racist vandalism happened between 1:30 p.m. and 3:08 p.m. on Monday.

Hate Crimes can happen anywhere, and any attempt to rely solely on the Federal statute will not offer much value or protection for any of the people frequently targeted in a Hate Crime.

Here in Pennsylvania, you can do your part to help get state-wide protections against Hate Crimes passed. Talk to your PA House Representative, and you can urge them to support PA HB 745. The bill has been stalled waiting for a vote of the full house. If you need help knowing who to contact, email Equality Partners, a project of the Delta Foundation, and Jason Crighton, the LGBT Field Organizer can help you.

Happy Valley Family Target Of Hate Crime – Portland News Story – KPTV Portland.

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September 02, 2010

tcwaters

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The Rewriting of American History

The linked post is about the singers from Peter, Paul, and Mary objecting to the National Organization using their song at their summer anti-gay pro-hate rallies, and it is a good read, in and of itself. But I think it also fits into a bigger narrative that is going on at the moment, where [fill in the blank] are doing everything in their power to rewrite history to suit their own purposes. If [fill in the blank] is not a group you recognize, I admit to not being sure who to identify. It could be the conservatives. They seem pretty intent on reframing the constitution as they attack Health Care Reform and other changes being made by the Democrats. Yet, the Tea Party crazies, may be on the far right, but the word “conservative” doesn’t really capture who they are. Likewise, many of the anti-gay crusaders may work hand in hand with conservatives, but may be more fringe than that. Either way, from Glen Beck claiming that the Washington Monument building was halted during the Civil War (impossible since it wasn’t even begun till well after the war ended) and his co-opting of Martin Luther King, to the entire “don’t tread on me” Tea Party movement, any of these groups who are opposed to anything progressive are destroying the true basis of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness by fictionalizing our past.

The National Organization for Marriage’s (NOM) use of the Peter, Paul, and Mary song is especially troubling since popular culture, especially during the ’60′s was such a fruitful and powerful force against injustice and the misuse of power. This ability and willingness to use our voices and popular culture to speak out against injustice is critical if things are to change. Thanks to Peter and Noel Paul for standing up to this disgrace.

Joe. My. God.: Peter, Paul & Mary To NOM: Stop Playing Our Song At Your Hate Rallies.

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September 02, 2010

tcwaters

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The Public and The Private: Where Does Marriage Equality Fall?

The linked post from statenews.com is a very good read, and breaks down the issue in as simple a way as I have seen, yet captures the fullness of the debate pretty well.

The First Amendment clearly states that the U.S. government cannot pass any laws establishing a national religion or giving preference to one faith over another. Preventing gay marriage would do exactly that. The founders of this nation were well aware of the private-public divide and the issues upon which the government rightfully could act. Same-sex marriage is not one of them.

The notion that same-sex marriage is morally wrong is essentially a religious conclusion. By proceeding from such a conclusion and enacting laws that, in essence, recognize the correctness of that opinion, the U.S. government would be integrating a theological argument into its constitutionally-mandated secular legal structure. Previously passed laws such as the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, of 1996 openly violate these provisions of the Constitution.

This notion,

The notion that same-sex marriage is morally wrong is essentially a religious conclusion.

is both right on the money, and yet also indicative of the larger problem. I participated in a lengthy dialogue on a Catholic blog, about the the Catholic teaching and homosexuality. From that perspective and following that enlightening experience, I completely agree with the statement. Yet, my experience also shows me how successful the anti-gay forces have been in their attempt to define being gay as a choice and a lifestyle. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what laws we pass- as long as enough people buy into that falsehood, the future for LGBT equality will be a rocky one.

The State News : Gay rights are a secular triumph.

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September 01, 2010

tcwaters

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Part 2: Pittsburgh Police and the LGBT Community

Last week, I began to blog about the meeting with the Zone 5 Police Commander which followed a gay bashing in Highland Park. I want to pick up and finish the post.

One of the issues raised by the victim, was about how uncomfortable it was to go to the police station to make a report, and we spent a fair amount of time talking about this. First, you don’t have to go to the station to make a report, and most often, people don’t. But, if they do, it can be a very uncomfortable experience.

Let me start by stressing how important it is to file a complete police report. Without these reports, there is no quantitative way to show that there is a problem of violence against LGBTQ’s, or if there is a pattern of violence, so the police report is essential. Always file a police report, even for violent actions that might seem minor. It helps to build a paper trail. In the case of the Highland Park bashing, the victim wanted the report to list the incident as a hate crime, but the police report did not include anything to suggest it was except that the victim thought he was attacked because he was gay. If there are verbal slurs, or other signals to you, make sure these are included in the report.

Generally, when the police come out on a call they will file a report. If you call 911 while an act of violence is taking place, the police should make it a priority to get there as quickly as possible. Once they are there, ask and make sure they will file a report. If you call 911, after the fact- after any violence is already over- the police will come out, but the call is listed as a lower priority, and it may take longer for them to arrive. Sitting here, quietly at the computer, this makes sense, although in a moment when something has just happened and you have been victimized, I understand how all you want is for the police to be there as quickly as possible. The police will come to the scene of the crime, or they will come to your home for you to file a report.

Filing a Report at Persad

However, in our meeting, zone 5 commander Tom O’Connor committed to another way for you to file a report. Because of how uncomfortable t can be to go to the zone station, his officers will be happy to go to the Persad office, and collect the report there. Persad has rooms where a person can in private talk to the officer and allow the police to get a full report in a safe environment. This is, in my opinion, a big deal, and one of the best changes to come out of the meeting.

Good or Bad?

In my first post, I said there was one part of the meeting that I wasn’t as happy about, and I want to close this posting talking about it. In the case of the Highland Park bashing, the victim wanted the police to record it as a hate crime. He expressed that he had been harassed in the past, but at the time of the attack, there was nothing said or done to suggest that he was attacked because he was gay. so, to the police, there is nothing about this case that suggests it was a hate crime. On the one hand, I get this. The police need to go on the facts. It would be a scary place for everyone, if perceived intent was all that mattered. We need the police to go by the facts, and we need them to work had to collect all of the facts. On the other hand, if you are a LGBT person and are subjected to frequent or occurring taunting or other actions, then this should be considered as part of the facts to be collected. The police action of taking only the facts can be itself perceived as not listening to the victim and the victim’s experience, although that isn’t their intention at all.

I’m told that some bands of kids (teens to early 20′s??) know that the penalty can be greater if the crime is a hate crime, and so they know to be silent or not give away their motives when bashing a gay or lesbian person. This can make it much harder for the victim to demonstrate that a bashing was a hate crime. Is this fair? Should the burden be on the victim to prove why she or he was victimized? I don’t know. While I see and value the police’s focus on collecting the facts, I also know that our LGBT shared experiences demonstrate that we are often singled out and victimized because of who we are, regardless of how easy it is for that to be seen in the actual bashing. This is not an easy one to sort out or solve. As long as it is seen as permissible by society as a whole to bash LGBT’s, this issue will continue.

How do the police both focus directly on the facts of the specific incident, and also take into account the past experiences of the victim as well as the LGBT community overall? This is not an easy one to sort out or solve. However, if a police officer comes to take a report, and you feel that she or he directly ignores evidence or facts, then that itself should also be reported. If you ever feel that a police officer doesn’t treat you acceptably, at least in zone 5, the commander wants to know about it, because he expects all of his officers to treat everyone with dignity, respect and the full attention of the law.

Next Steps

Folks on all sides of this issue are looking at next steps. Persad is actively working to understand how the city police, state patrol, and 911 each respond and understand the issues as they related to LGBT’s. For example, what one of these groups may say about hate crimes may differ from what you would hear from the others. Zone 5 commander O’Connor will continue to work to make sure that all residents, including LGBT’s are treated fairly, promptly and al cases receive adequate follow up so that as many bad guys as possible get caught. Patrick Dowd’s office too, remains committed to seeking solutions to these issues. and here I am posting, and will continue to post about these issues.

At one point, I felt that some form of large, community wide town forum to talk about LGBT/ Police interactions was a possible next step. I also see value in smaller types of gatherings where more fruitful dialogue can happen and everyone have a chance to be a part of the group and process. There are real issues to be dealt with, and there are myths and falsehoods to get sorted out, and if we want to get anywhere on the real issues, we need to be sure we know what they are, and the right people are taking steps to change those things. additionally, we need education of all involved parties to help dispel the myths and falsehoods.

We didn’t spend too much time talking about 911 in this meeting, partly because 911 is a county service, and the zone commander can’t directly impact what they do, and partly because focusing on the interactions of police and an LGBT victim was enough for this first meeting. But the issues with 911, are certainly something that demand further attention. For example, the 911 operator will tell the victim of a bashing to “stay where you are.” If this happens to be the site of the bashing, that is probably the last thing this person wants to do- they want to get away to a safe place! This immediately starts the needed interactions between victim and law enforcement off on the wrong foot, and slows down the response time. The work Persad is doing may go a long way to improving the 911 side of these issues, but more meetings and actions may be needed.

The bashing in Bloomfield earlier this summer was a more brutal and violent attack, but little could be done to make sure that the police act appropriately because no police report was filed. For you, the reader, the single most important thing you can do is make sure to file a police report and make sure it contains all the relevant details.

What do you think makes sense for next steps? Leave a comment and give me your ideas.

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August 28, 2010

tcwaters

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The Backlash to the PennDOT action has begun!

Note: It has been a while since I was on the American Family Association of PA (AFAPA) website. It looks to me like it has undergone a major facelift and looks very right-wing Republican. To bad the info there is still so off the mark and manufactured BS, based on half truths and misinformation.

OK, so anyone involved had to know it would be coming, and here it is- the backlask to the DOT’s fair treatment of Trans persons is under attack by the AFAPA.

Yesterday it was announced that PennDot would begin allowing transgenders (those who claim to be born in the wrong body) to obtain the driver’s license of whichever sex they ‘prefer.’ No sex reassignment surgery is necessary – simply put : if a “fully-equipped” man thinks he is a woman he can now get a Pennsylvania driver’s license.

This isn’t really surprising, but it is disappointing given how many misrepresentations are present in it.

Transgender isn’t simply a matter of someone claiming to be “in the wrong body.” There is enough science to know that it is far more than a matter of someone simply making a claim. Here the AFAPA perpetuates the idea that gender is always perfectly clear as male/ female, when we know this just isn’t the case. There are a large number of babies born who are gender ambiguous, and upon whom gender assigmnent surgery is performed directly after birth. Later in life, gender re-assignment surgery is often a matter of correcting what was screwed up after birth. There are other “markers” of gender in terms of hormones, proteins and brain morphology, that may also play a role in gender, that this misconception fails to recognize. I could buy the attempt to justify things by “fully equipped” except that who has a penis or a vagina is not the way gender is determined in reality. For example, I wrote a number of posts about a female athlete, Caster Semenya, who was accused of being a male, when in fact she isn’t.
When a person is transitioning, there may be a period of time when they have begun hormone therapy and other treatments, but have not had full gender re-assignment surgery yet. They may be pre-op.
As always, the AFA forgets to consider the number of Female to Male transgender persons who exist. For the AFA, it is only about “a man who thinks he is a woman,” and that just misses the mark entirely.

Drivers’ licenses are used for IDs for entry into many places. Does your local YMCA or pool require photo ID? If so, then if a man comes in wanting to use the women’s locker/shower room, and he presents a driver’s license which says he is a woman these facilities must allow him to use the women’s locker room! Imagine the unsafe scenarios that will be created by PennDot’s decision!

If a trans person is trying to go to the gym, there is a pretty strong likelihood that if their driver’s license says “female” then, they present as female, and don’t look like a man.

But the real fallacious statement here is this: “these facilities must allow him to use the women’s locker room.” This is utter bull shit, and outright lie. Doesn’t the AFA know their commandments, and realize it is a sin to bear false witness? but indeed, they have chosen their language specifically and carefully- especially the word “must.” They need to generate fear in the reader, and create a false sense of being a victim. The truth is that a YMCA or similar facility is not under any requirement to do anything based upon a driver’s license. But the next few sentences lay out the AFA’s real motivation with what they have written.

Additionally, H.B.300 would add ‘sexual orientation and gender identity or expression’ to the PA Human Relations Act which deals with employment, housing and public accommodation. Passage of this bill would require all “public accommodations” to allow men who think they are women to use the women’s restroom, locker room/shower facilities.

This is fairly misleading because the AFA fails to actually deal with what a “public accommodation” is, but they get their dig in anyway in their attempts to harm the passage of PA HB 300.

I can’t stress this one point enough. The AFA really has their own narrow fallacy point they are trying to manufacture. For them, gender identity or expression means “men who think they are women” and that is not a description of transgender at all. I’d say this comes from the fact that they really don’t know what they are talking about. In other words, their fear generation isn’t based on real life, but on some fiction they are pushing. The DOT change will have no negative impact on any YMCA or other facility, and many states or municipalities provide protections for employment, housing and public accommodations, and there has never been a single case where this has been a problem.

Not all Republicans….

Not all Republicans or conservatives take this fear mongering approach to trans people or issues. Iran across this via a Google Alert. In Florida, a Trans candidate, Donna Milo received 22% of the Republican vote in a primary race there. This still left her in 3rd place, but still 22% isn’t a bad showing at all.

Diane Gramley and the AFAPA can try all they want to generate fear mongering, but there is truth in every situation that will be uncovered. Hopelly I’ll be doing my part to shed some light on that truth.

Action Alert: PennDOT Did What! | AFA of Pennsylvania.

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August 25, 2010

tcwaters

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PA DOT Has New Gender Marker Policy

Glad to see Equality PA at work! Received this as a press release today:

After several months of positive and thoughtful discussion, Equality Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that they have successfully reached agreement on a change in gender marker policy. ”Gender Markers” refer to those ways in which individuals present themselves mostly on official documentation. For example, on a driver’s license your “gender marker” would refer to your name and photograph.

“I want to applaud the Department of Transportation for the careful and intelligent way they have handled this discussion,” remarked Equality Pennsylvania Executive Director, Ted Martin. ”From the very beginning, they recognized what the American Psychological Association, over 25 other states and the U. S. Department of State has been realizing all along; that this just makes sense and is the right thing to do. This simple and cost-free change in policy will make lives better and that’s really the most important point in all this.”

Under previous policy, transgender individuals looking to be represented on their driver’s license as their presenting gender were forced to prove that sexual reassignment surgery had occurred. With the newly adopted policy, transgender citizens of Pennsylvania will be permitted to change the designated gender on their driver’s license when they are living full-time in their new gender and it can be verified by a licensed medical or psychological caregiver.

“First, I want to commend Equality Pennsylvania for their remarkable dedication to seeing this issue to a successful conclusion. They have been a great ally to the transgender community and I am grateful for their energy and support,” explained Jeanine Ruhsam, president of TransCentral PA. ”It is vitally important that transgender Pennsylvanians have driver’s licenses that accurately reflect their lived gender. Having one that misrepresents your lived gender “outs” transgender people in many situations where they need to show their license—if stopped by police, in bars and restaurants, and while filling out forms for employers. This violates their privacy, puts them at risk for discrimination, and even opens them to violence,”

Throughout the discussion, Equality Pennsylvania successfully partnered with TransCentralPA, the National Center for Transgender Equality and the Gay and Lesbian Taskforce for advice and support. But it is the unique relationship shared between Equality Pennsylvania and Mazzoni Center in Philadelphia that really launched the effort. “I am thrilled to learn of this change in policy at PennDOT,” said Amara S. Chaudhry, Esq., who initiated the dialogue in 2009 as legal director at Equality Pennsylvania with a series of letters to the agency, co-authored with legal intern Natalie Hrubos. Chaudhry, who is now legal director at Mazzoni Center, added: “We are deeply grateful to Ted Martin for his dedication and persistence on this, and to PennDOT for their willingness to develop a policy that is more inclusive of all Pennsylvanians.”

Ted Martin the new Executive Director commented to me on the phone today, “too often the “T” in LGBT is forgotten,” and this piece of work is a big step forward in terms of treating the whole of the LGBT community as valued and important. Nice work Equality PA!

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August 25, 2010

tcwaters

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Joe Hoeffel and Dan Onorato to Hold Rally in Pittsburgh

If you follow any of the LGBT bloggers in Pennsylvania, you probably know that there was a real difference of opinion as to who was the best Democratic candidate for Governor. Many bloggers were highly supportive of Joe Hoeffel who was perhaps the most progressive candidate in the primary race, and who has been a real friend to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans community. Others, like myself, were most supportive of Dan Onorato, who we felt had the best likelihood of beating Tom Corbett in November. Sometimes in the midst of that, a central point was often hidden- that a Republican win of the Governor’s seat would be bad for LGBT Pennsylvanians, and no matter where we each fall on the spectrum from ultra progressive to moderate, we have to make sure that Tom Corbett is not elected. In the primary, the differences between Hoeffel and Onorato were accentuated, but at the end of the day, the similarities, and their goals are alike rather than different. Both want to see the state thrive, and that includes the LGBT community.

Toward that end, Joe will be joining Dan here in Pittsburgh for a rally/ meet and greet on Wednesday October 6th, from 5-6:30 PM. More details to follow.

Joe has been out on the road with Dan a few times now, and the message is one we can all agree on- that for the state to prosper, individual rights and equality matter for all of Pennsylvanians, including Gay, Lesbian, Bixsesual, and Trans persons. Tom Corbett is on record as vowing to work for a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. He is aligned with other right wing folks like Ken Cuccinelli, who worked in his state to take away domestic partnership benefits from the state Universities, and to water down non-discrimination language that offered protection in employment, public accommodations and housing. A win for Tom Corbett will not be good for LGBT Pennsylvania. Maybe more importantly, it is believed by some that low Democrat turn out will also result in more Republican wins in the House of Representatives. If the Dems lose all power in the state, we are really in for trouble. One reason why LGBT supportive legislation like HB 300 hasn’t moved further is because it is known that it won’t get anywhere in the State Senate, which is currently Republican controlled. What little momentum we have at the state level for LGBT legislation will be utterly lost, if we allow the Republicans to win anything this November.

Mark your calendar and plan now to come out on October 6th to meet Dan and Joe! I’ll publish more about this as details become available.

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August 23, 2010

tcwaters

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Tomorrow is Election Day in Florida: Make Your Voice Heard

Saw this on Facebook:

Election Day is TOMORROW – Aug 24th and a higher than expected turnout by LGBT and allied voters will decide the outcome of crucial races across the state.

Don’t be left behind. If you have not already voted, join your friends and neighbors and PLEASE VOTE TOMORROW!

Download your Primary Voters Guide. Get yours today, print it out and take it to the polls tomorrow.

GET YOUR VOTER GUIDE HERE:http://www.facebook.com/l/abb590AWc0bfOpY5LJtQSf20dTg;eqfl.org/pac/

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August 22, 2010

tcwaters

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Doylestown Bans LGBT Discrimination

There are some who don’t agree with me, but I think basic nondiscrimination protections in housing, employment, and public accommodations is the cornerstone for full LGBT Equality. Without these protections, the rest is almost meaningless. For example, the right to marry. Why refused people get a marriage license, if they could be fired or refused housing because of being gay? This is nit to say that marriage rights are less important. Only that without the right to work, and live happily,it may not benefit anyone. Does that make sense? I have never heard a person speak out for Marriage Equality who didn’t already live in a place with basic protections against discrimination. And while we aren’t getting very far on a state level, some communities across Pennsylvania and stepping up to create the type of environment needed for further progress for LGBT’s.

The Doylestown Borough Council gave its resounding support to the LGBT community this week when it unanimously voted in favor of including sexual orientation and gender identity in the borough’s non-discrimination ordinance.

via PGN-The Philadelphia Gay News. Phila gay news. philly news – Doylestown bans LGBT discrimination.

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August 21, 2010

tcwaters

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The Pittsburgh Police and the LGBT Community

This is a follow up to several posts recently about a gay bashing in Highland Park, the community I live in. I’ve linked each of the earlier blog posts below, ending with the first post. My last communication on this issue said that a meeting with the Zone 5 Police Commander and Patrick Dowd would follow. Because of some scheduling issues, that meeting didn’t happen as quickly as anyone expected, but finally, today, we had the meeting. I wanted to share some basic info that came out of that exchange, and ask for comments from you, the readers.This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive report covering all things Police/LGBT, but rather a quick summary of what was discussed and concluded. With two reported gay bashings in the past few months- this Highland Park incident, and the June bashing in Bloomfield, this is an extremely important subject for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Treansgenders here in Pittsburgh. Not much happened after the Bloomfield event. It is my hope that, this recent situation can be a starting point for a growing and improving relationship between the LGBT community and the Police, at least as far as Zone 5 is concerned.

Today’s meeting showed how serious the Zone 5 Police unit is in terms of addressing the concerns of the LGBT community. Zone 5 is the largest of the Pittsburgh Police zones and very understaffed. Yet, both the commander, Tim O’Connor and Lieutenant Reyne Kacsuta took considerable time out of their day and away from other responsibilities to make the meeting successful. Also attending the meeting was Councilman Patrick Dowd, who has been working with me extensively on this. I never cease to be amazed at Patrick. I don’t think I could ask for a better councilman. Betty Hill and Ted Hoover from Persad also participated. Both were invaluable in this meeting. Ted is heading up Persad’s Community Safe Zone project, while Betty as executive director has a very unique perspective on things. It is easy to think of Persad, as a place for counceling, but more accurately, Persad is an organization intent on improving the well being of the LGBTQ community.

We went into the meeting with a set of goals for the meeting, and all in all, I think we made great progress on all of the goals. There was only one element of the discussion that I wasn’t really happy with, and I’ll talk about that later. Here were the goals for the meeting.

To share information about process
To talk as far as we are permitted without violating privacy what we can learn from the incident in question (at Stanton & Negley on July 16th)
To strategize about how we could further open lines of communication between the bureau and the LGBT community.

We spoke at length about the idea expressed by some gays and lesbians- that the Police respond slower if the victim is a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Trans person,or that LGBR persons would receive less services. Both the Commander and Lieutenant stated that was uniquivocally not true. “We like to catch bad guys” said the Kacsuta. Response time is impacted by a few things, and I’ve written some about that before. If a person called 911 while a crime is in progress, the 911 dispatcher gives the call a high priority, and based upon the number of other open calls in the area, an officer is dispatched as quickly as possible. If the caller tells 911 that the crime has already happened, then the call is prioritized lower, and officers are dispatched to collect a report. The 911 service is provided by the County, and we didn’t spend much time on the 911 dispatcher’s role or attitude. That is probably better addressed directly with the 911 department. The other issue that greatly affects response time is the issue of officer availability, and in this regard the police force is woefully understaffed.

Under Act 47, the City is frozen at 917 officers, when some believe that 1500 would be a more appropriate number for the size of the city. Zone 5, like the other areas has been understaffed, but as new officer training classes are completed, they are working to increase the numbers. O’Connor expressed that June and July had been particularly difficult months for Zone 5 with 6 homicides, and higher numbers of other crimes than usual. Another factor that affects response time is the number of officers who are able to respond. For example directly before the Highland Park bashing, there had been a situation where shots had been fired. They were called to a house, and occupants of the house opened fire, on the police and the police fired back. In that case, an officer is limited to a desk job until an investigation is completed. Both Dowd and O’Connor spoke to the steps being taken by the City to address the staffing issue, so that zones can adequately respond to all calls.

I’ve heard some express that the Police are overall homophobic, and both O’Connor and Kacsuta responded that that is not the case at all. While not all officers may be the most accepting of LGBT’s, the force is in general a place where differences in sexual orientation are accepted, and everyone treated with fairness and respect. We talked at length about the fact that there is a significant number of gay and lesbian officers and many are very “out” at work. I think many of us can easily assume that uniforms equal closed minds, but that is as unfair and unrealistic as assumptions some far right anti-gays hold about gay and lesbians. This is a topic that I think deserves much more discussion, and I’ll leave that for a future post. In fact this post has already become quite long, so I’ll stop now and post a “part 2″ tomorrow.

Filing a Report at Persad

Good or Bad?

Next Steps

Not all Republicans….

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