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Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Advisory Committee

Minutes of the April 17, 2007 Meeting

 

 

Committee Members Present: Commissioner Mark Dunlop, Jane Aceituno, Rene Astudillo, Dora Balcazar, Blue Buddha, Billy Curtis, Calvin Gipson, Christopher Gomora, Ted Guggenheim, Robert Hill, Allison Laureano, Anthony Philip, Ren Phoenix, Martin Rawlings-Fein, Jason Riggs, Greg Shaw, Miko Thomas, Lindasusan Ulrich, Morningstar Vancil.

 

Committee Members Absent:Commissioner Cecilia Chung (excused), Rahman Haq (excused), Christina Martinez (excused), Roberto Ordeñana (excused).

 

Staff Present: Larry Brinkin, Hadas Rivera-Weiss, Domenic Viterbo.

 

Guests Present: No guests were present.

 

1.      Call to Order and Roll Call:

 

Commissioner Dunlop called the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m. Mr. Brinkin called the roll.

 

2.      Approval of March 20, 2007 Minutes (action item):

 

Commissioner Dunlop moved to approve the draft minutes as written. The motion passed unanimously.

 

3.      Public Comment For Items Not On The Agenda:

 

No public comments were made.

 

4.      Adoption of Work Plan (Action Item):

 

Mr. Brinkin provided a handout summarizing the issues voted on at the retreat on April 14 and the actions to address them: 1) Racism and other “isms” within the LGBT communities, anti-LGBT hate violence: Continue Anti-Racism Work Group to prepare community forums; 2) Outreach – make committee and Commission work more known to the public: Continue Outreach Work Group; 3) LGBT and HIV housing discrimination and disparate impact; geographic LGBT community: Create a short-term work group (1st half of the year) to prepare a panel(s) and to then recommend actions; 4) “Sexual Deviant” designation on immigration forms: Write a letter to Federal authorities protesting designation; 5) Sex Stigmatization: BDSM, sex “offenders,” sex workers, STD ad campaigns, sero-sorting: Create a work group to organize panels; 6) Bisexual invisibility: Create a short-term work group (2nd half of the year) to prepare a Public Hearing; 7) Expanding HRC’s powers and authority: A summer research project, a staff/intern would research and present finding to the Committee, then present to the Commissioners at their meeting at the LGBT Center in September. Discussion ensued.

 

Commissioner Dunlop moved to adopt the proposed 2007-2008 work plan. Mr. Gomora seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

 

Volunteering for the work plan tasks were:

 

Outreach Work Group: Commissioner Chung, Mr. Guggenheim, Ms. Laureano, Mr. Riggs, and Mr. Thomas.

 

LGBT and HIV Housing Discrimination Issues: Commissioner Dunlop, Ms. Aceituno, Mr. Riggs, and Mr. Shaw.

 

“Sexual Deviant” letter of concern: Mr. Astudillo, Mr. Brinkin.

 

Sexual Stigmatization: Commissioner Chung, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Gipson, Ms. Laureano, Ms. Phoenix, and Mr. Shaw.

 

Bisexual Invisibility: Mr. Fuimaono, Mr. Gomora, Ms. Phoenix, Mr. Rawlings-Fein, Mr. Thomas, and Ms. Ulrich.

 

Mr. Brinkin will contact the absent Committee members regarding their participation. This will also be discussed at the LGBTH Division staff meeting on Thursday to find out who’s available to be the staff person for the work groups.

 

5.      Discussion of Communication and Process:

 

Ms. Rivera-Weiss asked to hear from Committee members regarding how they feel about how meetings are conducted and for them to voice their concerns.

 

Comments included: adhering more closely to Roberts Rules of Order; meeting facilitator following queues; and researching how to get a high-quality Assisted Listening Device.

 

6.      Pride Day Decision (Action Item):

 

Commissioner Dunlop proposed that the Committee decide how they can participate in this year’s LGBT Pride Celebration by either marching in the parade, helping staff an information booth, to do both, or neither. If it’s decided to march or staff a booth, there would be a cost for both as well as a request for volunteers. Discussion ensued.

 

Since only three Committee members said they could march, and only eight Committee members said they could staff the booth, (including Mr. Gomora who volunteered to do an all-day shift) it was decided to do neither.

 

7.      Outreach Work Group Report:

 

Mr. Brinkin announced that their next meeting is tomorrow, Wednesday, April 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the HRC’s Main Conference Room. He said that the Committee’s webpage has been updated to include the new members though headshots or biographies of some members are still needed. Committee members having trouble with their biographies or who don’t have a headshot can contact Cynthia Goldstein for help.

 

8.      Anti-Racism Work Group Report:

 

Mr. Gipson reported that the work group will examine the various “isms” and violence within the LGBT communities when it meets next month. He added that the Pride Committee has agreed to help co-sponsor the “We Agree” public forum and believes that with their ties to the media, they can be instrumental in the forum’s kick-off campaign.

 

9.      Commissioner Report: Commissioner Dunlop had nothing to report.

 

10.  Staff Report:

 

Mr. Brinkin reported that Ms. Rivera-Weiss is now a Contract Compliance Officer in the Local Business Enterprise Division and an opening for her previous position in the LGBT and HIV Division will be announced. As soon as a job announcement’s developed, the Committee will get an electronic copy to distribute to people on their email lists who would make good candidates.

 

11.  Old/New Business:

 

Mr. Buddha said that the Department of Public Health’s HIV Health Services would be able to assist the LGBT and HIV Housing Discrimination Work Group when looking for panel speakers.

 

12.  Announcements:

 

Mr. Curtis announced that former NBA star, John Amaechi, will be speaking at the UC Berekeley campus on Wednesday, April 25, at 7:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Mr. Rawlings-Fein announced that his film, “Clocked”, will be screened at Congregation Sha’ar Z’ahav on Friday, June 1 at 6:30 p.m. for Trans Celebration Shabbat. Copies of his film were distributed to the Committee members.

Mr. Hill announced that LGBT community members are invited to visit the Museum of the African Diaspora with a reception at theLGBT Community Center. Contact him for more information.

Ms. Laureano announced that the concert scheduled for Saturday, June 9, to benefit TGSF has been postponed. See their website, www.tgsf.org, for details.

 

13.  Adjournment:

 

The meeting was adjourned at 7:22 p.m.