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Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Advisory Committee

Minutes of the November 16, 2004 Meeting

Committee Members Present: Commissioner Cecilia Chung, Commissioner Pat Norman, Dora Balcazar, Sally Buchmann, David Cameron, Ben Chan, Julie Frank, Becky Freund, Ted Guggenheim, Danny Kirchoff, Aidan Kotler, Patrick Mulcahey, Ren Phoenix, Aleem Raja, Jorge Romero-Lozano, Stephen Schwichow, Brooklynne Thomas, Morningstar Vancil.

Committee Members Absent: Ellise Nicholson (excused).

Staff Present: Marcus Arana, Larry Brinkin, Domenic Viterbo.

Guests Present: Blue, Melchor Bustamante, Nancy Lawlor, Ben Lunine, Lauren Williams.

  1. Call to Order and Roll Call:

    Commissioner Chung called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Mr. Brinkin called the roll.

  2. Approval of Minutes of October 19, 2004:

    Commissioner Chung moved to approve the minutes as amended. The motion passed unanimously.

  3. Public Comments for Items Not on the Agenda:

    Mr. Cameron expressed his concern regarding transgender marriage panel for January because there wouldn’t be a Committee meeting next month and that there has only been one panelist scheduled to attend and would like to have one or two more people. Ms. Thomas is the point person for the panel organizers. Mr. Brinkin said that the point person should be in charge, but he should go ahead and make the necessary arrangements. Ms. Thomas said that she feels fine with other panel organizers making arrangements.

  4. Approval of Public Hearing Report on Intersex Issues (Action Item):

    Mr. Schwichow motioned to accept the report based on its content. Ms. Phoenix seconded, then withdrew her second. Commissioner Norman then seconded.

    Discussion ensued.

    Commissioner Chung said that the Commission has been waiting for the report and she wants to present it to them at the December 9 meeting. Since there isn’t a Committee meeting scheduled for December, the next Committee meeting is scheduled for January 2005 and the report cannot then be presented to the Commission until February. She would like a commitment from the task force that the report will be ready to be presented between now and January.

    After a discussion in which Blue said she had several changes to recommend, and debate about whether to delay adoption of the report, the question was called for. Those who voted in favor of the motion: Commissioner Norman, Mr. Schwichow, and Mr. Mulcahey. Everyone else who was present voted against the motion. The motion failed.

    Mr. Brinkin suggested that the report be sent back to the task force and that task force members attend meetings to go through report page by page and discuss the contents until there is consensus.

    Mr. Raja suggested that the task force members attend one or two additional meetings before the January 18, 2005 meeting and that they present their concerns with the report in writing and to have them circulated in advance. Someone who knows how to do consensus should facilitate the meeting so that it doesn’t just generate arguments and debates. He added that it should be a 2-4 hour conversation. The Committee agreed to this plan for a vote.

    Mr. Brinkin asked for a commitment by the task force to have the report ready for a vote by the next Committee meeting on January 18.

  5. Adjournment:

The meeting was adjourned at 7:09 p.m.