BUILDING ON A TRADITION OF HONORING DIVERSITY AND FIGHTING OPPRESSION
San Francisco has consistently led the world-wide struggle for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender equality. We’ve challenged standard convention, we’ve written history, and we’ve created a unique and truly special city. As your next Supervisor, I will fight to preserve our safe haven for LGBT people and all others who have experienced hatred and oppression based on their identity.
Forty years after Stonewall and thirty years after Harvey Milk’s assassination, we stand at a crossroads in the fight for LGBT equality. We have seen much progress, and yet we must fight to protect our children, honor our relationships, and strengthen our community. As your Supervisor, I will honor Harvey’s legacy as a fighter for LGBT youth, families, and communities by working with colleagues at the local, state, and federal level. I will proudly promote a bold agenda to insure equality for all.
SUPPORT, GUIDANCE, AND PROTECTION FOR LGBT YOUTH
As your Supervisor, I will work to protect LGBT youth. Young people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of homophobia, violence, and exploitation. LGBT youth often lack support due to homophobia within their own family. They must hide their true identity or risk verbal and physical abuse, even outright rejection and forced homelessness. According to an article in the American Journal of Public Health, homeless LGBT youth are more likely to be victims of physical violence, sexual assault, addictive substance abuse, and mental illness than their straight counterparts.[1] High rates of psychosis and other problems have also been found among homeless LGBT youth.[2] Furthermore, LGBT youth are more often sexually victimized than straight homeless teens. I am a former board member of Lavender Youth and Recreation Community (LYRIC) and will continue to support LYRIC as well as Larkin Street Services to provide our youth vitally needed structure, support, and mentorship.
Carl Walker Hoover was 11 years old. He arrived at home one afternoon and hung himself from the second-story banister. Jaheem Herrera, another 11 year old, went home from school and proudly showed his good report card to his mom. Later that afternoon, she found him hanging from an extension cord in his closet. Both of these boys suffered from verbal and emotional torture at school, as fellow students destroyed their self-esteem with anti-gay slurs and epithets. According to the Safe Schools Coalition, 23.2% of students who have been harassed or attacked at school because someone perceived them to be gay or lesbian report attempting suicide in the past year, more than three times the national average. According to Mental Health America, the average LGBT teen hears anti-gay slurs about 26 times a day, or once every 14 minutes.[3] A study found that 31% of gay youth had been threatened or injured at school within the last year.[4] Another survey showed that 22% of gay students had skipped school in the past month because they felt unsafe at school.[5] It is not surprising, given those statistics, that 28% of gay students will drop out of school, more than three times the national average for heterosexual students.[6]
As bullying terrorizes our youth, we hear reports of teachers and school officials not properly responding to or even ignoring children’s requests for help. Perhaps, they believe that this is a normal part of childhood behavior. Our schools must take an aggressive and active role in the prevention of bullying. Children should be made accountable for any abusive acts and must learn about the damaging consequences of this behavior. School administrators and educators should clearly explain that abusive behavior will not be allowed and violations will have consequences. Children should know they can and should seek help from a responsible adult when they are threatened with bullying behavior. They should know that their reports will be treated with respect and as much confidentiality as possible, and will be immediately acted upon. Studies show that students from schools without fully inclusive anti-harassment policies are less likely to report a serious harassment problem at their school (33% to 44%), or report that others are being harassed because of their orientation or gender expression. I support school anti-harassment policies that specifically include sexual orientation and gender expression. We know effective policies can work to protect our youth. 54% of students report feeling “very safe” at schools that have enacted these policies. Overall, only 36% of LGBT youth feel “very safe” at school.
HELPING LGBT FAMILIES TO THRIVE
While San Francisco has stood at the forefront of the LGBT movement, our families often have a difficult time thriving in San Francisco. We need to address the problems that our LGBT families, friends and youth confront every day. There are a number of issues that affect LGBT families, but at the forefront are the economic and social issues that affect all families in San Francisco. We know that San Francisco has become a more difficult place for families to meet financial needs. We must work with the School District to improve educational resources provided to our students. In addition, we must promote affordable housing and safe neighborhoods so that our LGBT families can remain in San Francisco.
Our school system must provide a safe environment for LGBT youth and children of LGBT families. Schools can play a pivotal role in LGBT youth resiliency by including relevant issues in curriculum, providing support groups, and opportunities for mentorship. I support educating teachers and administrators on how to handle situations regarding sexual orientation and gender identity. Teachers should have information and resources available to ensure that children learn about the wide range of individual identities and family types. We can demonstrate to students how our differences contribute to a rich society.
Teachers can model for students the acceptance of LGBT individuals by including guest speakers, family stories, and integration of sexual minorities into lesson plans. A fully inclusive curriculum will help boost the self-esteem and resiliency of our LGBT youth and help all students accept and value individual differences. Gay-Straight Alliances should be supported in our schools. These groups positively impact academic performance, school, social, and family relationships, comfort level with sexual orientation, development of strategies to handle assumptions of heterosexuality, sense of physical safety, increased perceived ability to contribute to society, and an enhanced sense of belonging to school community.[7]
I will bring all city agencies — the School District, the Recreation and Park Department, the Library, among others — together to support families and LGBT youth.
EQUAL MEANS EQUAL – FIGHTING FOR YOUR EQUAL RIGHTS
On a federal level, we must fight to end Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, make Marriage Equality a reality, and pass a fully inclusive ENDA. Further, we must pass legislation to protect our community on a state level.
EQUAL MEANS EQUAL – REPEAL DON’T ASK DON’T TELL
Despite the dedication and service of LGBT service members, we still have Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Voted into law in 1993, DADT mandates the discharge of openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual service members. Since it went into effect, more than 13,500 service members have been discharged exclusively because of their perceived sexual orientation. Repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is long overdue.
EQUAL MEANS EQUAL – MARRIAGE EQUALITY
San Francisco has led the fight for marriage equality in California. On May 15, 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of San Francisco and marriage equality, ruling that the government was obligated by the Equal Protection Clause of the State Constitution to treat same-sex couples exactly the same as opposite-sex couples. Unfortunately, opponents of same-sex marriage placed an initiative on the ballot and, despite narrowly receiving enough votes, Proposition 8 passed to codify discrimination into the California Constitution.
Once a counter-initiative is placed on the ballot, we will have to campaign like never before to ensure that the right to marry is available to all loving and committed couples.
EQUAL MEANS EQUAL – CALIFORNIA LAW MUST REFLECT CALIFORNIA VALUES
Currently, California Law instructs the State Department of Mental Health to conduct research into the “causes and cures of homosexuality.” I support AB2199, a bill introduced to repeal that language.[12] Just like I support laws that give a hand-up (and not a hand-out) and laws that are smart on crime, I support laws that bring California closer to the ideal we all know that it can be. Assembly Bill 2199 is a perfect example of the steps that we must take as we continue pushing our equality agenda, to ensure for ourselves that EQUAL MEANS EQUAL.
EQUAL MEANS EQUAL – EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMINATION ACT (ENDA)
In California, it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee on the basis of the employee’s sexual orientation or gender-identity.[13] However, not every state does provides this protection to its citizens. How do we ensure that no one is fired from their job based on their sexual orientation or gender identity? We have been told that we cannot expect this basic right even though there are 255 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, 57 Democrats in the Senate, and President Obama in the White House. It is time that Democrats understand that we no longer want to hear their excuses. We expect them to do the right thing and pass a fully-inclusive ENDA now. We should not, and will not, wait for our rights to become more politically convenient. My message to our community is simple and clear: we must continue to push the equality agenda until EQUAL MEANS EQUAL.
EQUAL MEANS EQUAL – MY FIRM COMMITMENT TO YOU
You can be assured that my work for LGBT equality will continue until EQUAL MEANS EQUAL. I had the honor of legally marrying my wife Julia in 2008. Opponents of gay marriage raised huge sums of money to scare voters into voting for Proposition 8, despite the fact that a majority of Californians actually support equal marriage rights. My wife and I remain happily and legally married. We know that we are on the right side of history and will ultimately prevail. Proposition 8 will not stand. As your Supervisor, I will ensure that our message of equality is heard and acted upon.
I have the leadership skills and experience to provide a safe and healthy environment for all. Policies and resources to support vulnerable LGBT youth who are at risk for verbal and physical abuse, family rejection, and homelessness. We will work together to help LGBT families to continue to call San Francisco their home. Although we face economic and intuitional challenges to promoting a more family-friendly city, I believe we can succeed with the policies I have outlined in this paper, along with the unique San Francisco culture that celebrates diversity. Together there is nothing we can’t accomplish, even assuring that EQUAL MEANS EQUAL.
[1] Cochran et al., “Challenges Faced by Homeless Sexual Minorities: Comparison of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Homeless Adolescents With Their Heterosexual Counterparts” American Journal of Public Health Vol. 92, No. 5 (May 2002) (“Homeless youths are vulnerable to victimization, including robbery, rape, and assault. Also, homelessness often leads to initiation or escalation of substance abuse.”)
[2] Cochran et al., “Challenges Faced by Homeless Sexual Minorities: Comparison of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Homeless Adolescents With Their Heterosexual Counterparts” American Journal of Public Health Vol. 92, No. 5 (May 2002)
[3] http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/children-s-mental-health/bullying-and-gay-youth quoting Bart, M. Creating a safer school for gay students. Counseling Today, September 1998
[4] http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/children-s-mental-health/bullying-and-gay-youth quoting Chase, Anthony. “Violent Reaction; What do Teen Killers have in Common?” In These Times. 9 July 2001
[5] http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/children-s-mental-health/bullying-and-gay-youth quoting Chase, Anthony. “Violent Reaction; What do Teen Killers have in Common?” In These Times. 9 July 2001
[6] http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/children-s-mental-health/bullying-and-gay-youth quoting Bart, M. Creating a safer school for gay students. Counseling Today, September 1998
[7] C. Lee, The Impact of Belonging to a High School Gay/Straight Alliance. The High School Journal, Volume 85, Number 3, February-March 2002, pp.13-26.
[8] Brown University researchers B.M. Jesdale and S. Zierler, Enactment of Gay Rights Laws in U.S. States and Trends in Adolescent Suicide: An Investigation of Non-Hispanic White Boys. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, Volume 6, Number 2 (June 2002)
[9] Beech, Bettina DrPH, MPH, Leann Myers PhD, and Derrick Beech MD. “Hepatitis B and C Infections among Homeless Adolescents,” The Journal of Health Promotion and Maintenance, Family and Community Health Volume 25 Issue 2 pp28-36 (July 2002)
[10] O’Keefe, Ed and Jennifer Agiesta, Washington Post February 12, 2010 “75% back letting gays serve openly”
[11] In Re Marriage Cases (2008) 43 Cal.4th 757
[12] AB2199
[13] California Civil Code section 51, commonly known as the “Unruh Civil Rights Act”.
