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Baltimore mayor to create gay issues office


Plans announced at Equality Maryland Jazz Brunch


by Joshua Lynsen
Monday, October 29, 2007

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon announced plans Sunday to create a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues office as part of her administration.

Dixon described the constituency office as "Baltimore's first-ever, full-time" government resource dedicated to the city's gay residents and issues.

"This office will work with all citizens to ensure that Baltimore is not just a place where people are tolerated, but people are honored, cherished and celebrated," she said.

The announcement, which came during the annual Equality Maryland Jazz Brunch in Baltimore, won fast praise from gay Marylanders.

"I think it's a great idea," said Bryan Stark, chair of the Baltimore Mayor's Task Force for LGBT Issues.

Anthony McCarthy, the mayor's communications director, said the office would coalesce within the next four weeks and be lead by a full-time director.

"Already, from the announcement yesterday, we've received 20 e-mails from people who want to be considered for the job," he said. "I'm just excited that there's that level of interest and I'm very proud that the mayor has decided that this should be a priority."

McCarthy, who is gay, said the office would supplement rather than replace the Baltimore Mayor's Task Force for LGBT Issues. It is expected to be similar in scope to other constituency offices, such as those in Baltimore that are dedicated to Korean or Hispanic issues.

The announcement came at the same event where the state's largest gay rights organization, Equality Maryland, recognized Vic Basile for his work toward gay civil rights.

Basile, who once served as the Human Rights Campaign's executive director and now works to provide meals to HIV patients at Moveable Feast in Baltimore, received the Pioneer for Equality Award during the event.

During his acceptance speech, Basile voiced his support for the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act despite its lack of protections for transgender people.

He asked gay Marylanders to recognize that rights are often won through "small, incremental steps," because that is "how politics works."

Basile said if Congress is willing to help "75 percent" of the community by barring discrimination against gay, lesbian and bisexual workers, that help should be accepted.

But he noted that once those protections are won, the gay, lesbian and bisexual workers who benefit should stay on Capitol Hill and demand laws barring discrimination against transgender workers so that all in the community are kept under "the same, protective umbrella."

"From that," Basile said, "there can be no retreat and there will be no retreat."

Basile was expected to receive his award Sunday from Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), but the congressman did not attend.