As the CANDIDATES’ ANSWERS come in, we will be posting them here.
1. What are the top three issues you would prioritize in your term?
2. Do you promise and pledge NOT to participate and/or march in the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade if it continues to exclude LGBTQ groups from participating?
_______ I will NOT march.
_______ I will march.
If you checked WILL MARCH, please explain your position or rationale?
3.A. Do you pledge to support the state legislature’s bill An Act Relative to HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy Treatment?
_______ YES.
_______ NO.
3.B. What actions would you take to ensure that all residents have access to HIV/AIDS treatment, services & resources?
3.C. Do you support and rate as important HIV prevention programs and initiatives, given that new HIV infections continue to increase, particularly disproportionately among gay and bisexual young men, especially those of color?
_______ YES.
_______ NO.
4. What steps will you take to decrease violence and increase safety for all residents in Dorchester?
5. What actions would you take to ensure that attention is brought to LGBT victims of violence including domestic violence, and what have you done to reduce violence against LGBT residents?
6.A. Conversion therapy for minors, people under the age of 18, which seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, has been shown in evidence, to be harmful to youth, and all leading behavioral and mental health organizations and associations oppose it due to lack of evidence, with science showing and noting its harmful effects. Anti-conversion therapy bills have become law in California and New Jersey (signed into law by Gov. Christie), and anti-conversion therapy bills are expected to be considered again in the coming legislative session in many states, including Massachusetts, which has a bill in place and ready for legislative action. (Other states expected to move forward with anti-conversion therapy bills, in reverse alphabetical order, are WA, PA, OH, NY, MN and FL).
Do you promise to support Massachusetts’ state legislative bill against conversion therapy?
_______ YES.
_______ NO.
6.B. As you may know, death by suicide is the leading cause of death among LGBT youth. Approximately 40% of homeless youth are LGBT, and approximately 28% of LGBT youth drop out of high school because of verbal and physical abuse, harassment or bullying.
Given these startling statistics, what actions have you taken or will you take to address these important issues?
7. It is believed that there are anywhere between 1.6 to 3.2 million LGBT people who are age 65 or older. Many of these LGBT elders are invisible to mainstream elder service providers and also invisible to the LGBT community as a whole.
What actions would you take to ensure that LGBT elders have access to elder services and resources and to increase access by making existing services culturally competent?
8. A. Do you pledge to support the state legislature’s bill, The Transgender Equality Bill? This bill would add gender identity and gender expression to existing state law against discrimination in public accommodations, such as restaurants, public libraries, and other public facilities, already in place regarding other protected classes (e.g. race, religion, sex, national origin, disability and sexual orientation)?
_______ YES.
_______ NO.
8.B. Massachusetts’ education officials this past year have issued new guidelines governing the inclusion of transgender students, following the passage of state law in 2011 adding gender identity and gender expression protections to existing state law protecting sexual orientation to other protected classes in the areas of employment, housing, credit, hate crimes and public education.
Do you support these guidelines?
_______ YES.
_______ NO.
8.C. What actions will you take to insure the transgender community is treated with equal dignity and respect?
9. How have you supported the LGBTQ community in the past?
10. If endorsed by DotOUT, will you include this endorsement whenever you list, name or state endorsements (e.g. in promotions, flyers, letters to voters, ads, speeches and/or media interviews)?
_______ YES.
_______ NO.
Thank you for your participation in this important part of DotOUT’s endorsement process!
Candidates must complete a questionnaire to be considered for endorsement by our members during our endorsement night on Thursday, August 28, 2014.
To be considered for endorsement by DotOUT, please return your completed questionnaire to: Matthew Duffy III
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2014
For more endorsement details, visit:
Endorsement Night Details: http://bit.ly/1mpsDiR
Updates and complete candidate information: http://bit.ly/1ybtQjt
About DotOUT: http://www.dotout.org/about-us/