I'm mentioned in the article below, which you can find HERE. Also, last night the Dupont Circle ANC passed a similar resolution; I was joined by five of my fellow commissioners in approving the resolution. It is unclear why Commissioner Bhavna Patel abstained.
Council members ask Fenty to ‘invalidate’ PFOX award
Lou Chibbaro Jr.
May 13, 2010
Six members of the D.C. City Council and seven LGBT-supportive organizations signed on to a petition calling on Mayor Adrian Fenty to invalidate a certificate of appreciation he awarded to the leader of the anti-gay group Parents & Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays.
The mayor’s office issued an apology last week for what it said was a “staff error” that led to the award being mistakenly issued last November to PFOX Executive Director Regina Griggs for her “dedication, commitment and outstanding contributions” to the group.
The petition, which was to be delivered to the mayor’s office Thursday, says its signers appreciate Fenty’s acknowledgment that the award was a mistake. But it says further action by the mayor is needed.
“This mistake has empowered an anti-gay organization to increase its fundraising and to legitimize itself in ways it would not have otherwise been able to,” it says.
“PFOX believes that homosexuality is a mental disorder that needs to be cured by ‘reparative therapy,’” says the petition. “Not only is this harmful to young people struggling to understand their sexuality, but every major medical, psychological, and educational association in America says it is wrong, ineffective, and dangerous.”
The Council members who added their names to the petition are Michael Brown (D-At Large), Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), and Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7).
Also adding their names to the document were gay Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Jack Jacobson and four gay elected officials from the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. They include Rich Madaleno and Anne Kaiser of the Maryland House of Delegates, Adam Ebbin of the Virginia House of Delegates, and Patrick Wojahn of the College Park, Md., City Council. Washington Blade editor Kevin Naff also signed on.
“It is incredibly important for Mayor Fenty to make it clear that PFOX doesn’t have the support of the District of Columbia,” the petition says. “To do that, he must invalidate the certificate of appreciation and publicly condemn PFOX for its policies that undermine the dignity of LGBT people and threaten the mental and physical health of the most vulnerable of our community.”
It adds, “We find this course of action to be necessary and our names below indicate our formal request for the mayor to act affirmatively to bring this situation to a prompt and meaningful end.”
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office could not be immediately reached to determine the mayor’s response to the petition.
The organizations signing the petition include Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network; Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays National; Metro D.C. PFLAG; Trevor Project, Americans for Democratic Action; Greater Washington Americans for Democratic Action; and Capital Area Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
D.C. gay activist Lane Hudson, who said he was among a small group of local activists who started the petition effort through a Facebook network, said most of the organizations signing the document were approached because of their role in supporting LGBT people likely to be negatively impacted by groups like PFOX.
He noted that the Trevor Project, for example, works to prevent LGBT teen suicide. LGBT activists have said the “reparative therapy” programs advocated by PFOX have been shown to increase negative self-esteem among LGBT youth, putting them at greater risk for depression and suicide.
Hudson said the organizers of the petition had not heard back from all of the D.C. Council members approached to add their names. Hudson, who is supporting D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray’s candidacy for mayor, said he did not ask Gray to sign the petition because doing so would give it the appearance of a partisan political effort.
“I didn’t want to put him in the position to look like this is a political move on his part, because this is about more than politics,” he said.
Gray issued a statement last week calling the mayor’s certificate of appreciation for the PFOX leader an “embarrassment” to the city and an insult to the LGBT community.
It could not immediately be determined whether gay D.C. Council member David Catania (I-At Large), whose name wasn’t on the petition as of Wednesday night, planned to sign on to the document or chose not to.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Resolution on PFOX
Resolution for Mayor Adrian Fenty to rescind a Certificate of Appreciation to Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays
Offered by Commissioner Jack Jacobson (2B04)
May 12, 2010
Offered by Commissioner Jack Jacobson (2B04)
May 12, 2010
Whereas, Mayor Adrian Fenty issued a Certificate of Appreciation to Regina Griggs, Executive Director of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays, on November 16, 2009; and
Whereas, the Mayor has indicated that this Certificate had been issued in error, but has not invalidated nor rescinded the Certificate; and
Whereas, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays is an anti-gay organization which believes that one's sexual orientation is a mental disorder that needs to be cured by "reparative therapy", in direct contrast to every major medical, psychological, and educational association in America which conclude that reparative therapy to "cure" one's sexual orientation is wrong, ineffective, and dangerous; and
Whereas, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays is currently distributing literature reflecting its view to public school students in Maryland; and
Whereas, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays has been empowered by the Mayor's Certificate of Appreciation to increase its fundraising and legitimize itself in ways it would not have otherwise been able to without such a Certificate.
Therefore, be it Resolved, that ANC 2B requests that Mayor Fenty invalidate and rescind his Certificate of Appreciation and publically condemn Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays for its policies that undermine the dignity of LGBT people and threaten the mental and physical health of the most vulnerable of our community.
Statement on Club Central Resolution
Statement on Club Central Resolution
Commissioner Jack Jacobson (2B04)
May 12, 2010
Commissioner Jack Jacobson (2B04)
May 12, 2010
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for bringing up this resolution and thank you to the ABRA Committee for your hard work on this difficult issue. Unfortunately, the resolution before us today is not a resolution that I can support at this time, for a number of reasons. While well intentioned, I think the resolution is overbroad and may have unintended consequences throughout Dupont Circle.
The genesis of this entire discussion was predicated on a belief that the Metropolitan Police Department ("MPD") requested our aid in alleviating congestion and overcrowding due to robust seating capacity in the "Club Central" area, particularly during late nights and early mornings when the clubs let out. I believe that an initial assessment from MPD that the Club Central district has "too much" capacity has been misinterpreted; indeed, when I spoke with PSA 208 Lt. Scott Dignan at the April 2010 monthly PSA meeting, he denied that MPD requested the ANC take action to quell the capacity of taverns and nightclubs within the Club Central zone and noted that such an initiative was beyond MPD's purview and the scope of their authority.
Moving to the actual resolution, I believe it would be improved if the sections related to entertainment endorsements for existing operators were removed. Entertainment endorsements do not add capacity to existing establishments, and therefore are beyond the scope of the originating discussions with MPD. These endorsements merely permit establishments to provide entertainment to patrons that occupy the capacity that had been previously been approved by ABRA and DCRA, as well as this body.
I also feel that the resolution would be markedly improved if we provided potential establishment owners or operators greater guidance on locations within ANC 2B upon which we may look favorably for CN or CT license applications. While a small number of 2B residents are impacted by peace, order and quiet issues in and around "Club Central", a greater number of 2B residents would be impacted were these night clubs and taverns to be located near 14th and U, on upper 18th Street, and on upper Connecticut Avenue; or on 17th Street or west P Street, where liquor moratoriums currently exist. This pressure could conceivably prompt the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) to not renew or to prematurely cancel existing moratoria in Dupont, or to not allow new moratoria in other areas that are situated in much more densely residential areas.
As inconvenient as this aspect of our neighborhood is to some residents who purchased homes situated cheek-by-jowl to these CT and CN establishments, I see no more appropriate area within Dupont to cite them. And I am loath to suggest these establishments be located in other areas of the City. My constituents are currently able to walk to Club Central; many of them moved to this neighborhood for that very reason. They are not able to walk to New York Avenue, NE, the southwest waterfront, or other areas sometimes miles away from Dupont. That leaves my constituents the unenviable choice of paying for expensive cab trips across town or to choose to drive after imbibing drinks – neither of which I find acceptable alternatives given the facts presented.
I would also encourage the inclusion of language in the resolution that addresses other non-CT or CN licenses that may serve alcohol, such as CR licenses for restaurants. If we are not putting restaurants on notice of our intent to oppose their operation within Club Central, I see no harm in stating it so that there is no confusion when they apply for licenses. Additionally, more restaurants in the zone would leave less potential real estate available for CN or CT operators, and should similarly be encouraged in my view.
Finally, I would encourage the resolution to direct the Chairman to mail a copy of the final resolution to all licensed establishments in Club Central, since with the entertainment endorsement language in tact, the resolution will impact existing operators, and not simply new operators coming into the area.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman and ABRA Committee members for all of your hard work on this resolution. While I'm disappointed I'm not able to support this resolution as written, I recognize the great depth the Committee attempted to add and I admire the effort to not simply say "No" to our neighborhood businesses.
The genesis of this entire discussion was predicated on a belief that the Metropolitan Police Department ("MPD") requested our aid in alleviating congestion and overcrowding due to robust seating capacity in the "Club Central" area, particularly during late nights and early mornings when the clubs let out. I believe that an initial assessment from MPD that the Club Central district has "too much" capacity has been misinterpreted; indeed, when I spoke with PSA 208 Lt. Scott Dignan at the April 2010 monthly PSA meeting, he denied that MPD requested the ANC take action to quell the capacity of taverns and nightclubs within the Club Central zone and noted that such an initiative was beyond MPD's purview and the scope of their authority.
Moving to the actual resolution, I believe it would be improved if the sections related to entertainment endorsements for existing operators were removed. Entertainment endorsements do not add capacity to existing establishments, and therefore are beyond the scope of the originating discussions with MPD. These endorsements merely permit establishments to provide entertainment to patrons that occupy the capacity that had been previously been approved by ABRA and DCRA, as well as this body.
I also feel that the resolution would be markedly improved if we provided potential establishment owners or operators greater guidance on locations within ANC 2B upon which we may look favorably for CN or CT license applications. While a small number of 2B residents are impacted by peace, order and quiet issues in and around "Club Central", a greater number of 2B residents would be impacted were these night clubs and taverns to be located near 14th and U, on upper 18th Street, and on upper Connecticut Avenue; or on 17th Street or west P Street, where liquor moratoriums currently exist. This pressure could conceivably prompt the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC) to not renew or to prematurely cancel existing moratoria in Dupont, or to not allow new moratoria in other areas that are situated in much more densely residential areas.
As inconvenient as this aspect of our neighborhood is to some residents who purchased homes situated cheek-by-jowl to these CT and CN establishments, I see no more appropriate area within Dupont to cite them. And I am loath to suggest these establishments be located in other areas of the City. My constituents are currently able to walk to Club Central; many of them moved to this neighborhood for that very reason. They are not able to walk to New York Avenue, NE, the southwest waterfront, or other areas sometimes miles away from Dupont. That leaves my constituents the unenviable choice of paying for expensive cab trips across town or to choose to drive after imbibing drinks – neither of which I find acceptable alternatives given the facts presented.
I would also encourage the inclusion of language in the resolution that addresses other non-CT or CN licenses that may serve alcohol, such as CR licenses for restaurants. If we are not putting restaurants on notice of our intent to oppose their operation within Club Central, I see no harm in stating it so that there is no confusion when they apply for licenses. Additionally, more restaurants in the zone would leave less potential real estate available for CN or CT operators, and should similarly be encouraged in my view.
Finally, I would encourage the resolution to direct the Chairman to mail a copy of the final resolution to all licensed establishments in Club Central, since with the entertainment endorsement language in tact, the resolution will impact existing operators, and not simply new operators coming into the area.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman and ABRA Committee members for all of your hard work on this resolution. While I'm disappointed I'm not able to support this resolution as written, I recognize the great depth the Committee attempted to add and I admire the effort to not simply say "No" to our neighborhood businesses.
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