Philadelphia Mayor, Michael Nutter. named Gloria Casarez to be his LGBT liaison. Casarez is the executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative and was previously the Program Coordinator at the LGBT Center of the University of Pennsylvania.
Casarez said: "I am proud to have spent the last 13 years working to improve the lives of LGBT people in Philadelphia and I plan to draw upon my experience and the knowledge of others in my role in the City".
Photo: Jeff Guaracino and Gloria
Monday, April 28, 2008
Gloria Casarez named LGBT liaison to Philadelphia Mayor
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2 comments:
Hello Gloria Casarex,
I witnessed your testimony on Tuesday April 29th for the hearing of Senate Bill 1250. I am impressed with the focus of your words toward Philadelphia’s tourism financial pros & cons related this bill. I was most impressed with your knowledge of your own words, and hence how prepared you were for any questions. While you were clearly nervous, your conviction toward the subject outweighed your nervousness. You clearly understood your own perspective, motive, stance and relation to Senate Bill 1250.
Afterwards, I had a discussion with an aid of Senator Armstrong. I asked him if the appropriations committee was to determine things such as direct costs to the bill such as the $2,000,000 price tag they mentioned at the beginning of the meeting; or if their goal is to determine the overall commonwealth financial influence such a bill would have. As you might imagine, they couldn’t give me an answer. Your testimony seems to be somewhere between 0 and 50% directly related to the appropriations committee’s vote. I can only hope that it’s toward the 50%. I’ve been involved in many various arguments regarding this legalization. Yours is the first I heard of it’s kind, and in fact one that might be the most significant.
I can’t express my gratitude in your braveness for working out of the box, and putting a new edge on this issue, you made your point a clear factor in SB1250, but yet, never before mentioned.
It’s very brave to add in a new factor of a hot topic that nobody considered before. You don’t know if they’ll take you seriously and you don’t know which way anybody will align themselves with such new testimony. I commend you on yout bravery and your knowledge.
If there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know.... , seriously... if there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know.
Bolton K. Winpenny, coo
Panzee Press, LLC
(717) 564-2477
Dear Gloria,
I was not present for your
April 29th hearing on SB 1250 as describd by Mr. Wynpenny two days ago, but I am not surprised by his respectful and someone-in-awe perspectives regarding your presentation shared with this blog community.
This is my first time ever commenting on a blog and was moved to do so because in fact i HAD witnessed your acceptance speech after Mayor Nutter's announcement of your appointment as Liason of the city's LGBT office at a Press conference in City Hall reception room (which was packed and beautifully covered by Tom Thom Cardwell and James Duggan, in QUEERTimes this week].
In the meantime what prompted me to be involved in everything that the LGBT community does (advocacy, activism etc] is because my world is the world of Deaf people, Deaf culture and American Sign language.
I am currently preparing a kind of position paper if you will describing (i hope it will be clear) just how the struggle of the Deaf minority culture in Philadelphia (and the nation) paralells the issues and actions needed that have led to the Mayor's recent establishment of the LGBT office with a strong, knowledgable Liason such as Gloria, to now report directly to the Mayor's Chief of Staff, inside City Hall...giving Gloria and the Office the full measure of support possible, in the City and in Harrisburg.
Just to give you one teeny weeny example of how insane the marginalization of Deaf minority is, even though PA HAS an "office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing", it resides absurdly under the office of Labor and Industry AND Governor Rendell (at the recommendation of an Advisory Committee, if you can believe it), appointed a Hearing 28 year old sign language interpreter as the Director of the State's Office of DEAFFFFFF. It's like appointing me as Director of the state office on minorities, or president of Howard University, or
Sometimes I think I am going mad as I witness the actions taken by people who by now should know better!! But alas, the struggle continues. I do feel however, akin to the LGBT struggle for inclusion and their proverbial 'seat at the table'.
Thanks for 'listening'.
p.s. my personal and professional goal is for the Mayor to establish the City's first-ever Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing - and appoint a strong, knowledgeable Deaf Liason!
Carol Finkle
Founder/Director - Creative Access
Using Arts&Advocacy for social change since 1992
P. VP. 215-923-9101
C. 215-205-0408
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