LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission - March 28, 2022
LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission Special Called Meeting of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Quality of Life Advisory Commission
LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION Monday, March 28, 2022 7:00 p.m. City of Austin Permitting and Development Center, Room 1401 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr., Austin, Texas 78752 Some commissioners may be participating by videoconference Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely by telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation. To register email or call staff liaison Alyssa Parra at 512-974-2934 or Alyssa.Parra@AustinTexas.gov District Commissioner 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Kannou (Kimberly) Curette VACANT Victor Martinez Holly Kirby Katie Jones Rebecca Dreke VACANT VACANT District 9 10 Mayor At-Large At-Large At-Large At-Large Commissioner Nan Dowling Brandon Wollerson Marti Bier VACANT Charles Curry Ryn Gonzales (Chair) Melissa Taylor (Vice Chair) CALL TO ORDER AGENDA PUBLIC COMMUNICATION – Each speaker will have 3 minutes to speak. 1. MOTION TO SUSPEND ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES- March 7, 2022 3. REGULAR BUSINESS – The commission may act or make recommendations on the following topics: a. Discussion and possible action on FY 2022-23 budget recommendations. (Sponsor: Gonzales, Strategic Outcome: Government That Works for All) b. Discussion and possible action to appoint an alternate representative to the Joint Inclusion Committee (JIC). (Sponsor: Curry, Strategic Outcome: Government That Works for All) c. Discussion of vacant commission seats. (Sponsor: Gonzales, Strategic Outcome: Government That Works for All) ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Staff Liaison Alyssa Parra at 512-974-2834 or email Alyssa.parra@austintexas.gov, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission, please contact Alyssa Parra at (512) 974-2834.
Recommendation for Continued Funding for Youth LGBTQIA+ Mental Health Services Whereas, the recently completed LGBTQIA+ Quality of Life study reported that survey responses indicated a high risk of serious mental health issues, including depression (42%) and suicidal ideation (12%), and Whereas, 52% of survey respondents also rated their overall mental health since the COVID pandemic as fair, poor, or very poor, a sizeable increase in mental health concerns, and Whereas, an additional community survey reported that more than half (53.5%) of respondents rated their mental health as poor or fair with youth and transgender/gender-expansive individuals indicating a higher percentage of very poor and poor mental health since the pandemic, and Whereas, a 2018 report by the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that LGBTQ youth were 3.5 times as likely to attempt suicide as their heterosexual peers, transgender teens were 5.87 times more likely, gay and lesbian youth were 3.71 times more likely, and bisexual youth were 3.69 times more likely to attempt suicide than teens who identified as heterosexual, Now therefore be it resolved: that the LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission recommends to City Council that the FY22-23 Budget continue funding of existing youth LGBTQIA+ focused mental health services at the current level of $100,000 through Austin Public Health’s Health Equity contracting portfolio.
Whereas, the City of Austin has used tax supported bond proceeds to incentivize the development of affordable housing and has entered into contracts with selected developers to achieve this purpose, and Whereas, the developer contracts create additional obligations on developers regarding tenant selection and rental rates, and Whereas, there is a public interest in ensuring that the resulting affordable housing be equally available to all those qualified on an income basis regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, familial status, disability, marital status, student status, creed, national origin, or source of income, and Whereas, access to affordable housing also means that residents must be able to live there free from discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, familial status, disability, marital status, student status, creed, national origin, or source of income, and Whereas, public comments at town hall meetings have indicated a perception that the City’s affordable housing efforts have not adequately addressed diversity, inclusion and respect for all, Now therefore be it resolved that the LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission recommends to City Council that, Tax supported affordable housing development contracts include language that requires tenant application and selection processes to convey that affordable housing is supportive to all regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, familial status, disability, marital status, student status, creed, national origin, or source of income, and That annual reporting of complete demographic information regarding the tenant application and selection process be required of developers and made available by the City to the community to support the perception of diversity, inclusion and respect with regard to the City’s affordable housing efforts.
Whereas, the responsibilities of Quality of Life Commissions includes annual budget recommendations to City Council, and Whereas, informed recommendations require a knowledge of the current Adopted Budget, as well as departmental plans and performance and input from the communities we serve, and Whereas, this process is best served by an established and consistent process from year to year, Now therefore be is resolved that the LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission recommends to City Council that their adopted budget schedule each fiscal year include provisions for Commissions including: • Budget Office briefing on the Adopted Budget for Quality of Life Commissions not later than October 31 of each fiscal year, • Budget Office briefing on the Proposed Budget process and outlook not later than November 31 of each fiscal year, • Commission recommendations to City departments and City Council not later than March 31 of each fiscal year • Budget Office briefing on the City Manager’s Proposed Budget within two weeks of the presentation to City Council outlining the status of Commission budget recommendations.
LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20220307-3E COLLECTION OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY DATA RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL Accurate data collection of marginalized communities provides the City of Austin with the information needed to adequately support and serve each community. Because there is no national collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data, it is important that the City of Austin begin collecting that data. The LGBTQ+ Quality of Life Advisory Commission recommends that the City Council approve the following resolution and direct the City Manager to begin collecting this data from City employees and community members accessing City services. DRAFT RESOLUTION WHEREAS, the City of Austin conducted an LGBTQ+ Quality of Life survey, with a report given on October 11, 2021 providing a number of recommendations on how to improve the quality of life for the LGBTQ+ community in Austin, TX; and, WHEREAS, a key recommendation from the Quality of Life survey is to “enhance sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection efforts”; and, WHEREAS, even prior to the QOL survey, on February 11, 2019, the LGBTQ QOL Commission passed a recommendation that supported the full inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection within the City of Austin; and, WHEREAS, on October 21, 2021, Austin City Council formally condemned non-consensual and medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children and directed the City Manager to explore methods to implement a public education campaign to provide accurate, affirming information to the doctors and parents of intersex children about these children’s health, to counter misinformation that can be presented as medical advice, therefore providing an important reason to collect data regarding the intersex population in the city as well (SOGI+); and, WHEREAS, in March 2016, Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) added SO/GI data as required elements to be reported yearly in the Uniform Data System (UDS), beginning in Calendar Year 2016. The Program Assistance Letter (PAL 2016-2) states that “sexual orientation and gender identity (SO/GI) can play a significant role in determining health outcomes,” and that “gaining a better understanding of populations served by health centers, including sexual orientation and gender identity, promotes culturally competent care delivery, and contributes to reducing health disparities overall.”; and, WHEREAS, in February 2020, the Central Health Equity Policy Council adopted a policy initiative to move to expand SOGI data gathering as part of a push to adopt HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index, …
LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20220328-3A-4 EXECUTIVE-LEVEL LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY LIAISON WHEREAS, among the key themes and requests resulting from the LGBTQIA+ Quality of Life study are to support the LGBTQIA+ community’s essential needs including access to housing, education and culturally appropriate healthcare as well as the desire to achieve economic stability; and WHEREAS, another key topic requiring immediate consideration concerns our transgender and gender-expansive community members. Threats and attacks to basic human rights of transgender youth and their families by State representatives require City officials and staff to make critical decisions and take immediate action to ensure their safety. It is encouraging that gains in social understanding and approval for LGBTQIA+ people over the past several decades have improved, yet as a result of the State’s recent hostile political climate, LGBTQIA+ community members continue to face extreme levels of intolerance. Adding an executive level LGBTQIA+ liaison to provide public support might reassure vulnerable members experiencing discrimination that their city will serve and protect them. An LGBTQIA+ liaison located in the City Manager’s office will review city policies and services through an LGBTQIA+ lens to determine if a policy or service might exclude or harm LGBTQIA+ people. This position would also be known as a receptive ear to constituents who want to bring LGBTQIA+ related issues directly to city government but may be fearful they might be dismissed or misunderstood; and WHEREAS, limitations have been placed on the City’s financial resources and LGBTQIA+ services are provided by an array of City departments and contracted providers, services are not monitored collectively for the community as a whole. Therefore the effectiveness, necessity or possible redundancies of services currently being funded cannot be determined. The liaison will actively coordinate and perform an analysis of current City and contracted services assuring all needs of the community are successfully addressed and may result in reassignment of resources to better use; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin has the nation’s third largest LGBTQIA+ population per capita. The internationally recognized organization, Human Right Campaign (HRC), sets industry standards for ranking cities for LGBTQIA+ Quality of Life. In its annual report, Municipal Equality Index 2021, one measure for municipalities to achieve status as a “highest scoring city” states there must be present an individual residing in the City Manager’s or Mayor’s office working as a liaison on LGBTQIA+ issues as well as a separate liaison stationed under …
LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20220328-3A-1 BUDGET PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS WHEREAS, the member Commissions of the Joint Inclusion Committee includes annual budget recommendations to City Council; and WHEREAS, informed recommendations require a knowledge of the current Adopted Budget, as well as departmental plans and performance and input from the communities we serve; and WHEREAS, this process is best served by an established and consistent process from year to year. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission recommends to City Council that their adopted budget schedule each fiscal year include provisions for Commissions including: • Budget Office briefing on the Adopted Budget for member Commissions of the Joint Inclusion Committee not later than October 31 of each fiscal year, • Budget Office briefing on the Proposed Budget process and outlook not later than • Commission recommendations to City departments and City Council not later than November 30 of each fiscal year, March 31 of each fiscal year • Budget Office briefing on the City Manager’s Proposed Budget within two weeks of the presentation to City Council outlining the status of Commission budget recommendations. Page 1 of 2 1. Arteaga 2. Curette 3. Curry 4. Dowling 5. Dreke 6. Gonzales 7. Jones 8. Taylor 9. Wollerson VOTE Date of Approval: March 28, 2022 Record of the Vote: Adopted without objection on a 9-0 vote. Present: Attest: _____________________________________________ Ryn Gonzales, Chair Page 2 of 2
LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20220328-3A-2 SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHEREAS, the City of Austin has used tax supported bond proceeds to incentivize the development of affordable housing and has entered into contracts with selected developers to achieve this purpose; and WHEREAS, the developer contracts create additional obligations on developers regarding tenant selection and rental rates; and WHEREAS, there is a public interest in ensuring that the resulting affordable housing be equally available to all those qualified on an income basis regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, familial status, disability, marital status, student status, creed, national origin, or source of income; and WHEREAS, access to affordable housing also means that residents must be able to live there free from discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, familial status, disability, marital status, student status, creed, national origin, or source of income; and WHEREAS, public comments at town hall meetings have indicated a perception that the City’s affordable housing efforts have not adequately addressed diversity, inclusion and respect for all. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission recommends to City Council that, Tax supported affordable housing development contracts include language that requires tenant application and selection processes to convey that affordable housing is supportive to all regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, familial status, disability, marital status, student status, creed, national origin, or source of income; and That annual reporting of complete demographic information regarding the tenant application and selection process be required of developers and made available by the City to the community to support the perception of diversity, inclusion and respect with regard to the City’s affordable housing efforts. Page 1 of 2 1. Arteaga 2. Curette 3. Curry 4. Dowling 5. Dreke 6. Gonzales 7. Jones 8. Taylor 9. Wollerson VOTE Date of Approval: March 28, 2022 Record of the Vote: Adopted without objection on a 9-0 vote. Present: Attest: _____________________________________________ Ryn Gonzales, Chair Page 2 of 2
LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20220328-3A-3 CONTINUED FUNDING FOR YOUTH LGBTQIA+ MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES WHEREAS, the recently completed LGBTQIA+ Quality of Life study reported that survey responses indicated a high risk of serious mental health issues, including depression (42%) and suicidal ideation (12%); and WHEREAS, 52% of survey respondents also rated their overall mental health since the COVID pandemic as fair, poor, or very poor, a sizeable increase in mental health concerns; and WHEREAS, an additional community survey reported that more than half (53.5%) of respondents rated their mental health as poor or fair with youth and transgender/gender- expansive individuals indicating a higher percentage of very poor and poor mental health since the pandemic; and WHEREAS, a 2018 report by the Journal of the American Medical Association indicated that LGBTQ youth were 3.5 times as likely to attempt suicide as their heterosexual peers, transgender teens were 5.87 times more likely, gay and lesbian youth were 3.71 times more likely, and bisexual youth were 3.69 times more likely to attempt suicide than teens who identified as heterosexual. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the LGBTQ Quality of Life Commission recommends to City Council that the FY22-23 Budget continue funding of existing youth LGBTQIA+ focused mental health services at the current level of $100,000 through Austin Public Health’s Health Equity contracting portfolio. Page 1 of 2 1. Arteaga 2. Curette 3. Curry 4. Dowling 5. Dreke 6. Gonzales 7. Jones 8. Taylor 9. Wollerson VOTE Date of Approval: March 28, 2022 Record of the Vote: Adopted without objection on a 9-0 vote. Present: Attest: _____________________________________________ Ryn Gonzales, Chair Page 2 of 2
