REGULAR MEETING of the LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION Monday, August 18, 2025 at 6:30 P.M. Austin City Hall, Boards & Commissions Room 1101 301 W 2nd St., Austin, Texas 78701 Some members of the Commission may be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via 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 by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Ryan Sperling, Office of the City Clerk, at 512-974-3568 or ryan.sperling@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Commissioner Appointment Commissioner Kitty McLeod, Vice Chair (she/they) District 1 Mariana Krueger (she/her) KC Coyne, Chair (they/them) District 2 VACANT Appointment District 9 District 10 Steven Rivas (he/him) District 3 Rocío Fierro-Pérez (she/her/ella) Mayor Brigitte Bandit (they/she) District 4 Alexander Andersen (he/him) Stakeholder Jerry Joe Benson (he/him) District 5 KB Brookins (they/them) Asher Knutson (he/him) District 6 Morgan Davis (he/him) J. Scott Neal Garry Brown CALL TO ORDER District 7 Taylor Treviño (she/her) District 8 AGENDA PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Stakeholder Stakeholder Stakeholder The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three- minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission's regular meeting of July 21, 2025. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Presentation regarding progress on the LGBTQ Community Center Feasibility Study Project in Atlanta and discussion of insights for the City of Austin’s LGBTQ+ Cultural Center Feasibility Study project. Presentation by Malik Brown, LGBTQ Community Center Feasibility Study Project Director, City of Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority (AFCRA). 3. Update on LGBTQIA+-related bills in the special session of the Texas state legislature. Presentation by Miriam Laeky, Government Affairs Director, Equality Texas. 4. Discussion regarding programming and opportunities to get involved with the City of Austin Welcome Week, including avenues for collaboration with the Commission on Immigrant Affairs. 5. Discussion regarding Austin Police Department responses to commissioner questions at the April 2025 commission meeting. 6. Discussion regarding outcomes of the 4th World LGBTQI+ Conference for Criminal Justice Professionals. 7. Update regarding the City of Austin’s FY2025-26 budget as related to commission recommendations. 8. Update on the progress of …
LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 21, 2025 The LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission convened in a special called meeting on Monday, March 17, 2025, at 6:30 PM at Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St., Austin, Texas 78701, Boards & Commissions Room 1101. Commissioners in attendance in person: Kitty McLeod (Vice Chair) Jerry Joe Benson Garry Brown Rocio Fierro-Pérez Asher Knutson Mariana Krueger J. Scott Neal Steven Rivas Commissioners in attendance remotely: Alexander Andersen KB Brookins Morgan Davis Vice Chair McLeod called the meeting to order at 6:33 PM. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission's regular meeting on June 16, 2025. The minutes of the June 16, 2025 meeting were approved on Commissioner Krueger’s motion, Commissioner Benson’s second on a 9-0 vote. Commissioners Brookins and Fierro-Pérez were off the dais. Chair Coyne and Commissioners Bandit and Treviño were absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 1. Briefing regarding the status of current public health grants. Briefing by Cassandra DeLeon, Deputy Director, Austin Public Health. The presentation was made by Cassandra DeLeon, Deputy Director, Austin Public Health. 2. Briefing regarding the work of the Human Rights Division on Immigrant Affairs. Briefing by Shafina Khaki, Human Rights Officer for the City of Austin, and Rocio Villalobos, Immigrant Affairs Manager, Austin Equity & Inclusion. Item 2 was taken up before Item 1 without objection. Page 1 of 4 The presentation was made by Shafina Khaki, Human Rights Officer for the City of Austin, and Rocio Villalobos, Immigrant Affairs Manager, Austin Equity & Inclusion. DISCUSSION ITEMS 3. Discussion regarding the Immigrant Affairs Quality of Life Study and findings on the queer immigrant experience in Austin. Presentation by Melissa Ortega, Chair, and Miriam Dorantes, Vice Chair, Commission on Immigrant Affairs Withdrawn without objection. 4. Presentation providing information about House Bill 32 and avenues for public engagement, community education, and coordinated responses. Presentation by Miriam Laeky, Government Affairs Director, Equality Texas. The presentation was made by Miriam Laeky, Government Affairs Director, Equality Texas. 5. Discussion regarding the content of the commission’s 2024-2025 Annual Internal Review Report. Discussion was held. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 6. Approve bylaw amendments to add a secretary officer role and update the staffing department. The motion to approve bylaw amendments to add a secretary officer role and update the staffing department was approved on Commissioner Brown’s …
Atlanta LGBTQ+ Community Center Feasibility Study City of Austin, Texas LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission Background In November 2024, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and the City Council commissioned a one-year feasibility study to explore the vision, impact, potential, and sustainability of a dedicated LGBTQ+ Community Center in Atlanta. The study is being conducted by the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority (AFCRA)—the city’s public authority for sports and recreation—best known for owning major venues like State Farm Arena (home to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and a premier concert venue) and Zoo Atlanta. AFCRA appointed longtime LGBTQ+ advocate and former Atlanta Director of LGBTQ Affairs Malik Brown to oversee the study’s day-to-day operations in collaboration with a large, diverse exploratory committee. Findings will be submitted to the City of Atlanta in December 2025, at which point the City will decide whether to allocate funding and resources to move the project forward. Atlanta is the largest metro in America without an LGBTQ+ Community Center. 1. New York City, NY (20,912,953): The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center 2. Los Angeles, CA (17,671,828): Los Angeles LGBT Center 3. Chicago, IL (9,408,576): Center on Halsted 4. Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (8,344,032): Resource Center 5. Houston, TX (7,796,182): The Montrose Center 6. Miami, FL (6,457,955): Pridelines 7. Washington, D.C. (6,436,489): The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center 8: Atlanta, GA (6,411,149): Our Thesis Why Atlanta? Why Now? I. Atlanta is overdue for a world-class LGBTQ+ Community Center • There are over 200 brick-and-mortar LGBTQ+ centers across the U.S.—but Atlanta is the largest metro in the country without one. This center builds on that national legacy while reflecting Atlanta’s unique identity and leadership in the South. • II. This is a historic, political, and equitable intervention. • The center aligns with Atlanta’s civil and human rights legacy while upholding its future as a Southern LGBTQ+ capital. III. The center will generate tangible social and economic impact, including: • Increased tourism and revenue through museum-quality cultural exhibitions • Preservation of LGBTQ+ Southern history: Our local archival partners alone hold hundreds of feet of manuscripts, periodicals, and oral histories • Affordable event and office space for LGBTQ+ nonprofits: Community orgs told us they feel siloed and lack shared infrastructure • Drop-in space for youth experiencing homelessness: 40% of metro Atlanta’s unhoused youth identify as LGBTQ+ • LGBTQ+ affirming mental health and wellness services: 50.2% of LGB adults report mental health …
1. Training on LGBTQIA+ Sensitivity Follow-up Required: Detailed information on LGBTQIA+ specific training for o(cid:431)icers, including transgender sensitivity, and cultural competency training that addresses the correct way to engage with trans individuals and other marginalized groups within the community. Below is a non-exhaustive list of training APD o(cid:431)icers receive: LGBTQ+ - 2 hours Multiculturalism and Human Relations - 8 hours Understanding Transgender: A Community-Oriented Approach for Law Enforcement - 3 hours A subset of classes is provided for other marginalized groups: History of Race and Police in Austin (course created for APD)- 4 hours Racial Profiling (BPOC 6)-4 hours Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injury - 2 hours Interacting with Drivers who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing - 4 hours Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) - 40 hours Related Policies: APD's training academy includes 80 hours of pre-academy training, with additional in-service training for o(cid:431)icers. However, there's a request to assess how this training can be expanded and evaluated for e(cid:431)ectiveness. 2. Community Engagement and Liaison Activities Follow-up Required: Clarification on the LGBTQIA+ Liaison position within the APD and whether this role is filled specifically by an LGBTQIA+ o(cid:431)icer. The LGBTQIA+ Liaison role is not filled by an APD o(cid:431)icer. Instead, it is held by a civilian sta(cid:431) member within the O(cid:431)ice of Community Liaison. APD is currently evaluating formalizing a liaison program for O(cid:431)icers. Related Policies: O(cid:431)icers from the Community Liaison O(cid:431)ice represent various communities, including the LGBTQIA+ community, and work to ensure proper engagement with community members. 3. Use of Force Review and Accountability Follow-up Required: Provide statistics on use of force incidents within the LGBTQIA+ community, including cases of excessive force and how they were handled. There's also a request for data on how often o(cid:431)icers are held accountable following use of force incidents. The Department does not currently track people’s sexual orientation or their transgender/cisgender status, so there is not a way to generate an accurate report for that type of information. Related Policies: Use of force incidents are reviewed at multiple levels, including initial reports by the o(cid:431)icer, review by supervisors, the Force Review Unit, and O(cid:431)ice of Police Oversight. Excessive force is defined as using more force than necessary to control a situation, and the department has multiple layers of review and accountability, including external oversight. …
