Some two-dozen local LGBT leaders attended a roundtable discussion last week meant to forge connections between the community and the city district attorney.
The Aug. 4 meeting was one in a series for District Attorney Seth Williams, who is participating in the roundtables with targeted groups of city residents. His spokesperson Tasha Jamerson, said the event sought to “generate a dialogue and build an important communications platform between this office and the LGBT community.”
In addition to Williams, the LGBT guests were able to meet the heads of each of the six DA divisions that represent the geographic regions of the city.
Williams provided an overview of the divisions, a new format that allows the office to assign cases in each jurisdiction to the same set of assistant district attorneys.
“With this way, they have a better grasp on what’s going on in the neighborhoods, they can spot trends faster and identify resources better because they knew their areas,” said Gloria Casarez, the city’s director of LGBT affairs, who attended the meeting.
Casarez said the fact that representatives of all six units were present for the gathering was in itself important.
“I appreciated that the conversation didn’t just focus on what’s happening in the Center City division but about the entire city,” she said. “There wasn’t that assumption that we’re only living and working in Center City, which was subtle but great because I think the DA demonstrated he understands that our community has a stake throughout the whole city.”
The meeting functioned in part to provide community leaders with appropriate contacts within the district attorney’s office in case an LGBT-related issue arises, and Williams announced that he was appointing Philip Reiss as the office’s interim LGBT liaison as he works to bring on a permanent representative.
Jamerson did not have a timeline for when a permanent liaison would be appointed.
In addition to recognizing LGBT presence in all six geographic divisions, Williams was open to the idea that LGBT individuals are active members of a number of other communities, Casarez said.
The district attorney plans to hold similar roundtable discussions with other groups, and Colours Organization executive director Robert Burns urged Williams to incorporate LGBT leadership into gatherings such as those geared toward people of color, an idea to which the DA was amenable.
Community members were given an opportunity to question Williams and his staff on issues important to the community, with attention being given to the ongoing case of Nizah Morris, a transgender woman whose 2002 murder remains unsolved.
Chris Bartlett, executive director of the William Way LGBT Community Center, said Williams briefed the guests on efforts to make information on the case available to the Police Advisory Commission.
The district attorney, who knows the Morris family personally, emphasized his commitment to the case, which Bartlett said represents a positive shift for the office.
“On a broader level, I think it’s good that we’ve reached a point where the DA’s office has an awareness of and sensitivity around trans issues,” he said, noting he was pleased with how the meeting turned out overall. “I think it’s great that the DA and his staff reached out to the LGBT community’s leadership to hear our points of view with regard to both crime-prevention and what we can be doing to build a strong relationship with the DA’s office.”
Casarez agreed and said she’s eager for talks to continue.
“I left the meeting with the things I want to leave with from a meeting — people I can follow up with, better contact information for people in charge and the opportunity to discuss some issues affecting our community. It was a really important first conversation.”
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].