A Hatboro woman who helped lead the fight to get an LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance in her Montgomery County municipality is now gearing up for her next campaign — this one, for public office.
Andrea Myers, 32, an out Hatboro native, is one of eight candidates — including three fellow Democrats and four Republicans — vying for four open seats on the Hatboro Council in the May 21 primary election.
Myers is no stranger to the local community, having volunteered for organizations such as Elm Street Revitalization, H.E.A.R.T. 9/11, The Union Library of Hatboro, Hatboro’s Chamber of Commerce and Philadelphia’s Habitat for Humanity.
She was honorably discharged from the Army in 2002 and was awarded the Army Achievement Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. She went on to earn her bachelor’s in theater arts from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2005.
Myers’ family has a strong record of involvement in the government of Hatboro, home to 7,400 residents.
“My grandmother was the secretary for the Republican Committee and my mother served six years as a council member,” she said. “I believe that public service to a community is an investment in that community.”
Myers followed in her family’s footsteps.
“I’ve knocked on doors for past and present Democrats on council and have spent several elections volunteering at the various polling stations here in town,” she said. “I’ve gotten to know the scope and limitations of our local council, and I’ve seen how effective, or ineffective, pleas, petitions and resolutions can be when it comes to ordinances and their enforcement.”
She fought alongside her mother and the Democratic majority to pass an LGBT-inclusive human-relations ordinance in 2010, but Mayor Norm Hawkes vetoed the measure. Hawkes is up for reelection this year and will face challenger Bill Godshall, a proponent of the LGBT nondiscrimination measure.
Myers said the borough has a mixed record on LGBT-friendliness.
“My own experiences have been a mixture of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ over the years. I was lucky to be able to transfer schools my senior year when the administration there was ill-equipped to respond to harassment,” she said. “I’ve been active in the community and openly gay for the past several years, and I have a strong network of personal support, but there is definitely room for improvement in regards to the community at large.”
If elected, Myers said she does not plan to push for another ordinance because of Montgomery County’s plan to implement a countywide measure, which would cover Hatboro.
“As this issue is now being taken up at our county level, as well as being reintroduced at the state level in both the House and the Senate with bipartisan sponsors, I do not currently see the need to reintroduce a human-relations ordinance for the borough,” she said. “Should both the county and the state fail to push forward, I would certainly re-explore the issue with input from our residents and my fellow council members.”
Myers said residents are more concerned with her approach to issues than her sexuality.
However, having out LGBT leadership in government offices is a positive thing, she added.
“Our country is in the midst of some very exciting shifts in regards to attitudes towards the LGBT community,” she said. “Even though our local attempt at countering discrimination was ultimately vetoed, it opened up a lot of dialogue. LGBT candidates, local leaders and allies to our community help bring real, tangible faces and voices to the forefront in these discussions.”
Myers prepared for her campaign with guidance from the Montgomery County Democratic Committee and has spoken with residents and toured municipal facilities in the borough. She has also reviewed past council meeting minutes, studied several years of the council’s budget and refreshed her awareness of existing best-management practices.
So far, the reception from the public has been positive, she said.
“The general attitude is that some new, young blood is the answer to policies which have remained stagnant, as well as a sense of a lack of transparency in regards to the current council,” she said, noting that Hatboro will celebrate its 300th anniversary in two years, which she hopes will mark a new era of governance for the municipality. “There is a lot of potential, in the right hands, for Hatboro to take advantage of programs that not only highlight our hometown feel but also allow for sustainable growth. A place is only as good as the people you know in it, and I believe Hatboro is a wonderful place to be.”
For more information on Myers, visit www.HatboroDems.com.