Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown’s bill that would make permanent the Mayor’s Office of LGBT Affairs unanimously cleared City Council’s committee on law and government.
Several local LGBT community-organization leaders testified at an April 30 hearing, including William Way LGBT Community Center executive director Chris Bartlett, Mazzoni Center executive director Nurit Shein, Philadelphia Human Relations Commission director Rue Landau and Office of LGBT Affairs director Nellie Fitzpatrick.
A spokesman for Reynolds Brown’s office said the bill was scheduled for a full Council vote May 14.
If the bill clears Council, it would move to the desk of Mayor Michael Nutter, who has already endorsed it. Once signed, the bill would appear on the Nov. 3 general-election ballot, where voters would be asked: “Shall The Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to establish and define the functions of the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Affairs, headed by a Director of LGBT Affairs?”
The measure would essentially make the office immune to closure by any future mayoral administrations.
Nutter created the office in 2008 and named Gloria Casarez the first director. The office was designed to serve as a conduit between the LGBT community and City Hall. Casarez died this past fall and, during her tenure, she coordinated outreach among LGBT community members, the police department and the District Attorney’s Office, launched the raising of the rainbow flag to commemorate LGBT History Month and represented LGBT interests in legislative and policy matters.
Fitzpatrick took over the post early this year.