Mayor Nutter Names New LGBT Liasion

On Monday April 28, 2008, Honorable Mayor Nutter held a press conference to announce the person he has appointed to be the new Liaison to LGBT communities: Gloria Casarez. Gloria is only the 2nd LGBT Liaison in a Philadelphia Mayoral administration; she is the first Latina to hold this position; and she is the first liaison to work directly inside the Mayor's Office. For the past 10 1/2 years, Gloria has served as the Executive Director for the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative (GALAEI). She has also served on various boards such as Bread & Roses Community Fund and participated in many grass roots community organizing initiatives over the 13 years she has been out as Lesbian. While she will be doing some work in the Nutter administration immediately, she will not start full time as the liaison until July 1, 2008.

Here is the speech Gloria gave during the press conference on Monday:

This is a meaningful moment. For me personally, and for Philadelphia's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.

In this building.

In this city.

At this time.

It is a meaningful moment.

I was hoping we'd pack the room, and we have! I wanted the Mayor to see everyone he knows, and everyone he doesn't know yet today. Thank you for coming over to City Hall, today.

I'm warmed to see so many of my friends and colleagues in HIV and AIDS and in LGBT health, and to have family members here, close friends, as well as my partner Tricia Dressel. And, to see people who provide leadership across other areas of our community, who will take on the role as my new colleagues and friends from this point forward.

As Philadelphian's we credit ourselves with serving as the birthplace of the LGBT movement. I'm proud to have directly contributed to the development of our LGBT communities for the past 13 years - first, at the LGBT Center at the University of Pennsylvania and the past ten and a half years with GALAEI - which is truly one of our vanguard public health organizations. During my time at the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative, I was responsible for leading the organization's response to the AIDS epidemic. It is where I developed many collaborative efforts, particularly for youth, gay men, and transgender communities. Key among these programs of GALAEI that I initiated as Executive Director are The Collective, which was the first program in the city to launch Rapid HIV testing on a mobile unit, and the Trans-health Information Project, which is the largest multi-service transgender health program we've ever had in Philadelphia.

I'm a Philadelphian. I was born in this city and have spent my entire adult life working with people here in this city, to positively affect change. I come out of grassroots community organizing efforts across a range of social issues and I model a community organizing approach everyday. This model is one that requires that all voices are at the table and works to get those voices there. For those of you who have worked with me over the years, you know that I am diligent, I have vision, and I'm a hard worker. I plan to put those skills to use everyday in this new position.

I see this role as a facilitator of leaders. Leaders who work with constituents and individuals across a spectrum of issues of interest to LGBT people. I also see this role as a chance to work on the pressing needs of our communities, while at the same time building upon our strengths and making the most of our opportunities. I will build upon the initial groundwork laid during the previous administration and the previous liaison Michael Hinson, and my work with you will flourish with the support of Michael Nutter's administration. I see many conversations in our near future and lots of action to follow. And this conversation with the Mayor builds upon his positive track record of work for our communities for many, many years.

It's the end of April and we are in the middle of our pride season and we have a lot to celebrate. We had a great Black Gay Pride this past weekend. We're looking forward to kicking off the Equality Forum later today which runs through the week, and before you know it, we'll roll into June for the annual Gay Pride Parade and Festival. So, there will be many celebrations.

While we celebrate our lives and achievements as a community we also need to focus on the work in front of us. We have a pending State Senate bill that speaks out directly against our lives. So, we have a lot to work on. We have many issues on the national stage that will impact us right here in Philadelphia. I'm happy to have the partners in this room who I know will be a part of working with me on all of these things and I know that I will need them.

I know that our lives as LGBT people are complex and inherently political by nature. There are people who love us. There are people who hate us. And, there are people who feel that they tolerate us. Each of us in this room have experienced a measure of discrimination and some among us experience this daily. Regardless of whether we are also racial, ethnic, or religious minorities, our point of unity as LGBT people is fundamentally one of civil and human rights. We must be very clear about that. We must keep sight of that, and other commonalities, as others seek to divide us as a community. As a community, we are strongest at the points where we stand together.

I see by the crowd gathered in this room that we are off to a great, running start.

So, as we assemble in this building - our City Hall, and in this city - which is the cradle of liberty. We are strong - at this time. I see it as a responsibility for all of us to stand together to make Philadelphia a true city of Brotherly Love and I pledge to represent us with authenticity, integrity, and respect.

It is what I bring to the table every day.

In closing, I want to thank the Mayor for this incredible opportunity to do this work for city government and on behalf of our communities. We're going to do some really great things here.