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The mission of the Tucson Commission on GLBT Issues is to foster conditions that promote the welfare of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people of metropolitan Tucson, Arizona through education, advocacy and collaborative and advisory relationships with government, community organizations, businesses and individuals.
The City of Tucson Commission on GLBT Issues was originally formed in November 1998 as a mayoral task force, and became an independent city commission in July 1999. It remains one of the only government-sanctioned independent commissions on issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity in the United States.
Since its founding, the Commission has initiated a number of projects and successfully advocated for issues of concern to the community. Among the Commission’s accomplishments include:
Privacy & Policies
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Forms and Information Documents City of Tucson Domestic Partner Registry - Registration Form Download document as PDF City of Tucson Domestic Partner Registry - Registration Form Instructions Download document as PDF City of Tucson Domestic Partner Registry - Termination Form Download document as PDF City of Tucson Domestic Partner Registry - Termination Form Instructions Download document as PDF City of Tucson Domestic Partner Registry - Ordinance Download document as PDF City of Tucson Domestic Partner Registry - FAQs Download document as PDF 2002 OutoberFest Community Survey on Social Climate in Tucson Document Download document as PDF Recommended Standards of Practice for the Provision of Quality Health Care and Social Services for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Clients - Document Download document as PDF
To save to your hard drive (Internet Explorer):
PC – Right click, then "Save Target As..." MAC – Click and hold, then "Download Link to Disk" These documents require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader |
Members
Current Co-Chairs
Cindy Jordan-Nowe
John-Peter Wilhite
Commissioners as of June 2009
Appointed by Mayor: C. Michael Woodward
Ward 1: Alicia Calahorro
Ward 2: Emery Nicoletti
Ward 3: John-Peter Wilhite
Ward 4: Cecile McKee
Ward 5: Luis Ortega
Ward 6: Cindy Jordan-Nowe
Member-at-large: Pamela Liberty
Member-at-large: Michael Hutchins
Member-at-large: Al Whitehurst
Member-at-large: Danielle Flink
Member-at-large: [vacant]
Human Relations Commission Representative: Sat Bir Khalsa
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Subcommittees
The City of Tucson Commission on GLBT Issues currently has four standing subcommittees – Education, Legal, Outreach, and Social Services.
Education Subcommittee The Education Subcommittee responsibilities include educating all segments of the community about GLBT issues. This subcommittee serves as a resource to schools, social service agencies and community, and encourages GLBT awareness training. Legal Subcommittee The Legal Subcommittee is responsible for evaluating possible changes in Tucson laws that would support the civil rights of GLBT people. Social Services Subcommittee The Social Services Subcommittee is responsible for examining issues related to areas of employment, business education, housing, social services, health and mental health, and recreation as they affect or relate to GLBT people in the City and to recommend changes as appropriate. Outreach Subcommittee The Outreach Subcommittee is responsible for promoting and publicizing the work of the Commission on GLBT Issues through communication with both the GLBT community and the Tucson community at large. Ad hoc subcommittees The Commission may, from time to time, create ad hoc committees to research and address specific issues or concerns. Anyone with specific knowledge or interest on the topic is welcome to participate. Education Subcommittee The goals of the Education Committee are three fold:1.) To educate all segments of the community about GLBT issues. 2.) To serve as a resource to schools, social service agencies and the broader community for accurate information and consultation regarding the GLBT population. 3.) To encourage GLBT awareness training in schools as well as in public and community agencies. One of the early accomplishments of the Education Committee was to meet with the school boards of local school districts to present information about the needs of GLBT youth in schools. In 2000, the committee developed Standards of Practice for GLBT Education and Training (SOP) that have been made available to the community. We collaborated with Wingspan in sponsoring an open house to which local school personnel and social service agencies were invited and where the SOP, as well as information about the Commission, were distributed. The Education Committee prepared a formal request to the Tucson Police Department in 2002, requesting mandatory training on GLBT awareness for all police officers. The Committee has been in continuing contact with the TPD in regard to developing video training on this topic. The Committee also met with the Tucson Fire Department and has collaborated with the Equal Opportunity Office in an effort to ensure that GLBT awareness training will be available in video format in all Tucson fire stations. Training on GLBT issues has been provided by Committee members to mental health agencies, school administrators, psychologists, nurses, University of Arizona clinical psychology doctoral students and church groups. The Education Committee collaborated with the Outreach Committee to develop a Hate Crimes and Harassment Survey that was administered to 1700 people attending the 2002 OUToberFEST. The Committee also collaborated with Wingspan on a project documenting GLBT hate crimes and harassment in the Tucson community and developed mechanisms for providing feedback to the Tucson Police Department.
Legal Subcommittee
The Legal Subcommittee is responsible for evaluating possible changes in Tucson laws that would support the civil rights of GLBT people. For example, at around the time the Commission was formed, the Legal Subcommittee identified changes that were needed to the City of Tucson's Human Relations Ordinance so that it would protect transgendered people and would have more stringent penalties for employers, providers of housing, and public accommodations that discriminate. The Legal Subcommittee recommended specific changes to the local law and worked with the City Attorney to draft an ordinance and, once the full Commission recommended it, helped lobby the Mayor and City Council for its adoption. The Legal Subcommittee had also identified a Domestic Partner Registry as something that was missing from Tucson's laws. It persuaded the full Commission to make the adoption of such a registry a priority. This ordinace was adopted by the City of Tucson in late 2003, and went into effect on December 1, 2003. In addition, the Legal Subcommittee assists the Commission in determining whether to encourage the Mayor and Council to support or oppose state legislation that would affect GLBT people. Finally, the Legal Subcommittee serves as a liaison with the City Attorney's Office to ensure that the Commission is adhering to its Charter and to laws that affect its operations, such as the Open Meetings Law and the Public Records Law.
Social Services
The Social Services Subcommittee is responsible for examining issues related to areas of employment, business education, housing, social services, health and mental health, and recreation as they affect or relate to GLBT people in the City and to recommend changes as appropriate. The subcommittee identifies and collaborates with allied social service organizations in the community to improve conditions for GLBT and people in Tucson.
Outreach Subcommittee
The Outreach Subcommittee is responsible for promoting and publicizing the work of the Commission on GLBT Issues through communication with both the GLBT community and the Tucson community at large. Examples of Outreach Subcommittee activities have included participation in local GLBT events such as Pride in the Desert (OUToberfest), Gay West, Pride Week, and Wingspan forums, as well as larger community events such as the St. Patrick's Day Parade. The Outreach Subcommittee has also organized and/or participated in many forums for the purpose of educating the community as well as obtaining input from community members. This Committee actively encourages and provides an avenue for any and all community volunteers to participate in the work of the Commission. Meetings are held monthly. Contact the co-chairs of the Commission on GLBT Issues for meeting time and date information. |
GLBT Subcommittees Education Subcommittee Legal Subcommittee Outreach Subcommittee  |
Meeting Schedule
Meetings are held the third Tuesday of the month beginning at 5:30 PM at Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse, 2545 E. Adams St. in central Tucson.
Meetings are open to the public.
There will be a call to the audience at each meeting.
Meeting agendas are posted each month at both the City Hall and at the Wingspan Community Center a day or more before the monthly meeting of the commission.
The Tucson Commission on Gay Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Issues complies with open meeting laws.
Please remember that the GLBT Commission, under the open meeting laws cannot discuss or take other action on a matter raised at a meeting, unless that matter is on the posted agenda for discussion or action. However, you may raise a matter to the Commission, and may request follow up attention from the Commission, including placement on a future agenda or follow up action from a subcommittee of the commission.
Our Purpose
To act as the official advisory body to the Mayor and City Council on GLBT issues.
To respond in an effective and timely manner to GLBT issues that may arise in the City.
To examine local policies and practices in the areas of employment, business education, housing, social services, health and mental health and recreation as they affect or relate to GLBT people in the City and to recommend changes as appropriate.
To review and make recommendations on proposed local, state and federal legislation affecting GLBT people.
To promote educational activities and events related to GLBT issues.
To conduct, promote, and facilitate community forums to educate the community about GLBT issues and concerns.
To collaborate with the Human Relations and other City Commissions.
To serve as a liaison between the Mayor and Council and the education community regarding the needs and rights of the GLBT community.
To address other GLBT issues as requested by the Mayor and Council.
Resource Links
The following are links to other groups and agencies serving the GLBT population in Tucson and in the State of Arizona.
City of Tucson www.ci.tucson.az.us
Eon Youth Center, support and services for LGBT youth ages 13-23 www.eonyouth.org
Equality Arizona www.equalityarizona.org
Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) www.pflagtucson.org
Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation www.SAAF.org
Southern Arizona Gender Alliance www.sagatucson.org
Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce www.tucsonglbtchamber.org
Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network www.tihan.org
Wingspan, Southern Arizona's LGBT Community Center www.wingspan.org
Get Involved
There are several ways you can become involved in the Commission's work:
Attend meetings, they are open to the public.
Become active in one of the subcommittees as a community member. Each subcommittee actively seeks interested members to assist in their projects. Often such individuals are later recommended for Commission membership.
Apply for membership on the Commission. Members are appointed by the Mayor and Council to two-year terms. Council members may choose to appoint an individual of their choice. However, the Commission periodically, as positions are vacated, submits a list of recommended candidates for open position(s) to the Mayor and Council – these recommendations are usually followed.
Contact Us
GLBT Commission Co-Chairpersons
John-Peter Wilhite
Cindy Jordan-Nowe
Email the Co-Chairs
Appointed by Mayor: C. Michael Woodward email
Ward 1: Alicia Calahorro email
Ward 2: Emery Nicoletti email
Ward 3: John-Peter Wilhite email
Ward 4: Cecile McKee email
Ward 5: Luis Ortega email
Ward 6: Cindy Jordan-Nowe email
Member-at-large: Pam Liberty email
Member-at-large: Michael Hutchins email
Member-at-large: Al Whitehurst email
Member-at-large: Danielle Flink email
Member-at-large: [vacant]
Human Relations Commission Representative: Sat Bir Khalsa email
The City of Tucson
City of Tucson Mayor's Office
City Hall
255 West Alameda Street
Tucson, Arizona 85701
Phone: 520-791-4201
Fax: 520-791-5348
email_mayor@mail.ci.tucson.az.us
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