THANK YOU FOR
JOINING
ME.
AND RIGHT NOW
MY WE ARE WAITING
FOR SOMETHING
AND I'M THE CHAIR OF THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS. TODAY IS JUNE 26TH 2025 AND IT
IS EXACTLY 203 IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025 MODIFYING CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OF THE OPEN MEETING LAW AND RELIEVING PUBLIC BODIES OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT THAT PUBLIC BODIES
CONDUCT ITS MEETINGS AT A PUBLIC PLACE THAT IS OPEN AND PHYSICALLY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC. THE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE CONDUCTING THIS HEARING VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM. THIS HEARING IS BEING RECORDED
AND IS ALSO BEING LIVE STREAMED AT BLOSSOM DUCK GIRLS. FORWARD SLASH CITY COUNCIL DASH TV AND BROADCAST ON XFINITY CHANNEL EIGHT RCN CHANNEL 82 FIOS CHANNEL NINE AND VIA
CHANNEL 964. WRITTEN COMMENTS MAY BE SENT TO THE COMMITTEE EMAIL AT C CC DOT GEO AT BOSTON DOT GOV AND WILL BE MADE A PART OF THE RECORD
AND AVAILABLE TO ALL COUNCILORS. PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL BE TAKEN AT THE END OF THIS HEARING. INDIVIDUALS WILL BE CALLED ON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY SIGNED UP AND WILL HAVE 2 MINUTES TO TESTIFY.
IF YOU WISH TO SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY AND HAVE NOT DONE SO PLEASE EMAIL OUR CENTRAL STAFF LIAISON MEGHAN AT
MVA AND AS A NANCY DOT C0RUGEDO AT BOSTON TAKEOUT TO THE ZOOM LINK AND YOUR NAME WILL BE ADDED TO THE LIST. TODAY'S HEARING IS ON DOCKET
0969 AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A TRANSGENDER GENDER DIVERSE INTERSEX LGBTQ UIA TO S PLUS OVERSIGHT COMMISSION. THIS MATTER WAS SPONSORED BY
COUNCILORS JULIA MEJIA, HENRY SANTANA AND LIZ BURDEN AND REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON APRIL 30TH, 2025. TODAY I AM JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUES IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL.
COUNCILOR FLYNN. COUNCILOR LOUIJEUNE. COUNCILOR MEJIA. COUNCILOR SANTANA AND COUNCILOR BREADON. NOW I WILL GO TO OPENING REMARKS OF THE LEAD SPONSORS
STARTING WITH COUNCILOR MEJIA SANTANA AND THEN COUNCILOR BRANDON CASIMIR. HERE YOU HAVE THE ZOOM. THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU ALL TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR
SHOWING UP AND TO THE ADMINISTRATION AND TO THE OVER 40 PLUS LGBTQ I A TO AS RESIDENTS, ACTIVISTS, LEGAL
EXPERTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS WHO JOINED US ON THIS JOURNEY SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. WE WERE CONTACTED BY CONSTITUENTS AND ALSO SOME OF OUR STAFFERS WHO HAD ASKED
US TO DECLARE BOSTON A SANCTUARY CITY FOR LGBT Q I A TO S PLUS PEOPLE AND TO CREATE LEGISLATION THAT BACK THAT UP.
TOGETHER WE DRAFTED AN ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH BOSTON'S FIRST OVERSIGHT COMMISSION. THIS ORDINANCE WAS CREATED BY THE COMMUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY WITH THE GOAL OF ENSURING
ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY AND REPRESENTATION ACROSS CITY GOVERNMENT. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO HELPED US BRING IT TO THIS MOMENT.
WE'RE READY TO MOVE FROM INTENTION TO ACTION. AND WITH THAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM THE ADMINISTRATION OUR PANELISTS AND MY COLLEAGUES AND ABOVE ALL THOSE WHO ARE LIVING THE
REALITIES AND ARE DOING THE WORK BECAUSE THEY ARE THE REASONS WHY WE EXIST. AND I WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR WHILE I STILL HAVE THE MIC IS THAT I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRETY TIMELINE
BUT I WANT TO THANK COUNCILOR SANTANA AND BRAYDON AND THEIR TEAM FOR WORKING ALONGSIDE OUR OFFICE. AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE COALITION
WORKED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND WE ALSO MET WITH THE CHAIR LIKE TWO OR THREE I DON'T KNOW TWO MONTHS AGO OR SO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ALL ROWING IN THE
SAME DIRECTION Y'ALL. AND HERE WE ARE TODAY WITH THE MANDATE TO BRING IT HOME FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE. AND I HOPE THAT IN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF WHAT REAL COLLABORATION IS SUPPOSED TO BE
ABOUT THAT WE CAN GET THERE. I WAS HAPPY TO SEE MY THE CHAIR SENT ME AN EMAIL THIS MORNING WITH THE COUNTERPROPOSAL THAT THE CITY HAS PRESENTED AND I
KNOW MARIA ANGELE, THE CHIEF ALSO REACHED OUT TO ME ON MONDAY OR TUESDAY TO SHARE WITH ME SOME OTHER SUGGESTIONS THEY HAVE SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE
YOU ALL TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS. WHILE THE TIMELINE DID NOT MEET THE MOMENT IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AND THE CRUNCH THAT WE'RE IN, WE'RE STILL GOING TO MOVE ALONG BECAUSE IN
THE SPIRIT OF GETTING THIS TO THE FINISH LINE, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE TO WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE AND MAKE WHAT WE HAVE WORK FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE. SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU COUNCILOR MEJIA COUNCILOR SANTANA. GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR AND EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONVENING US HERE TODAY.
I FIRST JUST WANT TO THANK AND THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNCILOR MEJIA FOR GETTING US TO THIS POINT AND THANK YOU FOR WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH MY OFFICE AND I'VE BEEN
COUNCILOR BRADEN'S OFFICE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WORKING WITH COMMUNITY. AND YOU DON'T THINK THE 40 PLUS ORGANIZATIONS THAT THEY WERE OVER 50 ORGANIZATIONS PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS
WITH THIS WORK TOGETHER? SO IS VERY PROUD OF THIS AND YOU KNOW, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW WHEN WE DECLARED AND THEN PASSED A RESOLUTION ON THE ONE CITY COUNCIL TO DECLARE ONCE IN
THE SANCTUARY CITY THIS IS THE WORK THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT WHEN COUNCILOR MCGEE AND I AND OUR OFFICES HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS AND I'M JUST VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO
TOGETHER NOT JUST DURING PRIDE MONTH BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO JUST THE WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY EVERY SINGLE MONTH AND ALL YEAR ROUND.
SO I WANT TO THANK THE ADMINISTRATION, JULIANNE AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE AMAZING WORK THAT YOU ALL DO AND YOU KNOW,
WE JUST REALLY WANT TO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION TODAY AND HEARING THOUGHTS HOW WE CAN STRENGTHEN IT AND GET US TO A PLACE WHERE WE WANT TO BE A CITY THAT IS FOR EVERYONE AND THAT INCLUDES OUR LGBTQ I 20
PLUS COMMUNITY AND I'VE BEEN VERY PROUD TO STAND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THIS COMMUNITY TO FIGHT FOR REAL ACTION AND REAL POLICY ON THE PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT. SO AGAIN THANK YOU TO THE SPONSOR COUNCILOR MCGEE, COUNCILOR BREADON. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION TODAY. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU.
COUNCILOR SANTANA, COUNCILOR BURTON. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE AND THANK YOU. I'M GLAD TO BE HERE. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MEJIA FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND THE
COUNCIL. SANTANA FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE BEEN DOING IN THIS SPACE SINCE YOU'VE BEEN ON THE CITY COUNCIL. I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL THE ADVOCATES.
THAT'S A VERY IMPRESSIVE GROUP OF FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS JOURNEY SO FAR AND ALSO THE THE ADMINISTRATION FOR WORKING ON THIS.
I WILL NOT TAKE ANY MORE TIME TO BUT I'D LIKE TO GET INTO THE WEEDS A LITTLE ON THIS AND GET GET THIS MOVE FORWARD. I DO APPRECIATE
COUNCILOR COLETTE AS A PARTNER FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS THE CHAIR OF GOVERNMENT UPS IF YOU'VE BEEN VERY BUSY. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO REALLY MAKE TIME TO WORK ON
THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS SPACE AS WELL. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I'LL NOT TAKE ANY MORE TIME.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR BURTON. AND WE HAVE BEEN JOINED BY MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND WE'LL GO TO THEM BUT I'LL JUST INTRODUCE THEM MARY AND JULIE SO SARA, CHIEF OF EQUITY
IN THE EQUITY AND INCLUSION CABINET JULIANNE LEE WE ALL KNOW VERY WELL DIRECTOR OF MAYOR'S OFFICE OF LGBTQ LITERACY PLUS ADVANCEMENT. KIMBERLY ROTEN I APOLOGIZE IF I
SAID YOUR NAME WRONG DIRECTOR OF POLICY AT LOYOLA AS WELL AS MAYA GETER, SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR FROM THE EQUITY AND INCLUSION CABINET. THE AGENDA FOR TODAY IS THAT WE WILL START WITH THE
ADMINISTRATION WHO HAVE PREPARED A PRESENTATION AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE ADVOCATES PANEL OR WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS TO THE ADMINISTRATION. I WOULD LOVE FOR THEM TO GET
INTO THE DIFFERENCES THAT THEY HAVE FOR OPPOSED FROM THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE THAT WAS FILED BY MY COLLEAGUES AND THEN
WE'LL GO INTO THE ADVOCATE PANEL AND I'LL LIST THEM ONCE WE GET THERE. I WOULD LIKE TO TABLE SET AND LET FOLKS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE REVIEWING. AND SO JUST VERY, VERY QUICKLY
,THIS IS AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A COMMISSION TO REPRESENT AND ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE LGBTQ TO US PLUS COMMUNITY WITH THE HOPES
OF PROMOTING EQUITY IN CITY GOVERNMENT GOVERNANCE. IT ALSO ESTABLISHES A COMMISSION EXCUSE ME A QUALITY OF LIFE STUDY FOR OUR LGBT CU
IATSE PLUS RESIDENTS. IT SEEKS TO DEFINE CERTAIN TERMS LIKE CITY TRANSGENDER GENDER DIVERSE. IT ESTABLISHES ITS OVERSIGHT COMMISSION WITH VARIOUS STIPULATIONS INCLUDING THE FUNCTIONS DUTIES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES TERMS ELIGIBILITY COMPENSATION. AND THEN IT ALSO PROVIDES THE AUTHORITY FOR THIS COMMISSION TO PRODUCE A COMPREHENSIVE, VOLUNTARY AND CONFIDENTIAL
STUDY ON LGBTQ TO US PLUS RESIDENTS EXPERIENCES. SO WE'LL GET INTO THAT. COUNCILMAN HE I SEE YOUR HAND IS UP. YES. JUST FOR PROCESS SO THAT EVERYONE WHO'S TUNING IN
UNDERSTANDS AND I JUST NEED SOME FLAHERTY AROUND THIS. ARE WE GOING TO BE WORKING OFF OF THE CITY COUNCIL'S? THE THE WORK THAT WE DID WITH COALITION OR YOU GUYS ARE GOING
TO BE PRESENTING WHAT THE MAYOR AND MOHLER HAS PRESENTED. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT. BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT DOCUMENT WE'RE GOING TO BE SPEAKING ON AND WHAT YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE
ADJUSTING JUST SO THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE TUNING IN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DYNAMICS ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU KNOW THERE WAS A COUNTER PROPOSAL AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO SPEND OUR TIME TOGETHER THAT WE ARE SPENDING OUR TIME WITH
THE WORK THAT THE COALITION PRODUCED OR YOU'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THE WHAT THE MAYOR AND MOHLER PRESENTED JUST SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE SHARING YOUR SCREEN WITH OR TALKING THROUGH JUST SO THAT
I'M CLEAR. SORRY I WAS ON MUTE. SO THIS IS A HEARING ON THE PROPOSAL THAT WAS FILED BY YOU ALL AND SO FROM WHAT I WOULD
LIKE TO DO IS HAVE THE ADMINISTRATION AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PRESENTATION LOOKS LIKE. WHAT I ASK FOR THEM TO DO IS TO AT LEAST GIVE US A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF WHAT SOME OF THE
CHANGES ARE FROM THEIR PROPOSAL. I WOULD LOVE FOR THE FOUR COUNCILORS TO ASK THEM THEIR QUESTIONS THAT THEY HAVE ON IT AND THEN WE WILL GO TO THE ADVOCATES PANEL AND IF VARIOUS
COUNCILORS WHO'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK THERE IN THEIR STAFF WANT TO ELABORATE AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT THEIR PROPOSAL, WE CAN DO THAT. WE HAVE CREATED A DOCUMENT THAT
HAS A SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE AND SO I'M NOT SHARING ONE OR THE OTHER. I JUST WANT FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND AND IN FULL TRANSPARENCY SEE WHAT THE COUNCIL HAS FILED AS
WELL AS WHAT THE MAYOR'S MULLER'S TEAM HAS FILED. AND SO THAT SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON IS SOMETHING THAT AFTER THE ADVOCATES PANEL I WOULD LIKE TO GO THROUGH FIND
COMMON INTERESTS AND THEN AND OR ANY AREAS OF NON NEGOTIABLE JUST SO WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD FROM YOU AND OTHER CO-SPONSORS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE PASSED SOONER
RATHER THAN LATER. AND SO THAT'S WHY I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH ALL OF THE VARIOUS DETAILS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN AND I THINK HAVE GOTTEN IN THE LAST 24 HOURS THAT I'M STILL TRYING TO ANALYZE. YES.
SO AND THEN THE LAST THING AND THEN WE CAN GET INTO IT. I JUST WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY THE HEADS UP THAT FOR US IN SPEAKING WITH THE COALITION, I'M JUST HAVING A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO WHO WE ARE
HERE TO FIGHT FOR IS THAT WE ARE WILLING TO YOU KNOW, WHILE WE UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY WHAT FOLKS ARE NOT INTERESTED IN IS WATERING DOWN ANY OF THE WORK THAT THEY PUT INTO IT SO WE
DON'T MIND NOW GOING THROUGH A DIFFERENT PROCESS IF IT TAKES THE TIME THAT IT NEEDS TO GET IT TO WHERE THE PEOPLE WANT IT TO BE, THEN WE ARE WILLING READY AND ABLE TO JOIN YOU ALL
ON THAT JOURNEY. SO I JUST WANT JUST RELIEVE YOU OF THAT TIMELINE BECAUSE IN SPEAKING WITH THE COALITION THIS MORNING THEY ARE MORE INTERESTED IN MAKING SURE THAT
WE GET THIS RIGHT THAN THEY ARE TO DO IT FAST IN A HURRY JUST FOR THE SAKE OF A SYMBOLIC, YOU KNOW, PASSAGE. SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AND WE WANT TO
PROVIDE THAT SPACE FOR THAT WORK TO THAT BACK AND FORTH THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN WHEN WE'RE NEGOTIATING ON WHAT PEOPLE WANT VERSUS WHAT WE WANT VERSUS WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION WANTS. SO WE'RE HERE FOR IT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO RELIEVE YOU ALL OF THAT STRESS BECAUSE THE COALITION IS READY FOR IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COULSON HERE. I APPRECIATE THE FLAHERTY.
WE'LL GO TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THE PRESENTATION THAT THEY HAVE PREPARED WHOEVER I BELIEVE CHIEF, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND I DO RECOGNIZE THAT
YOU'VE SAID THAT YOU HAVE A 3 P.M. STOP. YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. MARIA AND TO THE ADVOCATES WHO REACHED OUT TO ME RIGHT BEFORE
THIS MEETING ALSO TO LET US KNOW THAT THERE IS MORE SPACE AND ROOM TO PROCESS AND THE REST AS A AS A IN A MORE COLLABORATIVE WAY. SO I APPRECIATE THAT I WILL NOT
BE RUSHING TO MY REMARKS BUT I WILL BE PASSING THE MIC TO MY COLLEAGUE. JULIANNE WILL BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO WHERE WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE UP TO AND WHAT WE THINK IS THE
BETTER IS IS A PATHWAY FORWARD THAT CONTINUES TO RESPECT THE IDENTITY OF OUR THE SAFETY AND IDENTITY OF OUR COLLEAGUES INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY.
SO I'LL GET TO THAT IN JUST A SECOND. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE COUNCIL ADVOCATES AND EVERYBODY WHO IS IN THIS CALL WHO GOT US HERE. I HAVE TO DO 10 SECONDS OF WHAT THE EQUITY INCLUSION CABINET
DOES, HOW IT FUNCTIONS CONSISTENTLY AND HOW IT MOLA THE THING THAT WE CALL FOR. JORDAN MOHLER PLAYS A HUGE PART IN THAT IN THAT FUNCTION.
OUR MISSION IS SIMPLE IS TO IMPROVE THE OUTCOMES WITH AND FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE'RE HERE TO SERVE DEPENDING ON WHATEVER THE DEPARTMENT ARE UNDER. THIS WORK IS A THEORY OF CHANGE
THAT FOCUSES ON PREVENTION PROVIDING INTERNAL SERVICES TO OTHER AGENCIES SO THAT OTHER AGENCIES THINK WATER AND SEWER. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION DO
THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY SO THAT MORE RESIDENTS RECEIVE THEIR RESOURCES AND SERVICES IN A WAY THAT THEY HAVEN'T IN THE PAST. SECOND THING THAT WE DO IS WE PROVIDE OUR OWN TARGETED
PROGRAMING FOR THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF OUR DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. LAST BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST IMPACT IT. MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT IS WE SERVE AS A CONVENER TO BUILD
SOME COALITIONS AMONGST THE DIFFERENT ENTITIES THAT WE REPRESENT AND SO SINCE I STARTED MOLA THE MAYOR HEARD OF MORE THAN THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO.
WE NEVER COULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT WE'D BE WHERE WE ARE NOW WITH A STAFF OF WHERE ARE WE NOW FIVE PLUS IN TERMS OF STAFF THAT IS OF THE COMMUNITY
REPRESENTS DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THAT IDENTITY IS THERE. AND LAST SUMMER WE HAD A REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS OFFICE. RIGHT. AN OFFICE THAT IS STILL A BABY
OFFICE BUT NEEDED TO HAVE SUCH A HUGE NEED ESPECIALLY IN A MOMENT WHERE OUR TRANS BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE AT A NON-BINARY BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE BEING
ARE UNDER ATTACK. AND SO WE DID A SURVEY LAST SUMMER THAT LET US KNOW THAT WE NEEDED TO MOVE AWAY FROM SOME OF THE PROGRAMING THAT WE DID
AS A LAUNCH OFFICE AND MORE TOWARDS ACTUAL NEEDS SUCH AS EMERGENCY SERVICES, HOUSING NEEDS AND LEGAL SUPPORT. FAST FORWARD IN JANUARY WE
LAUNCHED SOMETHING CALLED THE PARTNER NETWORK WHICH YOU'LL HEAR A LOT MORE FROM JULIAN ABOUT THIS BUT IT'S A IT'S A GROUP OF 100 PLUS ORGANIZATIONS ,MANY OF WHICH ARE PART
OF YOUR COALITION COVERS OUR MEDIA AND I ALSO KNOW WORK WITH COUNSELOR SANTANA TO HELP US GET THAT RIGHT. LIKE WE DON'T WANT TO DO WHAT WE ASSUME IS BEST FOR COMMUNITY. WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE
DOING THAT IS WORKING, THAT'S NOT WORKING AND US REALLY USE OUR PLATFORM AS A AS A MUNICIPALITY TO TO SUPPORT THE WORK. FROM THIS LEARNING WE VERY
QUICKLY DECIDED TO REALLOCATE SOME FUNDING FROM OTHER SOURCES TO ENSURE THAT WE COULD PROVIDE AND GRANT LEGAL SERVICES SUPPORTS. NOW SO WE'RE JUST A COUPLE
OF WEEKS AGO WE GRANTED $125,000 TO CLOUD AND OTHER PARTNERS TO ENSURE THAT THEY COULD PROVIDE THE LEGAL SERVICES NEEDED IN THIS MOMENT THAT SO NEEDS IT BECAUSE THERE
ARE NOT OTHER SPACES IN THE CITY THAT ARE DOING THAT. AND SO AGAIN THAT TARGETED PROGRAMING THAT'S SO ESSENTIAL WE ARE PROVIDING. AND SO ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO PAINT THE PICTURE HERE IN
OUR CABINET WE HAVE NINE DEPARTMENTS SEVEN BOARDS COMMISSIONS TASK FORCE ETC. AND MOLA HAS ACTUALLY TAKEN A VERY DIFFERENT APPROACH THAT WE HAVE
LEARNED WORKS. IT'S AN APPROACH THAT IS LESS BUREAUCRATIC AND HAS LESS RED TAPE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T START
AS EARLY BUT FORCED TO BE AN OPEN MEETING LAW AND PEOPLE FEEL SAFER TO BE A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE IT'S NOT FOLLOWING A SPECIFIC COMMISSION BOARD TASK FORCE SPEAKS AND SO
WE THE REASON WE'RE BRINGING A DIFFERENT LAUNCH BECAUSE WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO ALSO BE AWARE THAT THE CONVERSATION AND THE STRATEGY CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT ANY SORT OF LIKE FORMALIZED
BODY. AND SO YOU'LL HEAR FROM JULIANNE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT IS AND MY HOPE TODAY IS THAT WE CAN GET TO SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES TO DO THE WORK IN A WAY THAT EVERYONE
FEELS INVITED TO THE TABLE. SO WITH THAT A METHODOLOGY, JULIANNE WOULD TAKE US INTO THE DETAILS OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE . AWESOME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF.
I'M GOING TO HAVE MY TEAM SHARE THE SLIDE DECK SO YOU SHOULD SEE THAT POPPING UP SHORTLY. BUT GOOD AFTERNOON COUNSELORS.
RESIDENTS JOINING FROM HOME. I'M JULIANNE ARE YOU SHE THEY PRONOUNS. I'M HONORED TO SERVE ALONGSIDE AN INCREDIBLE TEAM AT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF LGBTQ U2I
PLUS ADVANCEMENT OR MOLA. WE UNDERSTAND HOW VITAL AND IMPACTFUL IT IS TO USE ANY AND EVERY PLATFORM TO UPLIFT OUR LGBTQ TO US PLUS COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCILORS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY. OUR MISSION AT MOLA IS TO UPLIFT AND SUPPORT OUR LGBTQ I
TO US CLASS BOSTONIANS BY REMOVING SYSTEMIC BARRIERS, IMPROVING ACCESS TO CITY SERVICES AND DEEPLY ROOTED IN COMMUNITY DRIVEN BY ACTION, WE
ADVANCE INCLUSIVE POLICIES, PARTNERSHIPS, RESOURCES TO ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND SO OUR COMMUNITY CAN AND THEIR
FAMILIES CAN THRIVE AS OUR SLIDE I GOT IN OH MAN, NOT YET. OKAY. I THINK KIMBERLY IS PROBABLY TRYING TO GET BACK IN. I THINK THAT THEY WERE KICKED
OFF BUT I'M ALSO HAPPY TO TRY AND NAVIGATE THIS. HOLD ON ONCE WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT? I JUST WANT TO CALL OUT THAT WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY CITY COUNCILOR AND CO-CHAIR BEN WEBER.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. DO YOU SEE THE ICON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN? IT SHOULD BE THE GREEN CHAIR BY THAT IS HAVE YOU LET KIMBERLY BACK IN? SORRY EVERYONE I CAN ALSO SHARE
FOR NOW JULIANNE I HAVE. OH, THANK YOU. AND KIMBERLY IS IN THE WAITING ROOM. ALL RIGHT. SHE'S BEEN ELEVATED. GREAT. THEN I'M AWESOME.
SHOW UP AND KIMBERLY IS ABLE TO SHARE IT NOW AND SO OUR TEAM OF FIVE WORKS COLLABORATIVELY TO MEET THE GROWING COMMUNITY NEEDS AND ENSURE OUR LGBTQ TO US PLUS INCLUSION ACROSS CITY
DEPARTMENTS AND SERVICES. YOU CAN SEE RIGHT HERE IN THE CIRCLES IS OUR OUR FULL TIME AND OUR RECTANGLES IS OUR INCREDIBLE INTERNS AND FELLOWS.
WE DO ALSO HAVE ANOTHER FELLOW AND WE ARE RESPECTING THEIR WISHES DUE TO SAFETY REASONS TO NOT BE INCLUDED ON THE SLIDE. BUT WE DO HAVE ONE MORE TEAM MEMBER AT THE HEART OF MOORE'S
MISSION IS THIS BELIEF WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER AND IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY NEEDS THROUGH THE PARTNER NETWORK AND LAST YEAR'S REIMAGINED COMMUNITY SURVEY WE RECEIVED
OVER 300 RESPONSES THAT WE LAUNCHED BACK IN JANUARY WHICH NOW THE PARTNER NETWORK HAS BECOME ONE OF THE STRONGEST COMMUNITY DRIVEN MUNICIPALITY LGBTQ PLUS AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS
IN THE COUNTRY. IT'S THE MOLA PARTNER NETWORK AND THIS IS A COALITION OF OVER 100 LGBTQ TO US PLUS AFFIRMING ORGANIZATIONS, AGENCIES,
INSTITUTION PEOPLE MANY OF WHOM ARE AT HOME TODAY JOINING IN THIS BODY IS NOT THEORETICAL IT'S ALREADY SHAPING OUR
OFFICERS PRIORITIES AND WORK AND INFORMS OUR FUNDING PRIORITIES AND DECISIONS FROM THE $125,000 LEGAL AID SERVICE
GRANT THAT CHIEF MENTIONED TO OUR BEYOND PRIDE COMMUNITY GRANT FUND THAT HAS SERVED OVER 80,000 INDIVIDUALS INCLUDING THOSE FACING HOUSING
INSECURITY, UNEMPLOYMENT AND ISOLATION. IT DIRECTLY DRIVES NEW COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS LIKE BREWING CONNECTIONS BRINGING
TOGETHER LGBTQ PLUS ELDERS TRANS AND NON-BINARY YOUTH AND CONVERSATION AND COMMUNITY. THIS IS DIRECTLY COMING OUT OF THIS INCREDIBLE PARTNER
NETWORK. IT IS BUILDING A COLLECTIVE POWER AT A TIME WHERE OUR COMMUNITY FACES GROWING HOSTILITY NATIONALLY THE GOAL IS SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL TO COORDINATE, COLLABORATE
COLLECTIVELY BUILD A BETTER BOSTON FOR OUR LGBTQ TO US CLASS COMMUNITIES ALL OF US IN A CITY AS DIVERSE AS OURS NO ONE ORGANIZATION CAN MEET EVERY NEED.
WE KNOW THIS THE PARTNER NETWORK CREATES AN INTENTIONAL SPACE FOR OUR LOCAL LEADERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, ORGANIZATIONS TO CONNECT LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND BUILD
TOGETHER. IT'S A LIVING INFRASTRUCTURE OF CARE CENTERED IN COMMUNITY WISDOM, SHARED RESOURCES AND WE'RE PROUD TO SAY JOY WE
BELIEVE THE PARTNER ADVISORY COUNCIL AS THE CODIFIED FORM OF OUR CURRENT SUCCESSFUL PARTNER NETWORK FULFILLS NEARLY ALL THE CORE GOALS ENVISIONED
IN THE PROPOSED COMMISSION ORDINANCE WHILE AVOIDING LEGAL OR OPERATIONAL CONFLICTS OF THE CITY'S CHARTER DEPARTMENT AUTHORITY OR CITY BUDGET
CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS, THE NETWORK BUILDS COLLECTIVE POWER COORDINATION AMONG PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO KNOW OUR COMMUNITIES BEST THROUGH OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS, NEW
COLLABORATIONS ARE BORN NOT IN SILOS BUT IN SHARED ROOMS SHARED VALUES. THESE CONVENINGS HAVE EXPANDED WHAT'S POSSIBLE MORE CULTURALLY
GROUNDED PROGRAMS BROADER COMMUNITY REACH AND STRONGER CITYWIDE IMPACT. ONE POWERFUL EXAMPLE THERE'S MANY BUT I'VE CHOSEN ONE TO
SHARE WITH YOU ALL THE HISTORY PROJECT AND ETHOS MET THROUGH THE NETWORK THROUGH THE ACTUAL COALITION MEETING AND THEY CREATED BRUIN CONNECTIONS AN
INTERGENERATIONAL STORYTELLING SPACE FOR LGBTQ I OWE TO US PLUS ELDERS AND YOUTH FROM ALL ACROSS BOSTON CENTERING AROUND TRANS AND NON-BINARY COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE ALSO WORKED DIRECTLY WITH OUR PARTNER NETWORK AND SO MANY OF YOU IN COLLABORATION I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE OFFICIALLY TODAY I'M NOT SURE IF COUNCILOR PEPEN IS ON THIS
CALL BUT THANKS TO JOIN SUPPORT FROM NOLA STREETS ALL OF YOUR INDIVIDUAL ADVOCACY AND OUR PARTNER NETWORK ORG THE PRIDE STS HAS INSTALLED A HISTORIC
RAINBOW CROSSWALK I THINK OVERNIGHT AND I THINK IT HAPPENED AT LIKE TWO IN THE MORNING TO AVOID TRAFFIC AT HISTORIC RAINBOW CROSSWALK AT THIS HYDE PARK INTERSECTION.
THIS IS THE KIND OF COLLABORATION THAT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN WE'RE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER. THIS PARTNERSHIP ALLOWED OUR LGBTQ TRANS GENDER EXPANSIVE ELDERS TO SHARE THEIR LIVED
EXPERIENCES WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS AND NOW ARE ABLE TO WALK THE WALK ACROSS THEIR NEW CROSSWALK MALL LAUNCHED A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY SURVEY
WITH RESIDENTS AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. THE GOAL WAS TO GATHER FEEDBACK ON FUNDING PRIORITIES PROGRAMING NEEDS ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY RESULTS
CLEARLY IDENTIFIED THE TOP PRIORITIES HOUSING, EMERGENCY SERVICES AND LEGAL AID PARTICULARLY SUPPORT FOR A NAME AND GENDER MARKER CHANGES IN
DIRECT RESPONSE TO THAT WE PRIORITIZED THESE AREAS IN OUR BEYOND PRIDE GRANT FUNDS WITH 40% OVER 40% OF THE FUNDS GOING TO HOUSING EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
AND LEGAL AID AND INTRODUCED THE FIRST OF ITS KIND GROUNDBREAKING HISTORICAL LEGAL SUPPORT GRANT FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES BECAUSE OF OUR
PARTNER NETWORK AND HEARING FROM OUR RESIDENTS, THIS WILL AID RESIDENTS IN NAVIGATING LEGAL SYSTEMS, PROVIDE SERVICES SURROUNDED AND WERE CENTERED AROUND TRANS AND NON GENDER
EXPANSIVE RESIDENTS SPECIFICALLY WE'RE CALLING THE NEED FOR LEGAL NAME AND GENDER CHANGE MARKERS RELATIONSHIP PROTECTIONS, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
SUPPORT AND EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS MAKING PROCESSES MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THOSE WHO NEED IT THE MOST BASED ON PROGRAMING FEEDBACK THAT WE HEARD FROM THE PARTNER NETWORK WE DESIGNED
COMMUNITY PROGRAMING THAT DIRECTLY OFFERS WHAT THEY SAID THEY NEED KNOW YOUR RIGHTS EDUCATION SESSIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAD MTC AND
ADDITIONALLY OUR TEAM MET WITH OUR INTERSEX ASEXUAL SPECTRUM TO SPIRIT ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS BOSTON TO ASK HOW THEY WANTED TO BE REFLECTED IN OUR NAME
FUNDING PRIORITIES PROGRAMING AS A RESULT WE DRAFTED ALONG WITH YOUR HELP THE INITIAL ORDINANCE CODIFYING OUR OFFICE AND FORMALLY UPDATED OUR NAME TO REFLECT THE FULL SCOPE
OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE WHO HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN LEFT OUT IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO FEEDBACK AT REQUEST OF OUR PARTNER NETWORK AMID A
SIGNIFICANT RISE IN REPORTED DISCRIMINATIONS HATE CRIMES INCIDENTS TARGETING OUR COMMUNITY NATIONWIDE, WE ALSO LAUNCHED TWO NEW RESOURCES FOR
RESIDENT AND ONLINE LGBT PLUS RESOURCE DIRECTORY AND A DISCRIMINATION HANDBOOK. THE RESOURCE DIRECTORY WILL BETTER CONNECT RESIDENTS TO HOUSING, LEGAL SERVICES, MENTAL
HEALTH CARE, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND RESIDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO SEARCH. THIS IS IN DIRECT RELATION TO THE NEED WE HEARD THROUGH OUR PARTNER NETWORK.
ALSO WE COLLABORATED WITH MASSACHUSETTS COALITION AGAINST DISCRIMINATION MCAD AND NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY TO CREATE A NEW DISCRIMINATION HANDBOOK. WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM
THE RESIDENTS COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR PARTNER NETWORK THAT THEY NEEDED A GUIDE AND THEY GOT A GUIDE TO HELP DETERMINE WHICH AGENCY TO CONTACT UNDERSTAND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND FILE
COMPLAINTS MAKING BOSTON A MORE INCLUSIVE CITY FOR RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES. OUR COUNCIL BRINGS OVER 100 LGBTQ TO SC PLUS AFFIRMING
ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS RESIDENTS PEOPLE WHO HAVE A CONSISTENT STRUCTURE FOR COMMUNITY DRIVEN FEEDBACK AND PRIORITY SETTING INFORMS THE DIRECTION OF OUR GRANTS,
SERVICES AND PUBLIC RESOURCES AND HELPS THE CITY REMAIN ACCOUNTABLE AND TRANSPARENT AND SERVING OUR LGBTQ TO AS PLUS RESIDENTS.
IT DOES ALL OF THIS WITH OPEN FLEXIBLE MODEL THAT IS ALREADY HAVING IMPACT WITHOUT DUPLICATING GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS OR ADDING UNNECESSARY BUREAUCRACY. WE UNDERSTAND THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE LOOKING FOR MORE
WAYS TO ENGAGE AND HAVE EVEN MORE IMPACT. WE ARE HERE AND LEGALLY AUTHORIZED TO MEET THAT NEED IF THE GOAL IS TO OPEN UP MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LGBTQ TO US
PLUS ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK NOT ONLY TO MOLLA BUT TO OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY AND WELCOME
TO FACILITATE THAT PROCESS. IN CLOSING PARTNER NETWORK BUILDS COLLECTIVE POWER COORDINATION BETWEEN ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES AND ORGS THAT KNOW
US BEST AND IS A VITAL SPACE FOR COLLABORATION. WE DEEPLY VALUE ALL FOLKS LISTENING TODAY ALL OF OUR
COUNSELORS PARTNERSHIP AND WELCOME CAN TAKE ANY DIALOG ON HOW TO STRENGTHEN THIS COLLABORATIVE MODEL WHILE KEEPING IT AS EFFECTIVE RESPONSIVE A COMMUNITY CENTER AS POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION . JUST A QUICK CLARIFYING QUESTION. YOU HAD TALKED ABOUT THE THE GREAT WORK OF THE PARTNER ADVISORY COUNCIL YOU HAD
MENTIONED A LOT AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I GOT ALL OF IT. YOU FEEL AS THOUGH THE PARTNER ADVISORY COUNCIL FULFILLS ALL THE GOALS OF THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE WHILE AVOIDING LEGAL
AND OPERATIONAL CONFLICTS WITHIN THE CHARTER CITY CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS AND WHAT WERE THE OTHER TO THE OTHER TWO POINTS THERE? JUST BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THIS
IS THE CRUX OF THE DIFFERENCES IN WHAT YOU ALL HAVE PRODUCED YESTERDAY I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT BEFORE WE BEFORE WE DIVE INTO COUNCIL QUESTIONS AND I WILL GO DIRECTLY TO
COUNCILOR MEJIA I THINK ABSOLUTELY SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BEING ABLE TO INFORM GROUND SERVICES, PUBLIC RESOURCES, MAINTAIN ACCOUNTABLE
BEING TRANSPARENT WITH AN OPEN FLEXIBLE MODEL WITHOUT DUPLICATING GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS OR ADDING UNNECESSARY BUREAUCRACY AND I'M HAPPY TO
KIND OF GO MORE IN DEPTH OF THE KIND OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THAT SORT OF NEXT BUT HAPPY TO
KIND OF DO THAT SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON. WE'VE ALSO SORT OF DONE THAT TO HELP ALL OF US. WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING AND I THINK WE'RE ALL ALIGNED AT THE CORE AND SO HAPPY TO KIND
OF GO THROUGH GO THROUGH THAT. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE WORK. YOU ALL ARE VERY BUSY SO WE APPRECIATE IT AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.
THE CITY BOSTON COUNCILOR MEJIA ANY QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS OR CARE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU FOR THAT THOROUGH PRESENTATION. AN OVERVIEW OF ALL OF THE
AMAZING WORK THAT MOLLA DOES. I'M JUST CURIOUS JUST BECAUSE YOU HIGHLIGHTED SOME ISSUES AROUND LEGAL IN THE CHARTER AND HAVING ESTABLISHED SO MANY COMMISSIONS MOST OF THE WORK
THAT I'VE DONE ON THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL HAVE BEEN AROUND COMMISSIONS AND BOARDS AND TASK FORCE AND YOU KNOW ALL THESE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT REALLY GIVE THE PEOPLE A VOICE AND AN OPPORTUNITY HOLD US
ACCOUNTABLE. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU ALL CAN JUST POINT ME SOME TO SOME VERY SPECIFIC CHARTER LEGAL NUANCES THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS NOT LEGALLY SOUND BECAUSE I, I WILL. SO THAT WAS A NOT TRIGGERING BUT THAT WAS A WORD I WAS LIKE WAIT A MINUTE. I WOULD ESTABLISH MANY
COMMISSIONS AND TASK FORCE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON, SOME THAT HAVE BEEN PAID AND SOME THAT HAVE NOT. SO I UNDERSTAND THE LEGALITIES BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS HAS THERE BEEN A NEW LAW THAT HAS BEEN PUT IN PLACE THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IN REGARDS TO SOME OF THE HURDLES THAT YOU FORESEE IN THE WHAT WE HAVE PRESENTED?
OH, JULIANA TOOK A NO. OKAY. SO THIS IS MORE A SO NO NOT A NEW LAW, NOTHING NEW IN THE CHARTER AND I'LL LET THE THE LEGAL EXPERTS POINT TO ANY ITEMS THAT MAY COME OUT OF THIS
CONVERSATION. BUT I THINK AFTER THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF SEVEN DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS, BOARDS AND TASKFORCES I THINK MORE WANTED
TO TRY SOMETHING BECAUSE THEY HAVE SEEN THAT BY LIKE FORMALIZING BODIES THROUGH COMMISSIONS, BOARDS, ETC. THERE ARE SO ADDITIONAL STEPS TO TAKE
THAT DOES TAKE TIME AWAY FROM THE WORK THAT SUCH A SMALL STAFF HAS TO DO ON A DAILY BASIS. SO IT'S LESS ABOUT WE DON'T WANT TO DO A COMMISSION AND
MORE ABOUT ALL THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING WITH SUCH A SMALL STAFF. BUT ADDING A COMMISSION WOULD JUST SIMPLY MEAN MORE STEPS A LOT MORE STEPS TO GET TO US IN
A SIMILAR GOOGLE. SO WE'RE JUST TRYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT MODELING AFTER WHAT THE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT ADVANCEMENT OFFICE ALREADY DOES. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT FLAHERTY CHIEF. I THINK IN THE SPIRIT OF JUST BEING REALLY TRANSPARENT
ESPECIALLY BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE TUNING IN, I THINK THAT WHEN PEOPLE HEAR WORDS LIKE LEGAL TOOL AND YOU KNOW THE CHARTER AND IT REALLY CREATES A SENTIMENT THAT WHAT
WE'VE PRESENTED IS NOT LEGALLY YOU KNOW, PERMISSIBLE IN THE WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. SO I JUST WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR OF THAT FEEDBACK AND I
ALSO WANT TO BE EXPLICIT THAT THE REASON WHY WE ARE HAVING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK AND FORTH IS BECAUSE THE COALITION WAS REALLY ADAMANT ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT WATERING
DOWN WHAT REAL COMMUNITY OVERSIGHT AND ENGAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY LOOKS LIKE. AND SO WHILE I DO APPRECIATE THAT THERE IS ALREADY A PARTNER NETWORK AND YOU ALREADY HAVE A
FRAMEWORK THAT I THINK IT TAKES AWAY FROM THE ABILITY OF A PROCESS IN WHICH MAINTAINS THE INTEGRITY OF THE SELECTION
PROCESS YOU KNOW WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS WHERE OUR OUR I AND WHEN I READY TO GO BACK AND FORTH YET BUT SINCE THIS IS A POINT THAT IS A STICKING POINT FOR A COALITION IS THAT YOU
KNOW THE WAY YOUR PRESENTATION OR AT LEAST FROM WHAT WE'VE GATHERED IS THAT THE GOAL IS THAT MOLA IS THE ONE THAT SELECTS FOLKS NORMALLY UNDER
THESE CIRCUMSTANCES AS AND ESPECIALLY TO MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS THAT THE NOMINATIONS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO SIT ON THESE EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT THINK IT'S BUREAUCRACY WHAT IT DOES IS IT MAINTAINS THE INTEGRITY
OF THE COMMUNITY PROCESS AND I THINK THAT RIGHT NOW GIVEN WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE, COMMUNITY WANTS TO BE MORE ENGAGED AND THEY WANT AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO FEEL
HEARD AND THE BEST WAY THAT WE DO THAT IN MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY OF THESE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS IS BY ALLOWING US TO HAVE THE FORMAL PROCESS WHICH THEY PEOPLE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEN THE COUNCIL GOES THROUGH THEIR PROCESS AND THEN THOSE NAMES THEN GET SENT OVER TO THE MAYOR FOR REVIEW AND SELECTION AND APPOINTMENTS LIKE WE DON'T
WANT TO GET RID OF A STANDARD THAT GIVES THE BODY PARTICULARLY THE CITY COUNCIL A VOICE AND A AUTHORIZATION AND MORE IMPORTANTLY COMMUNITY A
REAL SHOT AT SO PEOPLE DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE HAND-PICKING WHO WE WANT TO BE THERE. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE A STICKING POINT FOR US AND FOR THE COALITION MEMBERS THAT WE'VE SPOKEN TO. WE REALLY TO MAINTAIN THE
INTEGRITY OF WHAT THIS WORK IS INTENDED TO DO. SO I JUST WANT TO NAME THAT AS SOMETHING THAT WAS A RED FLAG RIGHT OFF THE BAT, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE LANGUAGE IT BEING LEGAL AND YOU KNOW, THE CHARTER
AND ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF BECAUSE WE WE DID THIS BASED ON OTHER MODELS AND SO THERE'S ALREADY PRECEDENTS FOR THIS PARTICULAR FUNCTION AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE.
THANK YOU FOR SOMETHING, JULIANNE, DO YOU WANT TO RESPOND? YEAH, ALL GREAT POINTS, COUNCILOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST WANTED TO ADD JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION THAT OUR PARTNER NETWORK APPLICATION
PROCESS IS COMPLETELY OPEN. THE ONLY REQUIREMENT IS THAT YOU ARE SERVING LGBTQ TWO PLUS PEOPLE SO FULLY AGREE THAT
WANTING TO BE FULLY INCLUSIVE AND OPEN AND THE SORT OF WAY THAT I'M WALKING THROUGH THIS AND LOOKING AT ALL THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT ARE
AHEAD OF US WE'VE ACTUALLY HEARD PRETTY STRONGLY THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY OR IT IS AGAIN I THINK THAT MANY OF BOTH OF OUR ORGS ARE ALL CONNECTED TOGETHER THAT IT'S ALL ABOUT INCLUSION
AND NOT EXCLUSION AND NOT WANTING A BOARD OF OR SEVEN PEOPLE DICTATING THE LGBTQ EYE TO US. PLUS YOU'VE SEEN HER AS
IMMIGRANTS. SO I THINK THAT I JUST WANTED TO ADD VETERANS I JUST WANTED TO POINT I FULLY AGREE WE ALSO WANT A MORE INCLUSIVE AND OPEN PROCESS WE ARE NOT SELECTING AND ANY WAY I JUST WANT TO ADD
A POINT OF CLARIFICATION BUT ALL GREAT AMAZING POINTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO I'LL JUST SAY TO THAT IS THAT AND THIS IS PROBABLY WHERE MY LITTLE CHIP ON MY SHOULDER COMES FROM AND MAYBE IT'S MY
TRAUMA WORKING IN THIS SPACE. BUT FOR ME I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT LIKE NOT EVERYBODY IS PART OF AN ORGANIZATION NOT EVERYBODY'S PART OF A AFFILIATION OR AN INSTITUTION
AND I THINK THAT HAVING THIS KIND OF LIKE I'M GOING TO SAY GAY BUT LIKE HAVING THIS SORT OF REQUISITE THAT YOU HAVE TO BE PART OF AN ORGANIZATION ALREADY ALIENATES A LOT
OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T FEEL SEEN OR AFFIRMED OR PART OF SOMETHING. AND SO I DON'T I DON'T THINK THAT FOR ME I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE IT JUST BEING PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE
NOT EVERYBODY'S PART OF THE CLINIC. RIGHT. AND SO I JUST WANT TO NAME THAT MANY OF THE RESIDENTS WE EVEN HAVE PEOPLE WHO WORK ON THE COALITION THAT WORK PART OF MANY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
ARE PART OF ANY GROUPS THESE ARE JUST EVERYDAY REGULAR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE REALITIES AND WANTED TO PLUG INTO THIS. SO LIKE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF WHAT A COMMUNITY PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.
THAT DOES NOT ALIENATE OR PREVENT PEOPLE FROM PARTICIPATING. AND SO I JUST WANT TO I JUST WANT TO NAME THAT THAT THAT WILL DEFINITELY BE A STICKING
POINT FOR US IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE BEING INCLUSIVE. AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE OF AND WE HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH THE ENTIRE PIECE HERE BUT THE THE
THE THE LANGUAGE AROUND RACE YOU KNOW, LIKE WE WE WE ACTUALLY SPECIFIED AS CERTAIN YOU KNOW, DEMOGRAPHICS AND THAT
WAS ALSO STRIPPED OUT OF YOUR VERSION. AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IT WOULD JUST HELP US BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY TAKE OUT RACE AND OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC YOU KNOW INDICATORS
THAT HELP SUPPORT US AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE BEING INCLUSIVE OF WE CAN PEOPLE
HERE. YES CAN WE CAN HEAR YOU GO AHEAD. OKAY. SO I WOULD SAY WE ARE DEDICATED TO BE INCLUSIVE AS POSSIBLE.
WE ARE MODELING THIS COMPLETELY AFTER OH YEAH, AS A MODEL WE'RE WANTING TO BE INCLUSIVE OPEN. WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE CITY CHARTER.
WE WANT TO BE RESPONSIVE AND FLEXIBLE AND WE WANT TO FULLY UPLIFT OUR LGBTQ AID TO US PLUS
WE INITIALLY REQUIRED THAT FOLKS HAVE SOME SORT OF AN AFFILIATION FOR SAFETY REASONS BUT I THINK WE WERE VERY MUCH OPEN TO CO-CREATING MAKING THIS
FULLY OPEN TO ALL RESIDENTS ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED OR ERASED CULTURE. SO IS THERE WOULD THERE BE ANY ISSUES IN INCLUDING LANGUAGE
AND BEING EXPLICIT AROUND RACE, ETHNICITY, YOU KNOW, DISABILITY, SOCIOECONOMIC GENDER AND OTHER FORMS OF DIVERSITY IN YOU KNOW JUST
I'M JUST CURIOUS YOU KNOW, THAT'S SUCH A PART OF THE INTERSECTIONALITY. SO IS THERE A REASON WHY THAT WAS REMOVED? IT'S I WOULD SAY I KNOW
JULIANNE, I WANT TO JUST LIKE I'M NOT A COUNSELOR. I DON'T REALLY WANT TO GET INTO THAT. I FEEL LIKE IF WE WANT TO IF YOU WANT TO BE LIKE LINE BY LINE, LET'S DO THAT. BUT LIKE ALL OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE EXPECTED TO WORK WITH EVERYONE AND OUR MISSION IS TO
WORK WITH HISTORICALLY AND PERSONALLY IN THE COMMUNITY SUCH AS THE BLACK COMMUNITY. SO ANY WELL SO THE THING IS IS THAT MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INTEGRITY OF WHAT THE
COALITION PUT FORTH IS STILL HERE. SO IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PUT IT THERE, THERE NEEDS TO BE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHY IN YOUR PRESENTATION IN TERMS OF LIKE THAT'S JUST ACROSS THE BOARD STANDARD FOR THE EQUITY CABINET
THAT SUFFICES BUT PEOPLE JUST NEED TO HEAR THAT I CAN JUST GO BACK TO THE PEOPLE THAT I SERVE AND JUST SAY I DON'T KNOW SO THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THAT. I APPRECIATE IT. AND SO THAT YOU KNOW, EVEN IN
THE COMPOSITION YOU KNOW AND I'M GOING TO JUST GO BACK TO TO THIS YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT MEMBERS NEED TO BE RESTRICTED TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT WANT TO JUST CONTINUE TO
AMPLIFY THAT IS IMPORTANT. AND THEN I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE VERSION OF THAT YOU ALL HAVE AROUND THE NOMINATION PROCESS.
I THINK THE WAY WE WERE ENVISIONING IT, IT PROVIDED SOME MORE STRUCTURE IN TERMS OF JUST KIND OF LIKE THE OVERSIGHT OF THE NOMINATIONS
AND IT'S BUILT A LITTLE BIT MORE OPEN. AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S A REASON WHY WE DON'T EVEN HAVE YOUTH VOICES INCLUDED
IN IN IN THE COALITION. THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT I KNOW WE WANTED TO EXPLICITLY STATE AND AGAIN I'M GOING BACK TO THE FACT THAT YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS IS WHAT YOU BELIEVE TO
BE EVERYBODY JUST HAS THE MEMO AND EVERYBODY AGREES THAT THAT'S WHAT IT IS. BUT FOR OUR SAKES AND INTENTS AND PURPOSES WE WANT THINGS IN WRITING BECAUSE THAT IS THE LAW AND THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO.
AND SO WHEN WE DON'T EXPLICITLY NAME IT, WE FIND OURSELVES IN SITUATIONS AND THEN WE HAVE TO FIGHT OTHER PEOPLE. WE WANT TO INCLUDE ELDERS AND WE WANT TO INCLUDE YOUNG PEOPLE
BECAUSE THAT'S JUST WHAT WE DO. AND I KNOW THAT YOU YOU HAVE DONE THAT AND CONTINUE TO UPLIFT BUT WE WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY
OF THE WORK THAT THE COALITION DID FOR TWO MONTHS AND YOU KNOW ,THESE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR STICKING POINTS FOR US AND YOU KNOW, YEAH, WE'RE NOT WE'RE
GOING TO GO LINE BY LINE LATER BUT THOSE ARE JUST MY IMMEDIATE AND THEN I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY YOU ALL REMOVED THE CASE STUDY. YOU KNOW, THE STUDY REALLY HELPS LIKE I'M MODELING THIS AFTER THE BLACK MEN AND BOYS
COMMISSION THAT WE ESTABLISHED AND, YOU KNOW, THAT STARTED OFF WITH A COMMISSION. NOW IT'S A WHOLE DEPARTMENT WITH A BUDGET OF $1.8 MILLION LIKE THERE HAS BEEN LOTS OF INVESTMENTS AND THERE'S BEEN
STUDIES AND THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO WORK. SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY WAS THE STUDY ALSO REMOVED FROM YOUR YOUR VERSION? IT DOESN'T GIVE US A CLEAR DELIVERABLE AND THINGS THAT WE
CAN MEASURE AND HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO. SO THAT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND THE REASON WHY I'M TRYING TO GET THIS ALL IN IS BECAUSE I KNOW THE CHIEF HAS A HARD STOP AT THREE AND SO MANY OF THESE DECISIONS GET
MADE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CHIEF AND SO I JUST WANT TO HELP ME HELP MY PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE AT ABOUT HAPPENING. JUST REALLY QUICK, JULIANNE,
BEFORE YOU JUMP IN. SO COUNCILMAN, I DO WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THE OTHER CO-SPONSORS TOO. SO JULIANNE, PLEASE ANSWER AND THEN I'M GOING TO GO TO COUNSELOR SANTANA AND THEN
BURTON IF. WE NEED A SECOND ROUND. WE'LL BE SURE TO DO THAT TOO. BUT I JUST I WANTED TO CALL IT OUT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH, I'LL TRY TO BE SHORT AND CLICK HERE. ABSOLUTELY OPEN TO CO-CREATING AND I'M SO EXCITED FOR IT.
ABSOLUTELY. I WOULD LOVE TO GET AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN DURING THE CHIEF'S TIME SO JUST WANTING TO GO BACK TO THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE
PREFERRING BECAUSE WE'RE HEARING FROM COMMUNITY THAT WE DO NOT WANT A NOMINATION PROCESS. WE JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO JOIN. THAT'S WHAT WE HEARD FROM COMMUNITY IF THEY ARE FORCED TO
GO THROUGH A SPECIFIC PROCESS FOR SAFETY REASONS AND MANY OTHER THINGS, I DON'T THINK THAT IT WOULD BE AS OPEN AND INCLUSIVE AND THEN I JUST
WANTED TO ANSWER WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE YOUTH THAT ARE ACTIVE AND ENGAGED AND PART OF THE PARTNER NETWORK BOTH YOUTH SERVING AND YOUTH WE HAVE BOTH LGBTQ PLUS SPECIFICALLY TRANS NON-BINARY
SENIORS PART OF THE PARTNER NETWORK AS WELL AS SERVING. AND SO YEAH, I'M ALL FOR STUDIES THAT MAKES MY HEART HAPPY. THERE'S A LACK OF DATA
THROUGHOUT THE NATION INCLUDING MASSACHUSETTS AND SO WE DEFINITELY WOULD WELCOME THAT AND WELCOME TO CONTINUE TO CO-CREATE BUT 100% JUST WANTED
TO DO A CHERRY ON TOP THAT WE WOULD LOVE A STUDY WE WANT TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE WHEN IT COMES TO RED TAPE OR SAFETY REASONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO JOIN AND FOR THEIR
VOICES TO BE HEARD AND I WOULD BE CAUTIOUS TO SAY ANY TYPE OF BUREAUCRACY OR A NOMINATION PROCESS WOULD LIKELY ALIENATE THE MOST MARGINALIZED AND MOST
UNDERSERVED AND UNDERAGED POPULATION. BUT I THINK WE'RE ALL WANTING THE SAME THINGS AND HAPPY TO CO-CREATE. BUT I'LL GIVE IT BACK TO YOU COUNSELOR SABRINA AND COUNSELOR
CARTER SUPPORTER I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT CHASTITY ALSO HAS A HEART STOP AT THREE AND AND SHE'S FOR SOME REASON SHE'S NOT EVEN PROMOTED TO A PANELIST. SO CAN WE JUST LET HER IN
FIRST, PLEASE BEFORE WE GO? JUST BECAUSE I. I JUST LEARNED THAT SHE HAS A HEART STOP. OKAY? YEAH. AND I APOLOGIZE. I DID NOT KNOW THAT EITHER.
IF CHASTITY IS AND PLEASE FEEL TO ELEVATE AND THEN I DO I DO WANT TO GET TO OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES IF CHASTITY DOES HAVE A PRESENTATION OR
SOMETHING TO TO SAY I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE CHIEF AND I JUST I APOLOGIZE I
DID NOT KNOW THAT THERE WAS A HARD STOP BUT I'M KNOW THAT YEAH CHASTITY KIND OF LIKE A TWO MINUTE SHE HAS A SEVEN MINUTE SHE HAS THAT SHE'S A PANELIST BUT GO AHEAD. YEAH I KNOW, I KNOW.
WELL JUST ONCE SECOND, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IF COUNSELOR SANTANA OR BRAYDEN AS A LEAD CO-SPONSORS AS WELL IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CHIEF BEFORE SHE GOES IF YOU'D LIKE
TO ASK ANYTHING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M HAPPY TO YIELD MY TIME TO CHASTITY. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND THEN COUNCILOR BURTON, I WILL ALSO USE MY TIME TO CHASTITY.
THANK YOU. OKAY. EXCELLENT. CHASTITY, PLEASE FEEL FREE. THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS CHASTITY BOLICK. I SEE PRONOUNS. THANK YOU COUNSELORS FOR YOU
AND IN YOUR TIME TO ME BRIEFLY I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY COALITION THAT CAME TOGETHER WORKS VERY DILIGENTLY AND HARD ON THIS. WE HAD AN INTENSE GROUP SESSION
WITH A VARIETY OF IDENTITIES AND BACKGROUNDS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE PUTTING IN THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT SIMPLY JUST WORDS IT'S ACTIONS THAT WE AS
THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE THE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TAKE NOTE. AND SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE A LOT MORE WORK TO DO. I DON'T SEE THIS MOVING FORWARD FOR JULY 9TH WHICH IS FINE BECAUSE THAT'S THE DATES WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT OUR LIVELIHOOD AND SO I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THE REST OF THE SUMMER TO CONTINUE HAVING WORKING GROUPS AMONGST US BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN A
CONSTANT LACK OF COMMUNICATION AMONGST COUNSELORS, AMONGST THE COALITION AND THE COUNSELORS. AND I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE ALL
CLAIM WE WANT TO SERVE, WE NEED TO GET OUR STUFF TOGETHER. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON ONE ACCORD WITH OUR COMMUNICATION AND AND THEN SIT DOWN AND WORK OUT THE ISSUES AND COME TO A CONSENSUS OF HOW
CAN WE MERGE THESE TWO DOCUMENTS TOGETHER BECAUSE WE SUBMITTED AN ORDINANCE THAT WAS SIX PAGES LONG AND WE WERE ALSO GIVING SOMETHING THAT WAS THREE PAGES LONG. SO THERE IS A BIG DISCREPANCY THERE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE
TAKING IN OUR THING THAT MAYBE I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT TO THE COMMUNITY AND LIKE HOW FAMILIAR SAID EACH OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE NOT PART OF ORGANIZATIONS THEY ARE AT THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE
SEEKING SERVICES FROM SOME OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REALLY LISTENING TO THEM SO I THINK WE NEED TO REGROUP AND FIGURE OUT ANOTHER TIME TO HAVE
AN ADDITIONAL HEARING WHERE WE CAN PUT BOTH OF THESE UP SIDE BY SIDE AND PICK THROUGH EACH LINE UNTIL WE GET IT RIGHT. AND SO I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME.
I JUST WANTED TO GET THOSE POINTS ACROSS AND HOPING THAT WE CAN FORWARD ACCORDINGLY. THANK YOU COUNCILORS ABOUT IT. THANK YOU CHASTITY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO AND THAT
THAT IS THE GOAL. I DO BELIEVE THAT IF FOLKS ARE OPEN TO A A LONGER TIMELINE THAT A WORKING SESSION IS NECESSARY ON THIS.
I DID INTEND TO HAVE VARIOUS SUMMARIZED POINTS THIS TIME AROUND SO THAT WE ALL KNOW WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING ABOUT THEIR WORK AND TALK ABOUT THE
DIFFERENCES AND HAVE OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ASK THOSE QUESTIONS. I SEE CHIEFS IF YOU HAVE A
POINT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE. THANK YOU. I THINK I THINK COUNCILOR HERE I APOLOGIZE. I DID NOT SEE THAT COUNCILOR MEJIA. YES BEFORE CHASTITY GOES. I JUST WANTED TO THANK HER FOR
HER LEADERSHIP AND SHEPHERDING US THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND I WOULD JUST WANT TO KNOW FOR THE RECORD THAT I JUST WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT COMMUNICATION IS THAT WE RECEIVED THE ADMINISTRATION IN
THE MAYOR'S COUNTERPROPOSAL LATE LESS THAN 48 HOURS AGO. SO I THINK IN TRUE FASHION I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT ALL OF THE TIME THAT WE TOOK TO MEET WITH THE CHAIR AND MY
COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND THE ADMINISTRATION A MONTH OR TWO BEFORE YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FILED THE ORDINANCE WE WERE IN A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE. AND SO THIS IS ALL VERY BIG A SURPRISE TO ME AND I DO AGREE
LET'S GET THIS RIGHT. I DON'T WANT RUSH THE PROCESS. THESE ARE PEOPLE'S LIVES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATION AND WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT COLLABORATION, THEN THE COMMUNICATION NEEDS TO
BE TWO SIDED AND NEEDS TO BE TIMELY IF WE'RE GOING TO BE SET UP FOR SUCCESS. SO I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO NOTE FOR THE RECORD AND AS PUBLICLY THAT I'M GOING TO NEED THE ADMINISTRATION TO SEND US
COMMUNICATION IN A TIMELY FASHION SO THE COALITION AND MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES CAN REACT IN WAYS THAT MAKE SENSE. OTHERWISE WE'RE JUST GOING TO KEEP SPINNING AND KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE LINE AND THEN IT COMES NOVEMBER AND OCTOBER AND
WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING FOR THE PEOPLE THAT I WILL STAND FOR. THANK AND COUNCILOR WE HAVE I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. WAS THE WAS MOLA INCLUDED IN THE CONVERSATIONS WITH YES WITH
THE CREATION OF THIS ORDINANCE WE MET WE MET WITH MOLA AND WE WENT LINE BY LINE AND WE GOT SO MUCH AMAZING FEEDBACK FROM THEM AND YES, WE DID ALL OF THAT. WE DID THAT'S WHY WE FILED IN
IN APRIL WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE WERE IN A GOOD PLACE AND NOW TWO DAYS BEFORE IT'S TIME FOR US TO HAVE THIS HEARING THE WHOLE THING BLEW UP SO YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL VERY SURPRISING TO ME RIGHT NOW AND THAT'S THAT'S HELPFUL FOR ME TO KNOW.
WE DID GET THE THIS VERSION YESTERDAY SO INTERESTING YOU JUST PUT YOUR HAND UP. PLEASE GO AHEAD. APOLOGIZE. I JUST WANT TO STATE REGARDING THE COMMUNICATION ON HOW WE CAN
MAKE THIS BETTER IS JUST THIS FROM OLA WAS ATTENDING SOME OF THE MEETINGS AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT HIS ROLE WAS AND ATTENDING THE MEETINGS WAS HE GOING TO YOU KNOW WHAT WAS
GOING ON OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE? BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, JUSTICE AS A BLACK TRANS MAN SHOULD BE MORE INVOLVED AND CAN REPRESENT MOLLIFIED LITTLE BIT
MORE ON THIS COALITION AND THAT WILL HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE COMMUNICATION GAPS BECAUSE I KNOW JULIAN, YOU KNOW YOUR SCHEDULE YOU CAN COME TO THE COALITION MEETINGS ALL THE TIME SO MAYBE WE CAN ESTABLISH THAT
AND COME UP WITH A CORE LINE OF COMMUNICATION. GO AHEAD JULIAN SO EXCITED TO CO-CREATE I TO GET THE 40
PEOPLE AND THE 100 PEOPLE ALL TOGETHER I THINK SO MUCH ROOM FOR SOME CO-CREATION JUST TO CLARIFY JUSTICE WAS WELCOME TO ATTEND AS A FITNESS FOR ALL BODIES IN HIS OTHER CAPACITY AS
WE WOULD WANT ALL OF OUR TEAM TO ENGAGE IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITY PIECES. I THINK THERE WAS SOME MISCOMMUNICATION AROUND GETTING APPROVALS FOR OUR TEAM TO BE OFFICIALLY INVOLVED OR NOT BUT
EITHER WAY VERY MUCH EXCITED TO CO-CREATE AND GET THOSE TWO GROUPS TOGETHER BECAUSE THE TWO GROUPS ARE ONE GROUP THEY ARE WE ARE THEM, THEY ARE US AND I
WANT TO KIND OF MOVE TOGETHER IN LOVE AND IN BEST INTENTIONS AND KIND OF GO THROUGH THAT TOGETHER IN IN THE ONE UMBRELLA
AND TO BE ABLE TO PUBLICLY COMMIT TO THAT TOGETHER I THINK IS SO EXCITING AND WILL HELP SORT OF MOVE US FORWARD TOGETHER WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING AS ONE AND YES
THAT MEANS MYSELF AND MOLA AND THE COUNCILORS BUT SPECIFICALLY BRINGING THAT 40 AND 100 PEOPLE TOGETHER I THINK IS A REALLY GREAT FIRST NEXT STEP.
THANK YOU AND I JUST WANT TO THANK OUR COUNCIL OVER HERE AS WELL FROM FROM WHAT I'M HEARING THERE ARE A COUPLE OF STICKING POINTS AND THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL THAT I'M THAT WE'RE GETTING THIS OUT THERE NOW SO
IT HAS TO DO AROUND THE NOMINATION PROCESS DETAILED INDICATORS OF VARIOUS INTEREST
INTERSECTIONAL INDICATORS IS WHAT I WROTE DOWN. I'M SORRY I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH MY NOTES THE MOVING THE CASE STUDY AND I'M SURE THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE BUT THAT'S I'M TAKING DILIGENT NOTES HERE. I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO COUNCILOR SANTANA FOR ANY
QUESTIONS HE MAY HAVE IN THEN. COUNCILOR BRITTON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND THANK YOU FOR SPENDING YOUR TIME. THAT'S A THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR . AND AGAIN THANK YOU CONSTANTLY. THANK YOU CASSIDY FOR YOUR
REMARKS. I THINK I DEFINITELY AGREE KNOW I THINK MAYBE A WORKING SESSION WHERE WE CAN PUT BOTH ORDINANCES NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND GO LINE BY LINE WILL MAKE
SENSE AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING FROM COMMUNITY AND FROM SPONSORS. SO I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF THAT AND I THINK MOST OF MY QUESTIONS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S
COMING AHEAD I THINK MOST MY QUESTIONS WERE AROUND THAT. SO YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE ANY GENERAL QUESTIONS. I THINK MORE OF MY COMMENTS OR REMARKS IS WHEN WE GO LINE BY LINE. SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO
WHENEVER I GET SCHEDULED. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR BURTON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I AGREE WITH COUNCILOR SANTANA.
I THINK PUTTING THE DOCUMENTS SIDE BY SIDE GOING LINE BY LINE AND FIGURING OUT WHERE WE NEED TO MAKE CHANGES BUT ALSO JUST TO THAT'S THE PROCESS WE DO
WITH MOST OF THESE ORDINANCES WHEN WE BRING THEM FORWARD. SO JUST TO PUT THE PUT THE DOCUMENTS SIDE BY SIDE AND TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE STICKING POINTS ARE AND WHERE
WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO CHANGE THINGS OR COME TO SOME CONSENSUS THAT EVERYONE CAN AGREE ON ONE WILL LOOK VERY WELL AND WE DO HAVE
COUNCILOR BEN WEBER HERE AS AS WELL. COUNCILOR WEBER NOT FOR YEAH JUST JUST A QUICK QUESTION FOR THE PANEL IN TERMS OF LIKE THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, I, I
KNOW THAT'S NOT REALLY DOING MUCH BUT IT IS IS THERE SOME ROLE OR IS THIS SHOULD WE JUST DISBAND THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION? I MEAN IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING
THAT IF WE HAD A FUNCTIONING HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HE WOULD ADDRESS ANY COMMENTS ON THAT THE IG THE CURRENT WORK
OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION THAT WE'RE DOING WITH EXTERNAL CONSULTANT TO HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW I CAN BETTER USE THE WORK OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS RATHER THAN A
CENTRAL OFFICE WHICH WAS HOW IT WAS ORIGINALLY DONE BUT ON UNRELATED TO THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC. BUT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE WHERE WE WANT TO TAKE IT IN A WAY
THAT IS ACTUALLY WORKING WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE BUT IT'S THAT'S DIFFERENT FROM THIS AND I COUNCILOR OH SORRY I FORGOT THE ORDER OF CHIEF YOU
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT ME TO ADDRESS? PLEASE FEEL FREE JUST IF I MAY JUST WANT TO SORT OF SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF OF WHAT I'M
HEARING. I THINK AND THANK YOU CASSIDY FOR HIS CLEARLY ARTICULATE SORT OF LIKE WHERE YOU ALL HAPPEN AND WHEN YOU ARE SEEING WHAT
THE COUNCIL FOR US I UNDERSTAND THAT LIKE THE NEXT BEST THING SOUNDS LIKE LOOKING AT BOTH DOCUMENTS GOING LINE BY LINE BUT I'M SORT OF SITTING HERE AND I JUST WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH THIS GROUP.
I'M SITTING HERE WITH A WE JUST NEED TO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE THE ONLY REASON WE EVEN GAVE AN ORDINANCE IS BECAUSE
WE'RE BEING ASKED TO DO A COMMISSION WHICH IS NOT A PART OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING RIGHT NOW. AND SO I'D RATHER US USE THE CAPITAL AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW TO DO MEET
THE NEEDS IN THIS MOMENT. AND SO WHY NOT HAVE OUR TEAM WITH THE PARTNER NETWORK WITH EQUITY ME WITH THE COALITION AND HEAR DIRECTLY LIKE WHAT WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHAT IS
MISSING, WHAT IS WHAT IS BEING DONE THAT ISN'T BEING DONE EFFECTIVELY RATHER THAN SORT OF DOING THIS MATCH BECAUSE TO BE HONEST LIKE THE REASON YOU GOT THAT FROM ME OVER THE
DOCUMENT TWO DAYS AGO IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING TO DO. IT'S NOT A PART OF THE THE WORK THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON RIGHT NOW. WE'RE LOOKING AT PEOPLE AND THE
200 PLUS CALLS WE'RE GETTING ON A WEEKLY BASIS RIGHT ABOUT PEOPLE NOT FEELING SAFE AND SO THAT WANT TO DO THIS, THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE.
I FEEL LIKE THE BETTER THING IS TO JUST LIKE PUT GROUPS TOGETHER AND HAVE A REAL DIALOG ABOUT WHAT'S MISSING AND THEN IF A AN ORDINANCE COMES OUT THAT COMES OUT. THANK YOU CHIEF.
YEAH I DO HAVE I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND THEN COUNCILOR MEJIA I WILL GO TO YOU. IT IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO WHAT SHE WAS SAYING AND CHIEF, I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A HARD
STUFF. I'M SO SORRY I DO JUST WANT TO ASK HAS HAS ANYBODY THAT YOU THAT YOU ARE IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH A PART OF THIS PARTNER NETWORK HAVE HAVE THEY TALKED ABOUT THE VERY THE VERY REAL NEED TO HAVE CERTAIN PROTECTIONS IN PLACE TO HAVE AN
ADDITIONAL LAYER OF OVERSIGHT WHICH IS WHAT THIS IS TRYING TO DO AND THEN ALSO HAVE A HEALTH STUDY. AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING POTENTIALLY AN OPEN PROCESS
WITHOUT AN ORGANIZATION AFFILIATION. I GUESS LOOKING AT WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE TO YOU AND I'LL KEEP IT THERE AND THEN GO TO COUNCILOR HERE AND OPEN PROCESS WITHOUT ORGANIZATION SOUNDS
LIKE A JUST SOMETHING THAT WE COULD HAVE JUST LIKE TALKED ABOUT QUICKLY AND ADDRESS THAT SOMETHING THAT JULIANNE WE CAN WE CAN FIGURE OUT QUICKLY ON THE HEALTH STUDY ABSOLUTELY
WOULD LOVE YOU KNOW AND I KNOW THAT COUNSELORS AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN OUR IN OUR BUDGET FOR IF BY 26 FROM ALL THAT SAID MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK
INTO AND CONSIDER I, I HAVE NEVER SORT OF HAD THAT DIRECT ASK ABOUT JUST LIKE MEETING A COMMISSION BUT I UNDERSTAND
THAT THAT IS SORT OF A PATHWAY FOR GRANTS FROM DIFFERENT BODIES. JULIANNE YOU JUST RAISE YOUR HAND. YUP. JUST TO PUT A DOT TO THAT WE
HAVE NOT HEARD THAT FEEDBACK. WE HAVE HEARD THAT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND RESIDENTS NEEDING FUNDS NEED MONEY, NEED MENTAL NEED SUPPORTS AND THEY
WANT THOSE. THE STRONG FEEDBACK WE DID HEAR IS THEY DO WANT FEEDBACK ON GRANTS ON HOW WE'RE SPENDING AND HOW THE OFFICE IS SPENDING MONEY ON PRIORITIZATION WHICH
WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED. BUT THAT WAS A STRONG THING THAT WE DID HEAR DIRECTLY FROM COMMUNITY THAT THEY WANTED TO PROVIDE DIRECTION COLLABORATION
SPECIFICALLY FEEDBACK ON GRANTS AND THE NEED FOR LOW OR NO COST SPACES TO HOST EVENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT. OKAY. AND THEN MY I'M SORRY MY LAST
QUESTION IS YOU WERE TALKED ABOUT LIKE THE VERY PRECIOUS TIME THAT YOU ALL HAVE WITH THE LIMITED STAFF CAPACITY, A COMMISSION SEEING THAT YOU'VE SEEN A COUPLE OF THESE COME IN
TO CREATION OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHAT I DO HOW CAN YOU QUANTIFY THE LEVEL OF COMMITMENT AND TIME THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WILL TAKE BECAUSE IT DID SEEM LIKE IT WAS A MAJOR POINT OF OUR MAJOR
BULLET POINT IN IN YOUR OPENING REMARKS ABOUT HOW THIS COULD INCREASE BUREAUCRATIC PROCESSES WITHIN YOUR CABINET AS A CHIEF
PUT SEVEN I COULD SPEAK TO WE NEED I HAVE TO DO THIS CORRECTLY BECAUSE WE ARE NOT IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO JUST DO A BLANK YOU KNOW A LOW
QUALITY JOB IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WE ARE GOING TO DO OUR BEST SO WE'RE GOING TO BE FOUR TIMES OUT OF WHICH WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION AS AN ADMINISTRATOR CURRENTLY TO BE ADDING BODY COUNT TO DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT PEOPLE DON'T CONSIDER AND IS BECAUSE OF LOCAL COMMUNITY LAW THERE'S A LOT OF A LOT OF ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO TEACH OURSELVES AND TEACH OUR STAFF ABOUT, TEACH
OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THAT IS IRRELEVANT TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WHICH IS WHY AGAIN MORE A PART OF NETWORK WAS AN ATTEMPT TO DO THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY FROM THE OTHER COMMISSION.
I'M NOT SAYING ANYTHING WRONG WITH COMMISSIONERS TASK FORCES AT WORK. WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF WORK DONE WITH THE OTHER ONES TOO AS JUST IN THIS MOMENT WE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE RESIDENT AND SO I
RATHER SAVE OUR STAFF TIME TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH RESIDENTS AND MEET THOSE NEEDS. OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEETING IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO ACHIEVE AND THEN
AND THEN WE HAVE TO I'M GOING TO YIELD MY TIME TO ELIZABETH WHO IS ONE OF OUR PANELISTS AND ALSO HAS A HEART STOP. SO ELIZABETH IS JUMPING IN
BECAUSE ONE OF OUR OTHER PANELISTS WASN'T ABLE TO SO ELIZABETH, I'M GOING TO USE MY TIME TO YOU. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR. THANK YOU ALL. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH GOOD I SHE HER PRONOUNS.
I'M REALLY GRATEFUL TO BE HERE AND FOR THIS DISCUSSION SO I'M GOING TO READ SOME NOTES THAT I PREPARED WHICH MAY SOUND A BIT REDUNDANT BASED ON THE CONVERSATION TO DATE BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF HOW WE GOT HERE AND AND THE CRITICALITY
OF THE FUTURE FORWARD NATURE OF THE COALITION WORK. SO I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN SOUTH BOSTON. I CURRENTLY LIVE IN JP. I AM A PRODUCT OF BIPS, I'M A NEW PARENT AND I'M A PROUD
CAREER BOSTONIAN. SO WHEN I FIRST JOINED THE COALITION THAT CONCERN WE HAD PUT TOGETHER HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT. IT JUST GOT BACK TO WORK. I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT NEW NORMAL AND THAT WOULD BE LIKE
MAYBE AN INTERESTING WAY TO TAP INTO THE WORLD OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AFTER SOME TIME AWAY AND I REALLY COULDN'T HAVE FATHOMED THE INTENTIONAL AND INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THE GROUP WOULD ACCOMPLISH AND IN SUCH A SHORT TIME I ALSO COULDN'T
REALLY HAVE FATHOMED LIKE THE HUMILITY AND EMPATHY AND BRAVERY OF THE FELLOW COALITION MEMBERS. I THINK AS FOLKS FROM ALL CAN ATTEST IT CAN BE REALLY CRUEL WORK TO FIGHT FOR THE WORTH AND
THE WORTH YOUR WORTH AND THE WORTH OF THOSE DEAREST TO YOU. IT'S EXHAUSTING TO COME TO THE TABLE TIME AND AGAIN FOR SUPPORT, FOR RECOGNITION, FOR RIGHTS AND TO ALWAYS HAVE TO ASK FOR IT REACTIVELY. AND I REALLY HOPE THAT MY CHILD
CAN LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE LGBTQ I TOO AS CLASS FOLKS IN BOSTON THEIR NEEDS ARE CONSIDERED AS A FOUNDATIONAL PART OF FUTURE PROGRAMING AND LEGISLATION RATHER THAN AN AFTERTHOUGHT. AND I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE
COMMISSION IN THAT THAT THIS COALITION HAS SET FORTH AND HAS PROPOSED COULD DO JUST THAT. I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION THAT TALKING ABOUT THIS ON THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY
OF OBERGEFELL V HODGES IT FEELS REALLY IMPORTANT TEN YEARS AGO I THINK WE ALL THOUGHT THESE CONVERSATIONS WERE PUT TO BED AND TODAY THERE COULDN'T BE SHAKIER GROUND THAT THESE
RIGHTS REST ON. IT'S MY DEEPEST HOPE THAT THE CREATION AND THE WORK OF THIS COMMISSION CAN AND WILL DO CAN SOLIDIFY A FUTURE FORWARD FOUNDATION FOR PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON NOT JUST TO
SURVIVE BUT TO THRIVE. AND I THINK ADDITIONALLY THIS HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT THREAD THROUGHOUT THIS CONVERSATION BUT I COME TO THIS MEETING AND SIT IN THIS COALITION AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER IN MY CAPACITY
AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER I'M NOT PART OF A BROADER ORGANIZATION THOUGH I DEEPLY RESPECT THE WORK THEY DO. I'M NOT AN EXPERT THOUGH THERE'S CERTAINLY BEEN INVALUABLE TO THEIR SHAPING THE PATH OF THIS HEARING AND NO ONE PAYS ME FOR MY TIME THOUGH I
BELIEVE THAT EQUITABLE PAY IS CRITICAL TO SUCCESSFUL MOVEMENTS, THIS EXPERIENCE HAS EXPOSED ME TO SO MANY PEOPLE WORKING TO UPLIFT VOICES IN
BOSTON AND ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH AND I THINK IT'S SHOWN THAT ANY FUTURE VERSION OF THIS COMMISSION HAS TO REFLECT BOTH THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE ORGANIZATION AS WELL AS THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF COMMUNITY
INCLUDING YOUNG PEOPLE, DISABLED FOLKS, OUR ELDERS, TRANS PEOPLE OF COLOR AND BEYOND. THIS BODY SHOULD CENTER ALL BODIES FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE CITY.
SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ELIZABETH. OOPS SORRY I FORGET I AM NOT THE FACILITATOR BUT I KNEW I WAS I WAS ON DECK TO SPEAK SO I'LL LET THE MADAM LET ME KNOW
WHEN I CAN SPEAK. I APPRECIATE IT. TELL ME. HERE YOU HAVE IT. THANK YOU. SEE, I'M STILL LEARNING HOW TO BE IN THIS CONSTRUCT YOU ARE MY APOLOGIES EVEN HAVE BEEN SIX YEARS.
I'M HARD TO TEAM YOU THAT'S WHY THEY'RE TRYING TO GET BIT ME TO ELIZABETH. JUST CURIOUS YOU KNOW YOU'VE HEARD FROM THE THE ADMINISTRATION THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN A CALL FOR
SOMETHING LIKE THIS. I THINK THAT WHEN WE GATHERED IT WAS REALLY AROUND THE URGENCY OF FEELING PROTECTED A FEELING A SENSE OF WANTING MORE ACCOUNTABILITY AND AND A
PATHWAY FOR THAT TYPE OF VOICE TO TO KIND OF FEEL SAFE AND AFFIRMED. AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW AND I'M SURE IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHO YOU'RE SPEAKING TO. YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO THE THE URGENCY IN TERMS OF LIKE ALL THE FOLKS THAT GATHERED THOSE 40 PLUS FOLKS? YEAH, OF COURSE I'M YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THE THE THE
COALITION AGAIN WAS REALLY CENTERED AROUND THAT KIND OF FEAR BASED URGENCY AND AND YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MANY CORNERS OF THE CITY WHO HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES,
DIFFERENT CONNECTIONS, DIFFERENT ACCESS TO HOW AND WHY THIS WORK GETS DONE. AND SO I SO RESPECT TO WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SAYING ABOUT LIKE BRINGING EVERYONE TOGETHER AND MAKING SURE THERE'S A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF OF THE PUTS
AND TAKES OF OF HOW THE WORK GETS DONE BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THERE IS AGAIN AND I MAY BE READING A DEAD HORSE HERE THERE'S THIS REACTIVE
OPPORTUNITY I GUESS I WOULD SAY TO HELP PEOPLE SEE LIKE WHAT IS THIS GOING TO LOOK LIKE GOING FORWARD? HOW ARE WE GOING TO BUILD
EXPAND, SUSTAIN THE SAFETY NET THAT I THINK THE CITY HAS LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR BUT MAYBE FOLKS DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO ACCESS HOW TO CONNECT TO YOU
AND AND AND HOW TO BUILD COMMUNITY AROUND. AND SO TO ME LIKE THIS THIS COMMISSION IT WORKS IN TANDEM, IT WORKS IN CONCERT, IT WORKS
IN IN COLLABORATION WITH WITH ALL THE GREAT WORK AT MALL IS DOING AND AGAIN I THINK THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET EVERYONE IN THE SAME ROOM AND REALLY UNDERSTAND KIND OF THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND
HOW THEY ALL PLAY OUT. BUT I DO SEE THIS AS BEING A DISTINCT AND NECESSARY BODY AND I THINK THAT THAT WAS THE THAT WAS WHAT WE HEARD AND AND WHAT I, I KIND OF FEEL THE NEED TO
SHARE BASED ON THOSE MANY COALITION MEETINGS WE HAD IS IT'S NOT IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT GREAT WORK ISN'T BEING DONE IT'S JUST HOW DO WE MAKE SURE AND I KNOW THAT THE CODIFICATION OF MORE IS PART
AND PARCEL OF THIS RATE LONG TERM BUT I THINK WE'RE SEEING THE FEAR THAT COMES WHEN THINGS WE THOUGHT WERE SECURED ARE NO LONGER SECURED. AND SO HOW DO WE SETTLE AND
MITIGATE THOSE FEARS, CHANNEL THAT ENERGY, HARNESS THAT ENERGY INTO FUTURE FORWARD ACTION LEGISLATION ETC..
THANK YOU. JULIANNE, DO YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? YEAH, HAPPY TO RESPOND. I ALSO WANT TO FLAG THAT I HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO HAS BEEN LOVELY AND HAS A HARD 330 OUT.
I ARE HAPPY TO SHARE THE NAME BUT I JUST WANTED TO FLAG AND SHE HAD REQUESTED THROUGH MOHLER THAT SHE HAD A HEART OUT SO NOT SURE IF THAT'S A POSSIBILITY OR NOT BUT I JUST
WANTED TO FLAG THAT I WOULD SAY SIMPLY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TESTIMONY. HOLD THAT I'M TRYING TO SEE YOUR FACE BECAUSE I LIKE I LIKE EYE CONTACT. OKAY. AND WE'RE READY WE'RE READY TO
CO-CREATE WE'RE READY TO TALK ABOUT DOING THE ACTUAL WORK EXCITED FOR THE 40 AND THE 100 PEOPLE WHO I'M PRETTY SURE ARE AROUND THE SAME PEOPLE CAN GO
LINE BY LINE AND ACTUALLY MOVE THIS FORWARD. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT FOR ALL OF THE THE COLLABORATION PARTNERS AS
WELL AS THE PARTNER NETWORK EVERYONE IS BRAVE. IT IS REALLY SCARY RIGHT NOW AND ANYONE WHO IS IN AN ADVOCACY SPOT OR LEANING ON A NEIGHBOR OR LEANING ON A LOCAL
ORGANIZATION TO PUSH THEIR VOICE FORWARD BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT IN A PLACE THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO. I APPRECIATE IT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. END AND YES THIS IS THIS WAS
THE SPACE FOR THE ADMIN. I DID NOT ANTICIPATE HAVING ADVOCATES THE BACK AND FORTH ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S A BAD THING AND I WELCOME IT. THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY WILL HAPPEN.
I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE STILL HAVE OUR COUNCIL COLLEAGUES. SOME HAVE SAID THAT THEY ARE WAITING FOR THE SIDE BY SIDE COUNCIL MEMBER I FEEL LIKE WE
MOVED QUICKLY THROUGH ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AND REALLY WANT TO DIRECT IT TO THE ADMINISTRATION SINCE THIS IS THAT PORTION OF THE HILL NO, NO THANKS. I JUST GLAD TO HEAR FROM
EVERYONE HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ON THE NEW ORDINANCE . OKAY. EXCITED. DO WE FEEL COMFORTABLE MOVING TO I BELIEVE WE ALSO HAVE NIKKI
JONES AND MAHLON I KNOW YOUR NAME RON CASIMIR. WE CAN JUST SWITCH DIRECTLY TO THE TO THEIR TESTIMONY.
WE CHAIR I HAVE A QUESTION. IT'S A PROCESS QUESTION OKAY. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSITIONING BECAUSE MY HOPE IS THAT THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND NORMALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION STAYS AND I KNOW
KIMBERLY ADEMOLA WORKED WITH OUR OFFICE IN BACK IN APRIL AND I'M NOT SURE IF THEY WERE AUTHORIZED TO DO SO BUT WE MET AND WE WENT THROUGH THIS
TOGETHER SO I'M A LITTLE BIT I NEED SOME FLAHERTY AROUND KIND OF LIKE THE GOING BACK IN THE CO-CREATION BECAUSE WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION FROM A COMMUNICATIONS STANDPOINT THAT
MUELLER UNDERSTOOD THE DIRECTION THAT WE WERE MOVING IN ALONGSIDE BECAUSE WE'VE GOT FEEDBACK FROM KIMBERLY AND ACTUALLY RECEIVED SOME GUIDANCE
FROM KIMBERLY FROM OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT WERE DOING THIS WORK. SO I JUST WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR FOR THE RECORD AS WE TRANSITION TO THE COMMUNITY PANEL IS THAT WE ARE NOT AND I
I'M NOT I'M A FAN OF MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S AT THE TABLE BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE FEBRUARY AND WE'VE BEEN AT THE TABLE WITH EVERYBODY. SO WHAT I AM A LITTLE BIT WARY OF IS THAT WHENEVER THERE IS A
AND I'M JUST GOING TO NAME IT BECAUSE THAT'S JUST WHAT I DO WHENEVER THERE IS A WHENEVER THERE'S A TUG AND PUSH AND PULL BETWEEN THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE ADMIN, YOU KNOW NORMALLY
WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS THAT WE GET BOGGED DOWN WITH THE TOOLS THAT GET USED TO SLOW THINGS DOWN AND I JUST WANT TO JUST BE REALLY CLEAR IN THE
INTEREST OF MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY WHO'S PAYING ATTENTION THAT WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS SINCE FEBRUARY WITH COMMUNITY AND MOHLER AND THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CHAIR AND
SO LIKE AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD IT SHOULD BE CENTERED ON NOT WHETHER OR NOT THE ADMINISTRATION WANTS THIS OR WAS PREPARED TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE HAD ALREADY SIGNALED TO YOU
ALL BACK IN FEBRUARY THAT THIS IS THE DIRECTION THAT WE WERE MOVING IN, THAT THIS SHOULD COME TO NO SURPRISE THAT THIS COUNCIL, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT IT DIES BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T VOTE FOR IT BECAUSE PEOPLE JUST DON'T HAVE THE THE
WILL TO WANT TO BRING IT HOME FOR THE FOLKS I AM COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT THE COALITION THAT I WORKED WITH AND WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MOHLER TO GET THIS TO THE BEST PLACE THAT
EVERYBODY FEELS SEEN, AFFIRMED AND HEARD AND THAT WHAT WE PRESENT WHENEVER WE IDENTIFY DATES AND TIMES FOR ALL OF THIS WORK THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING TOGETHER HAPPENS GETS DONE.
I WILL BE DIGGING MY HEELS ON THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE. I KNOW WHAT POLICYMAKING LOOKS LIKE IN THIS CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE THAT I'M IN AND I JUST WANT A NAME FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO
ARE TUNING IN BEFORE THE ADMINISTRATION GOES. I NEED SOME ASSURANCE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, LIKE SOMETHING THAT WE HONOR AND THAT WE, YOU KNOW, PUT TIME AND
SCHEDULE AND LIKE REAL COMMITMENT TO AND AND I NEED TO HEAR THAT I NEED TO HEAR THAT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU WERE READY TO DO THIS WORK, WE AND I SAID THIS TO YOU,
JULIANNE THAT LIKE WHEN WE ESTABLISHED THE CODE YOU BLACK MEN AND BOYS COMMISSION WE WORKED ON MAKING SURE THAT THAT CAME WITH A BUDGET A ONE POINT I THINK IT WAS A MILLION AT THAT POINT AND NOW IT'S 1.8
MILLION. I AM GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE ARE PUSHING FOR SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO PUSH FOR THE RESOURCES THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. AND SO THAT IS THE COMMITMENT THAT I'M MAKING ON OUR END
THROUGH THE BUDGETING PROCESS. SO I DON'T EVER WANT THE WORK TO BE DELAYED BECAUSE WE DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN MEET THE MOMENT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE MEET THE MOMENT AND THEN
DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO GIVE YOU THE TOOLS TO EXECUTE. THANK YOU. BEFORE I THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND JUST EVERYBODY
THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF CREATING THIS DOCUMENT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PRODUCED AND RELEASED FOR ME FOR CHAIR AS I MENTIONED YESTERDAY, IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO HAVE LEGISLATION
THAT IS TRULY EFFECTIVE AND THIS IS THIS IS THE PROCESS RIGHT THERE. WE NEED TO BE ABLE AND WE NEED TO HAVE A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WHERE EVERYBODY'S AT THE TABLE WHEN WE'RE TALKING THROUGH THE
REALITIES OF HOW CITY GOVERNMENT OPERATES AND THE VERY REAL IMPACTS SO THAT THE LEGISLATION THAT WE DO PRODUCE IS IS REALLY EFFECTIVE, IT'S
DURABLE AND IT'S BUT IT'S ROOTED IN IN COMMUNITY FEEDBACK LIKE THAT. THAT'S ALWAYS MY GOAL AND THAT ALWAYS HAS BEEN MY GOAL. I HAVE HAD THINGS GO THROUGH
THE COMMITTEE OF GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS EVEN WHEN I WASN'T CHAIR WHERE IT HAD TO GET CHANGED AND THERE WERE THINGS THAT HAD TO GET MOVED AROUND AND OVERALL WHAT I'M HEARING FROM LOLA IS THAT THERE IS A I
KEEP HEARING CO-CREATE CO-CREATE CO-CREATE NOW I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS INVOLVED AND WHY AND WHATEVER I'M FOCUSED IN ON TODAY AND I UNDERSTAND THAT
THERE IS A DESIRE TO TO MOVE FORWARD IN A WAY THAT ULTIMATELY HELPS AND UPLIFTS AND PROTECTS THE LGBTQ AID TO
US PLUS COMMUNITY. AND SO I THINK I WANT TO FOCUS IN ON THAT. I DO I DO WANT TO PROVIDE SPACE
BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THEM ON MIKKI AND MAHLON IF THEY ARE HERE PLEASE BE ELEVATED AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU AS
WELL BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR CAPACITY AND ELIZABETH AND THE MORE THAT WE HEAR FROM FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS WORK, THE MORE EDUCATED I CAN BE BECAUSE I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THESE CONVERSATIONS EXCEPT
WE DID HAVE A MEETING WHERE WE DISCUSSED IT GENERALLY AND WOULD LIKE TO AND I STILL REALLY BELIEVE IN THIS PARTICULAR DOCKET OR END OR THE
WORK THAT IT CAN DO. SO I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MR MAHLON ELEVATED AND CHIEF, I SEE THAT YOUR HAND IS RAISED
ONLY BECAUSE I CANNOT KEEP PUSHING MY 3PMI DO HAVE TO STEP OUT TRULY APOLOGIZE. I JUST WANT TO SORT OF CLOSE
THE LOOP HERE ON JANUARY 20TH. OUR WORK CONTAINS SIGNIFICANT CHANGED AND SO A YEAR AGO I DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A VERY DIFFERENT SPACE COUNSELOR
OF LIKE LET'S DO THIS LIKE RIGHT NOW I'VE MADE IT VERY CLEAR TO OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT THE FOCUS IS RESIDENTS DAY TO DAY MEET THE NEED AND SO I
UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD YOU ARE PROPOSING THIS AS YOU PROPOSE BY THE DEPARTMENT BUT WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING BACK IS IS WHAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO IN
THIS MOMENT GIVEN THAT THE NEXT THREE AND A HALF YEARS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO KEEP US DISTRACTED. AND SO I JUST WANT TO SORT OF CLOSE THE LOOP HERE THAT THIS IS NOT AN ANTI TRANSPARENCY.
ANYTHING LIKE THIS IS JUST A MATTER OF WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US IN THIS MOMENT WITHOUT LOSING SIGHT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD WHICH IS A HOPE FOR EVERYONE. AND SO WITH THAT I'LL RUN AWAY
BUT PLEASE YOU'LL GET LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE DO CONNECT WITH THE THE COALITION AND I NEED TO BE IN THAT CONVERSATION . THANK YOU CHIEF AND WE WILL HAVE MEMBERS OF YOUR OF YOUR TEAM ON FOR ADDITIONAL DIALOG.
COUNCILOR MEJIA WAS YOUR HAND UP FROM FROM EARLIER IS THAT A NEW ADDRESS OKAY THANK YOU CHIEF WE STILL HAVE JULIANNE
AND TIM ON JUST EXCUSE ONE AND WE'VE BEEN JOINED BY MICKEY JONES AS A AS A PANELIST I'M
NOT SURE IF THEY'RE ON AS WELL AS MAHLON CASIMIR.
I DON'T SEE THEM. HELLO. CAN YOU JUST PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND STATE YOUR NAME, SIR?
HI, MY NAME IS MICKEY JONES. PLEASE GO AHEAD. YOU HAVE FOUR SO I'M SORRY I WAS IN ATTENDANCE. I JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO JOIN. AND AS FAR AS BEING VOCAL ABOUT
HI, MY NAME IS MICKEY JOHNS AND I'M A RESIDENT AND DORCHESTER OF BOSTON AND I'VE LITERALLY BEEN A BOSTON RESIDENT SINCE 2016. I CURRENTLY MOVED HERE FROM ALABAMA.
I CURRENTLY HAVE NO FAMILY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT UP HERE. SO AS FAR AS I ENTERED THE COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY WAS THE ONLY THING THAT I KNEW OF. SO I JUST BASICALLY WANTED TO
GIVE MY TESTIMONY AS BEING A PERSON OF THESE THINGS THE ARE BEING PROVIDED FOR US AS FAR AS BEING AS FAR AS BEING HOMELESS BEFORE AS FAR AS NEEDING
ADVOCACY FOR IDS DOCUMENT AS FAR AS GIVING MY TESTIMONY OF HOW THE COMMUNITY AND DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS NOT JUST MY ORGANIZATION AS A WHOLE BUT DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS ALTOGETHER AND HOW THEY HAVE
HELPED ME SUCCEED THEY'VE HELPED ME MAINTAIN HOW WELL HOUSING AND GREAT LIVING SITUATION AS FAR AS BEING SO CLOSE TO GET BACK ON MY FEET AND TO DO THINGS LIKE THAT.
I ALSO I JUST WANT TO GIVE A TESTIMONY TO THE WORK THAT I SEE DONE AND HOW I HELP THE GIRLS AS FAR A GIRL AND PEOPLE
CHANCE PEOPLE OF COLOR AS FAR AS THEM BEING HELPED AND HAVING KNOWLEDGE TO KNOW THAT THEY CAN GO THESE PLACES AS FAR AS EMPLOYMENT, AS FAR AS TO GET HELP, AS FAR AS TO GET
RESOURCES SO THEY TAKE A PATHWAY IN THE CITY AND LIVE NORMALLY TO PROVE TO THEM THAT BOSTON A FUNCTION FOR THE LGBTQ
OR THE LGBTQ ARE A TO AS CLOSE . I MOST DEFINITELY THINK THAT THESE THINGS THAT ARE COMING TO PASS ARE MOST DEFINITELY NEEDED IF IT'S AN URGENCY FOR THINGS
AS FAR AS THE COMMUNITY AND NEEDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT BUT FOR OUR PROTECTION AND SAFETY AND BEING REASSURED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE OKAY, I MOST DEFINITELY THINK THAT
THESE THINGS ARE VERY SUPER IMPORTANT AS FAR AS THE TIMELINE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AND NEEDS TO BE DONE QUICKLY BY AND AGREE
WITH THE PEOPLE THAT SPOKE BEFORE ME. I DON'T REALLY THINK I HAVE TO SAY TOO MUCH BUT AS FAR AS NEEDS HAS THAT GIVEN A TESTIMONY TO BEING A PERSON
OF THIS WORK AND HELPING AND THIS WORK I DO MOST DEFINITELY THINK THAT THE URGENT NEEDS AND THE IMMEDIATE THE IMMEDIACY FOR THE ACTION THAT NEEDS TO BE
DONE FOR THESE THINGS TO BE PASSED BECAUSE AS OF NOW LIFE IS VERY, VERY REAL ESTATE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE THINGS FOR US AS A PEOPLE AND THAT THE
COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE NO MATTER WHAT WAY SHE IS, NO MATTER HOW YOU IDENTIFY, NO MATTER WHAT CLASS YOU'RE IN LIFE FOR YOU TO HAVE SAFETY AND FOR NOW THAT
SHE CAN LIVE IN A PLACE BEING BOSTON AS A WHOLE THAT IS REALLY WHERE I'M TESTIFYING. SO WHAT I AM A WEAKNESS OF THAT. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN THERE.
I AM A VERY SUCCESSFUL PERSON IN MILITARY AND OCCUPATION BEHIND BEING SANCTIONED IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. I DON'T THINK THAT I COULD HAVE ACHIEVED OR BE THE PERSON THAT
I AM ANYWHERE ELSE WITH CONFIDENCE LIKE I HAVE AND BEING IN THE FIELD THAT I AM IN. SO WHAT THAT MEANS THAT I MOST DEFINITELY WANTED TO TESTIFY TO THE FACT THAT THESE THINGS ARE
IN OUR URGENCY BUT THEY ARE ALSO WORKING LIKE THEY'RE REALLY WORKING THESE THINGS ARE REALLY DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DOING. SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO TESTIFY IN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TESTIMONY, MICKEY OKAY. I THINK BECAUSE WE DON'T SEE MILAN WHO IS DESIGNATED AS AN
ADVOCATE AND WE'VE LOST CHASTITY, I THINK WE'VE ALSO LOST ELIZABETH GOOD AND WE'VE LOST THE CHIEF. I'M WONDERING IF IT DOES MAKE SENSE WE HAVE A GENERAL
DOCUMENT WHERE THERE WERE BASED ON VARIOUS SECTIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL AND THE COUNTERPROPOSAL THAT I RECEIVED YESTERDAY AS I SAID YESTERDAY
WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER TO TO REVIEW ALTHOUGH I DON'T HAVE I DON'T KNOW COUNCILOR MEJIA AND OTHER SPONSORS WHAT YOUR FEELINGS ARE. WE DO HAVE A LONG LIST OF FOLKS THAT ARE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC
TESTIMONY GIVEN THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO A WORKING SESSION GETTING A TEMPERATURE CHECK HERE OF WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT PARTICULAR DOCUMENT OR THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO WAIT FOR THE
WORK SESSION. YEAH. ARE ARE YOU ASKING ME NOW CAN I GET A PATIENT TO SPEAK? OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. YEAH. SO I THINK IN THE SPIRIT
OF JUST REALLY MEETING THE MOMENTS AND BECAUSE THIS AND WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM KIMBERLY YET AND I KNOW THAT KIMBERLY WAS
PART OF OUR, YOU KNOW, FEEDBACK LOOP NOT SURE IF THE POLICY TEAM FROM WOLA IS ABLE TO SPEAK OR OR WERE ABLE TO HEAR FROM THEM BUT IF NOT THEN I'M FINE
TO MOVE ON FROM THE TO THE OH OKAY. I SEE KIMBERLY YES OKAY AND THEN YOU WERE SO INSTRUMENTAL IN THE SESSIONS THAT YOU MET
AND I JUST WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO JODY FOR MY TEAM WHO WORKED INCREDIBLY HARD WITH Y'ALL ON THIS SITUATION. THAT'S RIGHT. BUT TO GIVE JODY HIS PROPS AND SO BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE THE
PUBLIC TESTIMONY, I JUST WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM KIMBERLY IN TERMS OF JUST KIND OF LIKE YOUR READ IN TERMS OF JUST YOU KNOW, YOU ALSO YOU SAT WITH US AND YOU WORKED THROUGH THIS
DOCUMENT WITH US AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR VOICE IS ALSO UPLIFTED AND THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE IN A MOMENT OF LIKE UNCERTAINTY AND WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT YOU AS THE POLICY, YOU KNOW, LEAD AND YOU'VE BEEN DOING WORK WITH OTHER CITIES AND STATES THAT I THINK THAT I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU IN TERMS OF KIND OF LIKE WHAT YOU THINK BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO
PUBLIC TESTIMONY SO THAT WE CAN WRAP THIS UP IN WAYS THAT FOR ME FEEL MORE AFFIRMING BECAUSE YOU ARE A THOUGHT LEADER FROM AND THE MUELLER'S TEAM THERE
KIMBERLY YOU HAVE YOU HAVE THE FLOOR AND I APOLOGIZE FOR EARLIER AS WELL IF YOU IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY TOO LIKE THIS IS OKAY I'M GONNA KEEP IT SO SHORT LIKE AND
CREDIT PLEASE OUR COMMUNITY SORRY WE'RE A SMALL OFFICE SO FIRST OFF I JUST WANT TO THANK JODY AGAIN AND REITERATE WHAT COUNCILOR MCINNES JODY WAS SO
INCREDIBLY RESPONSIVE TO SO MANY OF MY COMMENTS AND REALLY DUG INTO DOING SOME OF THE RESEARCH ON SOME OF MY FLAGS SOME OF WHICH ARE MORE LIKE LAW FOCUSED AND SO I JUST REALLY WANT TO UPLIFT LIKE THE HARD
WORK THAT THAT PERSON PUT INTO THIS AND ALSO COUNCILOR HERE I DO ALSO WANT TO SAY MAYAKOBA LIKE I JUMPED INTO DOING EDITS THAT'S HOW MY BRAIN IS. I WANT TO GET MY HANDS DIRTY. I WANT TO HELP. I WANT TO DO WHATEVER I CAN.
AND UNFORTUNATELY BETWEEN THE TIME THAT I MADE EDITS AND THEN WHEN I GOT ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK JULIAN'S FATHER PASSED AWAY AND SO I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET OFFICIAL OFFICIAL SIGN OFF ON
MOVING THIS FORWARD AND THAT IS ON ME AND I DO APOLOGIZE ON BEHALF OF MYSELF BUT ALSO OUR OFFICE AND HOW THINGS SORT OF GOT MESSY HERE AS FAR AS WHERE WE ARE TODAY BECAUSE I AGREE WITH COUNCILOR ZAPATA
LIKE WE'RE HERE NOW WE WANT TO DO THE WORK. I KNOW WE KEEP THROWING AROUND THE WORD CO-CREATE BUT I THINK WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS COLLABORATE LIKE THIS SHOULD BE LIKE I WANT TO IF I IF IT WAS UP TO ME I WISH WE COULD GET IN
A ROOM TOGETHER ALL TOGETHER AND PUT SOMETHING BIG ON THE SCREEN AND LITERALLY GO LINE BY LINE AND RED LINE EVERYTHING OUT OF IT THAT WE DON'T WANT AND KEEPING EVERYTHING GREEN THAT WE DO AND JUST WORK TOGETHER TO GET THIS ACROSS THE
FINISH LINE. I THINK THAT SOMETHING THAT I JUST WANT TO UPLIFT IN THE LAST PART OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY I FEEL SO LUCKY THAT THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING HERE IN BOSTON IS NOT DO WE SUPPORT
LGBTQ I TO AS FAR AS PEOPLE BUT HOW LIKE WE CARE SO MUCH THAT WE'RE DISAGREEING AND I JUST FIGURED I JUST WANT TO SAY LIKE YOU ONLY FIGHT WHEN YOU LOVE AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYONE HERE
FOR LOVING BIG EVEN IF WE ARE DISAGREEING I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY POWERFUL BUT THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US OF THAT. WE ARE VERY MUTED. CAN YOU HEAR ME AND THANK YOU
FOR REMINDING US OF THAT AND REALLY IT'S IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND TO CENTER US IN OUR SHARED VALUES GOT MEJIA. I SEE YOU'VE UNMUTED OH LORD AND I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT.
I WAS JUST GETTING OFF OF THE LOVE HERE AND I DO I AM EXCITED FOR WHAT THE YES THAT'S RIGHT. WHEN I SEE YOU I'M JUST EXCITED ABOUT WHERE WE GO FROM HERE AND
I THINK THAT EVERYBODY'S PAYING ATTENTION TO US AND HOW WE MOVE TOGETHER AND MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR ME AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER I'M ALWAYS GOING TO TAKE THE POSTURE OF LIKE WE'VE BEEN
HERE, WE'VE DONE IT, WE'RE READY TO GO AND NOW FOLKS ARE LOOKING TO US TO TAKE THIS TO THE FINISH LINE SO IT'S NOT A MATTER OF CO-CREATING NOW IS JUST ABOUT TWEAKING AND SCAFFOLDING BECAUSE WE'VE
ALREADY DONE WE'VE WE'VE IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS. I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE MY PEOPLE WAIT ANY LONGER WHICH I HAVE TO NOW. BUT YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO
CREATE AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE FOR Y'ALL EITHER. BUT PATIENCE IS RUNNING SO LET'S GET TO THE COMMUNITY TESTIMONY AND THEN I THINK THAT I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE HOST LIKE MAYBE THREE OR FOUR WORKING SESSIONS BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER SO THAT THE GOAL FOR OCTOBER NOVEMBER THAT I THINK THAT WE TALKED WITH THE
CHAIR OF THE COALITION IF NOT FOR TRANS VISIBILITY WHICH WAS THE GOAL FOR JULY THAT THE NEXT DAY WOULD BE OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER I THINK IT'S OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER SO I'M
HOLDING MYSELF TO THAT AND I'M GOING TO HOLD MY COLLEAGUES TO THAT. AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE ADMINISTRATION WANTS IT BECAUSE AT THIS POINT I HAVE TO LEAD WITH THE PEOPLE WE'RE GOING TO PUT FORTH WHAT THE PEOPLE HAVE ASKED FOR AND IF
THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT TO THE FINISH LINE GREAT. AND IF IT DOESN'T AT LEAST THE PEOPLE FEEL AFFIRMED BECAUSE THEY PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD FOR WHAT THEY WANT IT
NOT WHAT THEY SETTLED FOR. SO THAT'S I JUST WANT TO DIG MY HEELS ON THAT AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND COUNCILOR COLETTA ZAPATA FOR ALLOWING ME TO RANT AND I WILL BE QUIET BECAUSE WE
GOT PEOPLE'S VOICES TO HEAR. THANK YOU EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND IT IS IT IS MY GOAL THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS TO MAXIMIZE EVERYBODY'S BEST IDEAS
AND I THINK AGAIN, WE ALL HAVE SOME SOME SHARED GOALS HERE AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THERE AND THIS PROCESS IS USUALLY NEVER EASY AS CHAIR USUALLY PEOPLE HAVE TO COMPROMISE ON THINGS THAT THEY
DON'T WANT TO COMPROMISE AND IT IS NOT IT IS NOT TO SAY THAT WE DON'T WANT TO FIGHT FOR THE COMMUNITY. WE ALSO HAVE TO WORK WITHIN VARIOUS REALITIES AND AND ALL THAT.
BUT I MY GOAL IS IS TO MAXIMIZE EVERYONE'S WORK HERE AT THEIR EXISTING WORK AND THEN ALSO WHERE WE SEE THE CITY GOING TO REALLY PROTECT AND SUPPORT FOLKS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
ALL RIGHT. SO WE WILL GO TO OUR PUBLIC TESTIMONY. WE HAVE WE HAVE ABOUT SEVEN FOLKS SIGNED UP FOR TESTIMONY AND SO I WILL START WITH CHRIS CRYSTAL DELGADO.
IF YOU ARE IN THE ZONE TO PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, I SEE CRYSTAL AND THEN AFTER THAT WE
WILL GO TO GISELLE BYRD AND THEN JAVON WILLIAMS. BUT I DO BEING K.C. ABBOT, SEAN NELSON, GABBY MORGAN AND THEN
CURTIS SANTOS. BUT WE'LL START WITH CRYSTAL, GISELLE AND YVONNE CRYSTAL WHO ARE A PANELIST. YOU HAVE THE ZOOM.
I THINK WE STILL HAVE TO ELEVATE. I WOULD GO IF YOU CAN STATE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION IF YOU HAVE ONE YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES AND I WILL BE TIMING. THANK YOU.
I THANK YOU. MY NAME IS CRYSTAL DELGADO. MY AFFILIATION IS I AM A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER OR FOUNDER OF EMBRACING YOUR JOURNEY. I SUPPORT THE BIPOC COMMUNITY
AND WOMAN WITH CREATING SAFE SPACES AND EVENTS AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBMIT MY WRITTEN TESTIMONY WHILE NOW IN PERSON AND SUPPORT
A DOCKET 0969 SO I WANTED TO STATE THAT I AM A LATINA WOMAN BORN AND RAISED IN MASSACHUSETTS AND I PUBLICLY CAME OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS MONTH THAT WAS NOT AN EASY DECISION GIVEN THE CLIMATE THAT
WE'VE BEEN LIVING IN AND I CANNOT IGNORE THE FEAR THAT SO MANY OF US CARRY ESPECIALLY IN THIS CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE . I HAVE WITNESSED FIRSTHAND HOW ORGANIZATIONS DOING THE CRITICAL WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY
ARE CONSTANTLY MET WITH HATE, WITH PROTEST AND WITH PUSHBACK LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY. BUT STILL WE PERSIST. I USE MY PLATFORM PROCEEDS TO ADVOCATE FOR LOVE, DIGNITY AND
THE MOST VULNERABLE AMONG US. I BELIEVE DEEPLY IN BUILDING THESE SPACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST TOLERATED BUT THEY ARE EMBRACED AND THAT REQUIRES STRUCTURAL SUPPORT AND COMMISSIONS LIKE THIS ONE TO
ENSURE OUR RIGHTS AND SEE IF YOU'RE NOT TREATED AS OPTIONAL BUT THEY'RE PROTECTED SO BOSTON IS OFTEN SEEN AS PROGRESSIVE BUT WITHOUT THOSE INTENTIONAL SYSTEMS OF ACCOUNTABILITY,
EQUITY AND COMMUNITY VOICE WE WILL FALL BACKWARDS. MY PEOPLE BLACK, BROWN,, TRANS AND GENDER DIVERSE PEOPLE DESERVE TO WALK THROUGH THE CITY WITHOUT FEAR. WE ARE MORE THAN OUR IDENTITIES
AND WE CARE FOR OTHERS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY AND WE DESERVE TO BE PROTECTED IN RETURN. I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO PASS THIS ORDINANCE AND TO STAND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY. OUR COMMUNITIES ARE WATCHING
AND WE ARE ASKING NOT FOR CHARITY BUT FOR JUSTICE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU KRYSTAL THAT WAS INCREDIBLE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR VULNERABILITY AND YOUR
COURAGE HERE TODAY. WE'LL GO TO GISELLE AND THEN
JABBAR EDGAR OH, OKAY. BUT I DON'T SEE GISELLE. BUT WE DO HAVE A CHIP ON WILLIAMS HERE. JAVON, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
WE'LL COME BACK TO DISSOLVE. IT'S UP. THEY ARE ELEVATED PANELIST PLEASE GO AHEAD AS A PLEASANT AFTERNOON TO EVERYBODY UNDER THE SOUND OF MY VOICE LET
ME FIRST SAY PLEASANT. GOOD EVENING TO MADAM CHAIR TO TO ALL THOSE IN THE VARIOUS RANKS AND OFFICES ALL THOSE WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF HOPE AND FAITH AND
THE PROMISE OF A BETTER DAY. LET ME FIRST SAY A PLEASANT GOOD EVENING. I THINK THAT GREETINGS ARE ALWAYS IN ORDER. PLEASE EXCUSE ME. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME TESTIFYING. I AM JAMAL WILLIAMS. I HAVE BEEN A YOUTH FELLOW FOR
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF LGBTQ AID TO US PLUS ADVANCEMENT FOR A HOT MINUTE NOW AND I THINK THAT I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE VERY FORTUNATE COMING FROM SOMEONE
WHO WAS ALONE IN RUNNING A SMALL GSA IN A SCHOOL AND HAVING THIS OPPORTUNITY FALL INTO MY LAP. I THINK WHAT I LIKE IS THAT I WAS PLACED INTO AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WASN'T STAGNANT.
I WAS PLEASED TO LEARN TO EXCUSE ME AND I'M THAT WAS EVER SHIFTING AND EVER GROWING AND IT WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD AND I THINK THAT I CAN SPEAK TO I DON'T LIKE TO SAY THAT I DON'T
LIKE TO SPEAK ON THINGS THAT I DON'T KNOW BUT I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE YOUTH PIECE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT IS WHERE I STAND IN MY INITIATIVES AND THE AMPLIFY AND SAY INITIATIVE THE MUELLER COMMUNITY OR THE MUELLER OFFICE HAS BEEN VERY
RESPONSIVE TO THE COMMUNITY. I CAN TALK ABOUT LEE THE STATE OF OUR LGBTQ YOUTH. I CAN TALK ABOUT THE PARTNER NETWORK. I CAN TALK ABOUT AGAIN THE AMPLIFY GSA INITIATIVE THAT I
FALL UNDER WHERE I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MORE TO SPEAK WITH GSA ADVISORS AND GET THEM CONNECTED WITH EACH OTHER TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES NOT JUST BEST PRACTICES BUT ALSO ISSUES BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE
TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY WE TALK ABOUT SHARING BLESSINGS AND BURDENS TO MAKE OURSELVES UPLIFTED. AND SO WITH MY WORDS I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THE MUELLER
OFFICE HAS MET WITH COMPLETE IMMERSION NOT JUST AS TO PLEASE EXCUSE ME NOT JUST TO PLACE MYSELF IN FRONT OF THE ISSUE OR PLACE MYSELF IN FRONT OF OF OF ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE
BEFORE ME IN THESE POLITICAL CLIMATES BUT ALSO IMMERSING MYSELF IN IT ALSO OVERWHELMINGLY WITH THAT IN THE SENSE THAT PLEASE EXCUSE ME I'M SORRY I'M VERY SHAKY BUT IN THE
SENSE THAT I AM NOT JUST SEEING THINGS AND SAYING WELL WHAT IS THE SOLUTION BUT I'M ALSO SEEING POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS. I AM ALSO GETTING COMMUNITIES TOGETHER ORGANIZED ASIANS I AM BEING FACED WITH MEETING PEOPLE
WHO HAVE THIS IDEA AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THE DIRECT SOLUTION OR IF I DON'T HAVE THE DIRECT SOLUTION I CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH PEOPLE THAT DO SO THOSE ARE MY VERY FEW WORDS. I JUST THINK THAT THE MORE THE OFFICE HAS DONE SUCH GREAT WORK
SO FAR AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TYPE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU JAVON THAT WAS INCREDIBLE AND RIGHT ON TIME THOSE 2 MINUTES. OKAY. DO WE HAVE CASEY ABBOTT IN THIS
ROOM? UNFORTUNATELY SHE HAD TO STEP AWAY BUT SHE DID SUBMIT HER TESTIMONY. SHE HAD ASKED IF THE MUELLER OFFICE COULD READ IT BUT I THINK THAT YOU ALL WOULD
PROBABLY HAVE RECEIVED THAT AND THAT'S FINE. THANK YOU, JULIANNE. AND FOR ALL MY COLLEAGUES THERE IS A FOLDER IN WHICH WE
RECEIVED AND GABY MORGAN YOU HAVE 2 MINUTES.
I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING. I'M NOT SURE IF ANYBODY ELSE COULD. I JUST WANT TO MAKE NOTE. OKAY? NOBODY ELSE COULD. OKAY? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS LISTENING BUT I COULDN'T
HEAR ANYTHING. CAN YOU FOLKS HEAR ME? YES. YES.
OKAY. UM, CAN WE ELEVATE SEAN NELSON
AND THEN GABBY MORGAN? OKAY, SEAN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR 2 MINUTES. OKAY. I JUST WANT ABOUT THIS MEETING
AT THE VERY LAST SECOND ALMOST NONE OF US ARE GOING TO COME TO ANY MEETINGS ONLY CERTAIN PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF IT, NOT THE ACTUAL PUBLIC. SO YOU ONLY HAVE SEVEN PEOPLE HERE AND EVEN I HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING ACCESS TO THIS RESUME MEANING I DON'T BELIEVE YOU
NEED A COMMISSION. WE DON'T NEED THE COMMISSION FOR HAVING GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE JUST LIKE BEN WEBER SAID YOU HAVE A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION THAT CAN BRING THESE ISSUES UP WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY A PROBLEM GOING ON IN THESE COMMUNITIES.
AS SOMEONE WHO IS BORN AND RAISED IN BOSTON OPENLY GAY, I THINK THE PROBLEM WE HAVE IS THIS COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR DICTATING THAT THEY ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU ONLY
CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO SIDE WITH YOU AND YOU PANDER. I'VE WRITTEN THIS ALL THESE COUNCILORS IN THE MAYOR AND CONGRESS ABOUT THE ACTIONS OF MICHELLE WALL HAVING ENEMIES
LIST AND IT HAS FOUR GAY PEOPLE ON IT AND ALL THEY NEED IS THEIR VOICE. I DIDN'T SEE ANY OF THE COUNCIL STANDING UP AND SHE AND AT THE TIME A POLICE OFFICER 13 YEARS AGAINST HER OWN BODY WHEN SHE WAS WRONGFULLY FIRED I
WROTE THE COUNCIL ABOUT MY WANT TO ARREST THE FIRST DAY OF GAY PRIDE AT THE DORCHESTER DORCHESTER DAY PARADE WITH JIMMY JOINED UP TINA ALSO A GAY MAN OF THE GAY COMMUNITY BORN
AND RAISED IN BOSTON. NONE OF YOU WROTE CAME BACK AND TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO US THE FIRST DAY OF GAY PRIDE. YOU DID NOTHING THE LGBT OFFERS I'VE ACTUALLY CONTACTED YOU THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT HER
ACTIONS IN CALLING OUT OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE GAY WHO STAND UP AGAINST HER POLICIES. NO ONE REACHED OUT AND EVEN SAID I THINK THIS IS ALL POLITICAL THEATER AND FEAR MONGERING. EVEN WORSE WHEN I CONFRONTED
MICHELLE WHO HAD A FORM SHE MADE ME A BLACK GAY MAN HER CONSTITUENT LOOK LIKE I'M A CRIMINAL AND UNHINGED. THIS IS JUST POLITICAL THEATER. THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN FEAR MONGERING.
I BELIEVE THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE DOING WELL BUT THEY DON'T NEED THE HELP OF THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE YOU DON'T REALLY ACTUALLY HELP ANYBODY. IT'S THEATER.
BUT YET WHEN SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF WHO'S GAY AND DOESN'T GO ALONG WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY YOU IGNORE ME, YOU SHAMED ME. I'VE BEEN ARRESTED BY MICHELLE MULTIPLE TIMES AND WHEN SHE
GETS CONFRONTED SHE PLAYED A VICTIM I DO BELIEVE THAT GAY PEOPLE HAVE A PROBLEM BUT THE PROBLEM IS YOU ONLY PAY ATTENTION TO THE RADICAL LEFT, THE FEAR MONGERING AND A LOT
OF THESE ISSUES THERE'S ANOTHER MOVEMENT GOING ON IN THE GAY COMMUNITY LGB ALL THE TS TO CHOOSE THEM ALL THAT EXTRA STUFF IS BEING YOU KNOW
ACTUALLY WILDLY REPRESENT US. THANK YOU SEAN.
GABY MORGAN PLEASE FEEL FREE TO I MEAN YOURSELF AND YOU HAVE THE FLOOR FOR 2 MINUTES. THANK YOU. I THINK THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M GABBY MORGAN. I SHARE I LIVE IN JAMAICA PLAIN AND IT'S GREAT TO TALK WITH THE
CITY COUNCIL ON CITY HALL IS IMPORTANT TO ME. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 910 YEARS OLD I ACTUALLY BROKE GROUND FOR THAT WITH MAYOR COLLINS IN A PICTURE AND AND IN 2016 I CAME
OUT I WAS ALMOST 60 YEARS OLD AND MY FIRST TIME INTRODUCING GABBY TO THE WORLD DURING THE DAYTIME WAS AT CITY HALL FOR THE FIRST TIME RAISING THE TRANSGENDER FLAG.
SO IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PLACE FOR ME. THE REASON I DIDN'T COME OUT WHILE I WAS 60 IS BECAUSE EVEN IN BOSTON I'M TALKING MANY, MANY YEARS AGO YOU'D BE TERRIFIED TO DO SOMETHING LIKE
THAT. THERE WEREN'T SYSTEMS IN PLACE. THERE WEREN'T PEOPLE TO TALK TO. THERE WEREN'T PROTECTIONS. I WENT TO THE OLDER SCHOOL PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY. IT WAS ALL BOYS AT THE TIME OR SO THEY THOUGHT.
ANYWAY, I SURPRISED THEM AT THE 50 YEAR REUNION LAST YEAR BUT IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN I DID COME OUT ALMOST 60 I KNEW THAT I HAD TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND BOSTON WAS VERY I CAN'T SAY IT
WAS EASIER THAN IT USED TO BE BUT IT WAS LESS HARD AND I WAS SO HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO JUMP INTO EVERYTHING I WORKED WITH SPEAK OUT THE ORGANIZATION I WORKED WITH SIX AND A HALF
YEARS WITH FENWAY HEALTH MOSTLY WORKING TRANS OLDER ADULTS WHICH I STILL DO A LITTLE BIT AND THE LAST YEAR I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY NOW THE OPERATIONS DIRECTOR AT THE TRANSGENDER
EMERGENCY FUND AND I REALLY I LEARNED WITH THE WORD EMERGENCY MAD BECAUSE WE GET TO DO SO MANY THINGS WE TRY TO DO SO MANY THINGS FOR PEOPLE THAT REALLY NEED THE HELP RIGHT NOW
BECAUSE WHEN I TALK ABOUT A LESS EASY TIME 50 YEARS AGO, WE'RE ALMOST GETTING BACK TO THAT REALLY SCARY TIME AGAIN AND THAT AND THAT'S UPSETTING. WE'RE GOING AROUND TO THE SAD
2008 OUR ORGANIZATION AND WE'VE GONE THROUGH A COUPLE OF LEADERSHIP CHANGES. IT'S BEEN TOUGH. I HIT A FEW VALLEYS THAT WE'RE DIGGING OUT OF AND IT'S TOUGH BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY SO MANY
FUNDS TO GO AROUND. WE DO A TRANSITIONAL HOUSING. WE WE CAN HAVE UP TO EIGHT PEOPLE AND WE TRY TO YOU KNOW, HELP TRANSGENDER PEOPLE IN NEED AND IT ISN'T A CERTAIN AGE IT
ISN'T A CERTAIN COLOR. WE HAVE BLACK PEOPLE BROWN PEOPLE, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER SINCE IN THE YEAR I'VE BEEN THERE AGE 21 TO 51 AND WE JUST TRY TO BE THERE.
THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN TIGHT AND BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE AFRAID SO IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP THESE PROTECTIONS IN PLACE SO THAT THE TRANSGENDER PEOPLE HAVE A BIT OF SAFETY AND ARE
ALWAYS LOOKING OVER THEIR SHOULDER. SO I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL FOR PLATFORMS LIKE THIS TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GABBY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND WITH THE
EMERGENCY FUND. OKAY. CURTIS CURTIS SANTOS IS CURTIS SANTOS IS THE LAST INDIVIDUAL THAT I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT THEY'RE ON THOUGH. OKAY. I THINK THAT THAT MAY CONCLUDE OUR PUBLIC TESTIMONY PORTION. I DO WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY.
LET ME GET ON CAMERA. I DO WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY SO MUCH FOR THEIR TIME AND THANK THE THE CO SPONSORS FOR THEIR WORK. I WILL PROVIDE SPACE FOR ANY CLOSING REMARKS THAT THEY MAY HAVE STARTING WITH COUNSELOR
MEJIA AND THEN COUNSELOR SANTANA WHO I BELIEVE IS STILL ON AND COUNSELOR BRAYDEN CENTER REGRETS THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT POPPED UP BUT SHE WANTED ME TO SAY THAT COUNCILOR MEJIA I THANK YOU CHAIR AND THANK YOU
FOR ACCOMMODATING THIS EXPEDITED HEARING. WE WERE UP AGAINST. THEY A WISH OF A SPEEDY PROCESS
BUT ARE MORE WILLING TO MANAGE OUR EXPECTATIONS GIVEN THE POLITICAL CLIMATE THAT WE ARE IN AND JUST THE WORLD TODAY. I'LL PICK AND CHOOSE MY BATTLES
AND SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE ADMINISTRATION FOR SHOWING UP AND FOR PROVIDING SOME GUIDANCE AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO UNDERSTAND THE MOMENT THAT
WE ARE OPERATING UNDER AND THE URGENCY THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS ASKING US TO MOVE AHEAD WITH AND I APPRECIATE THE THE THE
IDEA THAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT MEETING THE MOMENT, HAVING WORKED OUT IN THESE STREETS. I KNOW THAT SOMETIMES NOT EVERYONE FEELS LIKE THE MOMENT
IS MEETING THEM AND SO FOR US IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A WAY FOR US TO HAVE A GOVERNING BODY, IF YOU WILL THAT CAN HELP HELP MOLOCH REALLY MAKE SURE
THAT WE'RE BEING ACCOUNTABLE AND IT'S NOT JUST SMOLLETT BUT IT'S EVERY CITY DEPARTMENT LIKE THIS THIS WHOLE IDEA ABOUT THE STUDYING REALLY WE BELIEVE IT'S
A TOOL THAT YOU ALL CAN USE FOR POLICYMAKING IN THE FUTURE AND FOR, YOU KNOW, BUDGETING PURPOSES. I THINK THAT IT IS A TOOL THAT WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL FIND
USEFUL AND HAVING A HEARING ON ,YOU KNOW, THE PROPOSALS THAT FORTH AND THE AUDIT THAT WE ARE HOPING THAT THE COMMITTEE COULD DO IS PART OF THAT WORK.
SO I'M HOPING THAT YOU DON'T SEE THIS AS A BURDEN BUT THAT YOU SEE IT YOU SEE IT AS A AS A THAT THAT PARTNER THAT THAT CAN HELP YOU AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO LEANING IN AND
WORKING WITH THE CHAIR. MORE IMPORTANTLY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S SO MUCH COMPETING, YOU KNOW, SCHEDULING
DIFFICULTIES BUT I WANTED TO ASK THE CHAIR THAT WHEN WE TRANSITION INTO A WORKING SESSION NORMALLY THOSE WORKING SESSIONS ARE JUST FOR
ADMINISTRATION AND COUNSELORS AND I'M JUST I JUST WANT TO ALLOCATE COUNCIL CHAIR SUPPORT THAT THAT IS ABOVE THAT. BUT I WOULD LIKE AT THE VERY
LEAST TO HAVE THE CHAIR OF THE COALITION AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER PARTICIPATE IN THE WORKING SESSIONS JUST BECAUSE FOR US IN TERMS OF THE INTEGRITY OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WE
WANT TO BE DEEPLY IN THE PEOPLE AND SO I JUST ASK THAT I KNOW IN OTHER CHAIRMANSHIPS WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING OUR THOUGHT LEADERS INTO OUR
POLICYMAKING WORKING SESSIONS BECAUSE WE LEAD WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING THE REALITIES OR DOING THE WORK. AND SO THAT HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE PAST. BUT I'M NOT SURE GIVEN YOU
KNOW, EVERYONE THINGS DIFFERENTLY YOU KNOW, I WAS FLAGGED THAT YOU KNOW, REGULAR DAY FOLKS DON'T PARTICIPATE IN WORKING SESSIONS AND SO I JUST WANT TO I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
AND WHAT YOUR WHAT YOUR WHAT YOUR FEEDBACK IS ON THAT YEAH THINK OF OF I'LL DEFTLY CONSIDER IT I THINK IN THE PAST I WE HAVE I WOULD WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT YEAH I DON'T I DON'T SEE AN ISSUE WITH IT AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME BUT I ALWAYS LIKE TO I JUST DO MY DUE DILIGENCE I DON'T WHO IS WHO IS
THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE AGAIN I'M SORRY SO THE CHAIR WAS WHEN I WORKED WITH COUNSELOR EDWARDS SHE ALLOWED THE I'M SORRY THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE. OKAY.
I WAS LIKE I WAS GOING TO TELL YOU ALL THE DIFFERENT TIMES THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO I GOT THE I'VE BEEN HERE 20 TIMES BUT IT WAS IT'S CHASTITY IS THE
CHAIR OF THE COALITION. OKAY. I HAVE I STARTED LATE I DON'T THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE AND IT WOULD BE DIRECTED TO TO BE PRODUCTIVE
AND GO LINE BY LINE I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUE WITH THAT SO I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION AND YEAH, WE CAN WE CAN GO FROM THERE ONCE WE HAVE A DATE SCHEDULED FOR THAT WORKING
SESSION FOR THE FIRST WORKING SESSION. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I APPRECIATE IT. OKAY COUNSELOR SANTANA, IF YOU
HAVE ANY CLOSING STATEMENTS. THANK YOU MADAM. IF THEY DO EVERYONE FOR JUST FOR THIS HEARING I THINK ALTHOUGH THERE'S A LOT OF WORK
TO BE DONE AND YOU KNOW, I THINK WORKING SESSIONS I THINK I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE ALL ABLE TO CONVENE AND COMMUNICATE TODAY WHICH IS VERY GOOD AND I JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU,
MADAM CHAIR, FOR CONVENING US. I WANT TO THANK THE MODEL TEAM FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO FROM THE TOP AND I WANT TO THANK AGAIN ON THE LEAD SPONSOR COUNSELOR MARIA AND MY
CO-SPONSOR ALSO COUNCILOR BREADON AND THEIR TEAMS AND AGAIN MOST IMPORTANT IS WE WANT TO THANK THE THE RESIDENTS AND THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO GOT US TO THIS PLACE AND AND THE PEOPLE WHO CAME AND
TESTIFIED. YOU KNOW, IN LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THIS WORK I REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROTECTIONS ARE IN PLACE SO THAT WAY BOSTON CAN BE AGAIN
THE CITY FOR A CITY FOR EVERYONE NOT TO JUST STAY HERE BUT TO THRIVE HERE AND TO FEEL SAFE. SO YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THIS AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WORK AHEAD.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, COUNSELOR SANTANA AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT TODAY IS THE I THINK SOMEBODY
MENTIONED IT BUT IT'S THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF OBERGEFELL. I DON'T SEE THAT RIGHT VERSUS HODGE. I WAS ACTUALLY AN INTERN IN DC AT THE TIME AND I HAD TO LEAVE THAT I LEFT A DAY BEFORE IT
HAPPENED BUT BEING THERE IN THE MIDST OF THE CROWD AND HAVING THAT HAPPEN WAS JUST SO PROFOUND TO ME AS A YOUNG PERSON AND UNDERSTAND WHAT IS POSSIBLE IN THIS COUNTRY WHEN
WE ARE TRULY INCLUSIVE OF FOLKS THAT ARE OUR NEIGHBORS, THAT ARE OUR SISTERS BROTHERS, COUSINS, FRIENDS ALL OF THAT TEN YEARS LATER I KNOW THAT
THERE IS THERE ARE FORCES THAT ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO DISMANTLE THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND I THINK IT IS INCREDIBLE THAT WE ARE HERE AS A CITY AS A CITY COUNCIL. I'M DOING OUR BEST TO FORTIFY
THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE AND PROTECT FOLKS AND SO I SAW THAT BEAUTIFUL HOPEFUL FUTURE TEN YEARS AGO AND I'M STILL HOPEFUL FOR THAT FUTURE FOR FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY
FOR THEIR TIME AND FOR THEIR FEEDBACK. WE WILL BE HAVING A WORKING SESSION ON THIS BUT I DO LOOK FORWARD TO THAT HAPPENING IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND WITH THAT
DOCKET IS HEARING ON DOCKET 0696 IS ADJOURNED. THANKS EVERYONE VERY THANK YOU.
I HEARD SOMETHING NOT SURE IF ANYBODY ELSE DID BUT BY