Responses of Artee “RT” Milligan to GLAA 2007 Questionnaire
for DC Council Candidates
| Yes/No | Substance | Record | Championship | Total |
| 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 3.5 |
PUBLIC SAFETY
1. As a member of the Public Safety and Judiciary Committee, will you support funding for mandatory gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) sensitivity and diversity training for all members of the Fire/EMS Department?
Yes, I would support funding and legislation to see a program like that created in the District for the Fire/EMS Department.
2. Will you press the Metropolitan Police Department to combat the transphobia entrenched within our police force, expressed in the widespread assumption among police officers that every transgendered person is a prostitute until proven otherwise?
I would encourage Chief Lanier and the MPD to launch a campaign which would include literature and PSA’s within the department to educate administrative staff and employees about these assumptions, because I think everyone benefits from a well educated police department.
3. Will you support a budget for the Office of Police Complaints large enough to continue to avoid developing a backlog of cases?
Yes, I would. The biggest reason is that I think everyone that has filed a complaint with OPC within the last 10 years has run into this issue. I have even seen it quite a bit on the listservs throughout the city.
AIDS AND PUBLIC HEALTH
4. Do you agree that the drive to make HIV testing routine among District residents should include funding for counseling and referrals to treatment facilities for those testing positive?
Yes, I do. The reason is that you have to have a resolution in place for those who are diagnosed. Just being diagnosed doesn’t do the resident any good if there is no funding for follow up or a resolution.
5. Are you committed to continuing and expanding the District’s condom distribution program?
Yes, I am. I would like to provide additional funding for the Department of Health/DCPS for this specific purpose. My goal is to provide literature, classes and awareness to residents about their importance in preventing unwanted pregnancies and stopping the spread of STDs. I also would like to promote campaigns through the media to put the importance of condoms in front of more District residents on a yearly basis.
6. The District is being forced by the federal government to switch from a unique identifier system to a names reporting system for people testing positive for HIV. Will you support legislation to strengthen our medical privacy laws, such as by creating a private right of action for those whose confidentiality is violated by District government employees or contractors?
Yes, I will support legislation to strengthen the medical privacy laws. I would like to do more research to see if a private right of action is the best solution, though.
HUMAN RIGHTS
7. Will you support a budget for the Office of Human Rights (OHR) large enough to allow it to reduce to 270 days the average gap between the time that a discrimination complaint is filed and the time OHR issues a finding of probable cause?
Yes, I am in total support of putting more money in their budget to reduce the amount of time it takes for OHR to make a decision whether they can move forward on a complaint or not.
8. Will you block ceremonial resolutions and otherwise decline to honor individuals or organizations that promote any sort of bigotry?
Yes, if necessary I would support legislation to reinforce the issue.
9. Are you committed to publicizing and enforcing the provisions of the D.C. Human Rights Act forbidding discrimination on the basis of gender identity or expression?
Yes, I am committed to promoting, publicizing and passing legislation to enforce those provisions. Again, I think everyone benefits from a well educated city.
10. Do you agree that the Director of the Office of Human Rights should be required to have professional training and experience in civil rights law enforcement?
Yes, but I will take it a step further. I think sensitivity and diversity training should be required for all employees of OHR.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
11. Do you support legal recognition of marriages between partners of the same sex?
Yes, I do support this type of recognition and will support legislation to bring it to the District. I know it’s an uphill battle, but at some point the climate in the District may be ripe. First, let’s see what happens with Congressional legislation for the vote in the House.
12. Will you support legislation in the District to continue expanding the existing domestic partnership program to include all relevant rights and responsibilities of marriage in D.C. law?
Yes, I will do that as well. The ultimate goal is for same sex marriages to have the same rights and benefits of traditional marriages. At some point Congress and the President may be willing to sign legislation to this end.
13. Will you support the legislative and/or regulatory changes necessary to ensure that the District recognizes civil unions, domestic partnerships and similar legal relationships established in other jurisdictions?
Yes, I will support legislation to that end.
14. Will you oppose legislation giving special benefits to PEPCO until it implements an equitable domestic partner benefit program?
I will oppose legislation to provide any special benefits to PEPCO or any other big company in the District that refuses to provide a legitimate, viable domestic partner benefit program. However, it looks like PEPCO will start in July, 2007.
15. Do you agree that private contractors doing business with the District should be required to provide domestic partner programs?
Yes, I agree. I think legislation should be passed that says that a company that does business with the District should provide some sort of domestic partner benefit. The biggest example would be health insurance providers that do business in the District.
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND YOUTH
16. Do you oppose both federal and local voucher programs that fund students in religious schools that are beyond the protections of the D.C. Human Rights Act?
I do. I believe it undermines the DC Public School system. I think with the help of the council and community based organizations we can put our school system back in order.
17. As a member of the Committee of the Whole which now has jurisdiction over the public school system, will you oppose the use of either federal or District taxpayer funds to promote “abstinence only until marriage” sex education that undermines safer-sex programs by discouraging the use of condoms and that effectively tells gay and lesbian students that they must remain celibate forever because they may not legally marry?
I will not oppose the use of federal or District taxpayer money to encourage Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) and other such programs. I also support the mandated Comprehensive Sexual Education program by the DC Board of Education.
CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES
18. As a member of the Public Works and Environment Committee which has jurisdiction over ABC licenses, will you support the relocation of the many gay bars and businesses that were displaced by the new ballpark, even if local NIMBYs and homophobes oppose them?
I will not support their relocation. I know many of them have already been displaced and have since moved to northern Virginia. Most of them that I know about have been in the District for some time and provide revenue to the city in the form of business taxes. This is a huge loss of income. I was against the baseball stadium in the first place. However, I will seek a remedy with my colleagues on the council to see that this doesn’t happen again in the District.
19. Will you support legislation to curb the abuses of NIMBYs who are now allowed to file an endless series of baseless complaints to harass or extort bars and restaurants?
Yes. I will support any legislation that seeks to cut down on government waste at taxpayers’ expense.
Please provide the URL for your campaign website, if you have one. We will include it on our candidate links page.
http://www.myspace.com/milliganforward4
http://milliganforward4.blogspot.com
http://www.milliganforward4.com
Your record is part of your rating. Please list any actions that you have taken that may help illustrate your record on behalf of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders.
I attend the Gay Pride Rally/March every year here in Washington DC.
