Responses of Joe Carrillo to GLAA 2007 Questionnaire
for D.C. Board of Education Candidates
[Note: this was received after GLAA's initial ratings meeting.It will be evaluated at GLAA's April 10 meeting.]
| Yes/No | Substance | Record | Championship | Total |
| 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 3 |
1. Do you recognize the right of our public school students to organize clubs to promote gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil rights, to combat homophobic and transphobic violence and prejudice, and to provide socializing opportunities for GLBT youth?
YES. There should be no tolerance for homophobic violence and prejudice. And I recognize these rights of public school students.
2. Do you recognize the right of students to bring dates of the same sex to school proms and other official public school social functions?
YES. I have been a consistent and open advocate against discrimination based on sexual orientation.
3. Will you oppose efforts to restrict or censor books or other materials in our public school libraries that discuss homosexuality in a positive and supportive manner?
YES. I oppose censorship and I support 1st amendment rights. In particular, I support the rights of public school students to have access to a wide variety of materials that allow them to explore and develop a strong sense of identity.
4. Do you support the right of non-profit groups to provide DCPS school libraries with gay-positive books which are openly displayed and freely available to all students?
YES. I support efforts to provide such materials for the school libraries.
5. Do you support efforts by Metro DC PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) to work constructively with our local public schools to provide support groups and to help implement anti-harassment policies?
YES. This is very important for the students in our schools. I also support school policies that require professional development that allows staff to better understand the range of issues facing student and families inclusive of the gay community.
6. Do you favor training programs for professional development of teachers, counselors, and other school system staff, such as those offered by the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL), to help these professionals nurture positive identity formation for GLBT students and prevent harassment and bullying in the classroom?
YES. This is important. It is important for the staff to have regular professional development in this area. This will assist the staff in serving the needs of our students, inclusive of the GLBT community. The professional development can assist in helping staff to understand the range of issues students and families encounter.
7. From time to time, D.C. public school teachers have invited openly gay men and women to speak in their classes and to answer students’ questions about homosexuality. Do you support the right of our teachers to continue inviting such speakers?
YES. Such appearances are important to provide a range of role models for students.
8. The recent report by the Appleseed Center detailed many shortcomings in the District’s condom distribution program, as only 125,000 condoms were distributed in 2005, far below the goal of 600,000. Will you support a reinvigoration of the DCPS condom availability program, operated by the Department of Health?
YES. I support this program as operated by the Department of Health. Condoms have been shown to provide protection from the transmission of various diseases.
9. Will you work to implement a comprehensive sex education program in the D.C. Public Schools that teaches that homosexuality is part of the normal range of human sexuality, consistent with existing DCPS policy?
YES. This type of program is critical to our community in view of the significant AIDS problem in DC. Frank and open discussions of the issues are important.
10. Will you oppose the use of either federal or District taxpayer funds to promote so-called “abstinence only until marriage” sex education that undermines safer-sex programs by discouraging the use of condoms and that effectively tells lesbian and gay male students that they must be celibate forever because they may not legally marry?
YES. These types of programs simply fail to prepare students for the reality of a changing society and serve as an impediment for making responsible life choices. Research has shown that these programs are not effective.
11. Do you support the full implementation of the DCPS Sexual Harassment and Harassment Policy, which protects public school students from physical and verbal abuse based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity (DCMR Title 5, Education: 2503.2.g-h)?
YES. I support this policy with enthusiasm.
12. Will you oppose both federally and locally funded voucher programs that fund students in religious schools that are beyond the protections of the D.C. Human Rights Act?
I do not support any public policy which exempts institutions from the protections of the D.C. Human Rights Act type of provisions. There are federal and state laws that protect all designated protected groups, and I support these laws.
Please provide the URL for your campaign website, if you have one. We will include it on our candidate links page.
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.
In 1998, I worked on the District of Columbia Public School anti discrimination law, regarding all protected groups. This law still stands today.
