Responses of Joshua Lopez to GLAA 2011 Special Election Questionnaire
for DC Council Candidates
| Yes/No | Substance | Record | Championship | Total |
| 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 2.5 |
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
1. In the event of congressional action leading to a ballot initiative in the District that would take away the civil marriage rights now enjoyed by same-sex couples, will you oppose the initiative and publicly campaign for the preservation of civil marriage equality?
Yes, I will publicly campaign to preserve civil marriage equality. I believe all citizens should have equal rights no matter what their sexual orientation.
PUBLIC HEALTH
2. Will you support legislation giving the directors of the Office of GLBT Affairs and the Office of African Affairs the authority to issue competitive grants as other minority constituent offices have, that will be open to organizations serving the populations within the offices’ purview?
YES
3. Describe steps you will support to improve performance at the HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, STD, and TB Administration (HAHSTA), including in HIV prevention, HIV/AIDS surveillance, and mental health services.
I would introduce legislation that would ask for this training to be instituted in job training programs around the city and make sure it is taught in the school system. Students need to know about preventative methods and workers should be aware of its presence on the job.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE JUDICIARY
4. Will you support a budget for the Office of Police Complaints large enough to avoid developing a backlog of cases?
YES, this falls under constituent services, an issue I feel strongly about. Residents should feel comfortable in issuing complaints about police service and should know that their complaints are being taken in consideration and under review in a timely manner.
5. Will you support efforts to rein in police officials who respond to legitimate crime concerns with unsustainable, media-centric quick fixes that infringe constitutionally protected civil liberties? And will you do so without waiting for courts to overturn them, as the U.S. Court of Appeals did to the Neighborhood Safety Zone initiative in 2009?
YES
6. Will you press for increased oversight of the Metropolitan Police Department’s gathering and analysis of crime statistics to ensure greater comprehensiveness and objectivity, including transgender-related hate crime data?
YES. Everyone should be subjected to the same quality off service by MPD no matter what their gender, race or age.
HUMAN RIGHTS
7. Will you support a budget for the Office of Human Rights large enough to allow it to keep the backlog at below 70 aged cases; keep below 210 days the average time it takes to issue a probable cause finding; and expand education, prevention, and language access efforts?
I think it’s important to evaluate the current system and then figure out a way we can best utilize the resources we have and reallocate funds necessary to provide for better quality and efficiency.
8. Are you committed to including a transgender representative on the D.C. Commission on Human Rights?
Yes!
9. 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?
Absolutely. If any office should be well informed about civil rights law enforcement it should be this office. They answer questions and concerns about these issues on a regular basis and should be equipped in the proper knowledge to serve.
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND YOUTH
10. Will 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?
Yes.
11. 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 excluding more comprehensive information?
I oppose taking any funds that would undermine safer sex programs but I do believe both options should be discussed in the educational arena.
CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES
12. Do you support the right of adults in the District to choose adult-oriented entertainment for themselves, and the right of appropriately licensed and zoned businesses to provide it?
YES
13. Will you support legislation to curb abuses by NIMBYs who are now allowed to file an endless series of baseless complaints to harass or extort bars and restaurants?
I would support legislation that would bring a balance to this issue. I believe this is an issue that should be further discussed. This is a quality of life issue that people are entitled to and I believe it is also a community issue that should be discussed by both parties.
14. What are your thoughts regarding GLAA’s proposal, explained in Agenda: 2010, to mitigate the problems associated with prostitution by legalizing and regulating it? What will you do to provide alternatives to survival sex for at-risk populations like homeless youth and transgenders?
I think this is an issue that needs to be discussed further. It seems regulation would be an option but researching other effective ways to serve this at-risk population should be explored.
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.
Featured speaker for Latinos en Accion. A latino lgbt group. Supporter of the annual Gay pride parade and high heel race.
