Ray Johnson._________
Out and proud Oak Park Board of Trustees incumbent Ray Johnson has a strong record of fighting for LGBT rights, and wants nothing more than to be able to continue doing so.
Johnson is up for re-election April 17. He is the only Illinois candidate endorsed by the Victory Fund., the nation's largest LGBT political action committee.
He has worked diligently in the LGBT community, such as lending a hand in 2006 to help Fair Illinois get an anti-gay marriage amendment off of the ballot. He is a member of the Oak Park Area Lesbian & Gay Association ( OPALGA ) , and played a key role in helping form the state's first domestic partner registry.
Topping Johnson's list of priorities is maintaining diversity within Oak Park, improving the quality of the village's public schools and keeping the area affordable for middle-income residents and families.
OPALGA recently released a candidate questionnaire report for the trustee election. In it, Johnson states his continued support for the domestic partner registry, his support for adding protections for transgender people and creating a non-discrimination requirement for all Oak Park businesses, as well as a desire to fully engage the area's entire LGBT community.
Johnson spoke with Windy City Times about what he's brought to the table, the importance of gays and lesbians in local government and much more.
Windy City Times: What are some of the most important things you feel you have brought to the table so far on the Board of Trustees?
Ray Johnson: There are certainly several things. … I've been humbled but proud of the fact that a great many citizens refer to my service in very positive terms, and use language like 'common sense,' 'hard-working,' 'always well-prepared' and 'dedicated to the job.' In fact, I counted my attendance at 950 events over the last four years, and that includes meetings and special events in the community. That's what public service is all about. You get more than you give, is how I look at it. It's incredibly rewarding and challenging but, in the end—especially regarding Oak Park and its long history with regard to issues of diversity and trying to make Oak Park such a special place—you get a sense of purpose that exudes through and from people to have a high quality of life with a dedication to doing what's right.
More specific issues that I'm most proud of cover everything, like the Brownfields Redevelopment. You had a former coal tar plant that had tanks that had leaked, so it was a massive environmental clean-up project. I had joined the board in the middle of that project, and had to craft a neighborhood rebuilding process and came up with a loan and grant program for residents who wanted to stay in the neighborhood. They weren't able to have access to their homes for nearly four years due to home improvement, so we created an innovative program to help facilitate their home's renovations. At the same time, [ there were ] buyouts to people who lived along the perimeter of the park and had [ to deal with ] contaminated soil so they could get on with their lives. I take that as a [ major ] accomplishment because I worked hard in a leadership role to advance that program.
In addition, intergovernmental cooperation has never been more important. There's a strong link to Oak Park's values through strong schools. Our village board assisted our local elementary school district with financial resources to help put off teacher cuts and larger class sizes by paying for transportation costs and the school's multicultural center, which is used, really, by the whole community to have a better sense and understanding of the various cultures in Oak Park and why it's important to celebrate those cultures. I led the effort on that and worked to understand school funding issues, and how the village could build stronger partnerships with the elementary school district.
And, of course, the Gay Games. I give Tracy [ Baim, publisher of Windy City Media Group ] kudos to making sure Oak Park was part of that and I was part of that. Just the other day, on the campaign trail, people had fond, fond memories of that week last summer, where everything just clicked for the village and our best face was shown. I remember on day one, when it was so chaotic and hot, and we didn't have enough ice and water, and residents came up [ and ] started delivering water and beverages and sandwiches. Whatever we needed. We call it the Village of Oak Park and we have 52,000 people but, in many ways, it really is a village—a committed, wonderful place to serve in a public role as an elected official.
WCT: What are some of your goals for next time around, if you are re-elected?
RJ: There are several. There's really much work to be done. I'm really proud that I'm running with a team of people who share the Oak Park values of diversity [ called Citizens for Progressive Action; other members include Jan Pate, Jon Hale and John Hedges ] . … Instead of doing a traditional party platform, we actually created six action agendas. We've been walking the community since November.
That's probably one of my number one proud achievements. For the past two years I have randomly selected a neighborhood to walk once a month on a Saturday for three hours, and I knock on every door. I don't care if they voted, never voted, are new to this community—I knock on every door. I leave information behind with how to contact me if there are issues, talk to people about what their concerns or needs are, and [ discuss ] where they think the village board needs to focus to keep the community better. In any event, the four of us have been walking since November, and we've created six action agendas. If elected, this is really our road map.
WCT: Why is it so important to have an openly gay member on the Board of Trustees in Oak Park?
RJ: I think every elected body should fully represent the community, and this is certainly one way to do that, to ensure there is an open and out LGBT person in every elected body, from library boards to the village boards. Of course, I think we can all agree we have much to do in that area on the state and federal level because we are not represented. It's important for LGBT people to get involved locally in government. In Oak Park, we are fortunate to have 28 citizen commissions, so there are many, many ways to volunteer and to be involved in public policy. That's how I started [ on citizens commissions ] .
… When we go to Springfield and Washington, if we are going to talk about gay marriage, for instance, elected officials often times want to hear it from other elected officials. We put a different face on it, and we can say, 'Hey, there is no gay way to fill a pothole, but human rights and civil rights for all people is crucial.' We can have an impact on that area when we are talking to our state and federal officials about issues that affect the broader community.
WCT: Now what are some key ways in your position that you can help advance, or have advanced, the LGBT community in Oak Park?
RJ: That's always an interesting question, and sometimes a difficult one to answer. I think there are times when the non-LGBT public has this perception of what it means to be a lesbian or gay person—and often, it's a significant misperception. I had someone at a coffee during this campaign refer to our 'lifestyle.' Well, we all take a deep breath, don't we [ when we hear that ] ? Well, yes, I have a lifestyle, which is to pay my taxes and go grocery shopping, if that's what you mean.
I think it's very, very important that all of us work shoulder to shoulder. If I can help be that person and be out and open and proud of who I am as a person, and to say, 'You know, I'm the village trustee who happens to be gay,' rather than a 'gay trustee'—that resonates with people and that changes people's perception. … When you start breaking down those perceptions and barriers and the root cause of discrimination of LGBT people, as an elected official who is open and out, nothing can make you prouder because you are hoping you are making a difference, especially for young people who may be struggling. I'm just out there.
WCT: And you've also done a lot of other things for the LGBT community, such as involvement with OPALGA and Fair Illinois.
RJ: Absolutely. You can let public service take everything out of you, and I work hard to ensure that doesn't happen. So, I'm involved in everything from the Great Lakes Alliance … and then sit at a computer and check voter registration roles so we can boot the anti-gay marriage amendment off the ballot in Illinois. Your soul gets rejuvenated when you do those volunteer efforts. I don't send out press releases about it; I don't trumpet it. It's just something you do. It makes you a well-rounded person, I think. It's just good to be out there in the community, such as my neighborhood walks once a month.
If you only listen to the people who come to you to share their viewpoint, those are the people who are the most passionate about their viewpoint. You're not hearing from what we've termed the 'silent majority,' or the silent minority. You need to hear from those people. You need to be engaged in the community. That's why I'm a member of everything from the NAACP to the Oak Park Area Lesbian & Gay Association, to stay connected to the people.
So many people think an e-mail is enough. No. You need to build the relationships and have that human contact and interaction. I take that seriously.
See progressiveaction.net for more information.
