In his 13 months in office, Mayor Rahm Emanuel dissolved the decades-old Advisory Council on LGBT Issues, dismissed the LGBT liaison to the city and ended the tradition of holding a mayor's Pride reception.
At the same time, he kept HIV/AIDS funding intact in a year when nearly everything else got slashed, and he joined the "Mayors for the Freedom to Marry" campaign, making a national statement about his support for same-sex marriage. He also attended the city's first civil unions and appointed respected lesbian activist Mona Noriega to head the Commission on Human Relations.
Just days before the Pride Parade, Windy City Times caught up with Emanuel to talk about LGBT issues facing the city, the tough cuts that were made and his plans for LGBT health initiatives.
While WCT had intended to ask about bullying and school issues, the interview was cut short. Prior to the interview, the mayor's office said that he would not comment on the Chicago Police Department's transgender policy, which is up for consideration in both the City Council and within the department. His office also confirmed that the Chicago Department of Public Health is conducting a search for a director of the Office of LGBT Health, a position that has been vacant for two years.
Finally, while the mayor could not answer specifics about the re-formation of the advisory councils (the LGBT council was supposed to be replaced with one on LGBT and women's issues) and the Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame, he did promise follow-up information.
Windy City Times: What are your plans for this Pride Weekend?
Rahm Emanuel: Well, I've got some stuff with my family, but I'm definitely going to be in the parade and do some stuff also with the gospel festival.
WCT: What do you think are the biggest issues facing LGBT people in the city right now?
Rahm Emanuel: Look, I think there are a number of issues. I mean we've got some concern; there's health issues, there's safety issues, there's community-based issues. While I think there are some things that are particular, I think at least coming from where I came from, [people can] take stock of what our president [Obama] has done, whether it's on hate crimes, repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Here in the city—or in the state, rather—civil unions and the issue of gay marriage, and also realize what our legislative battles and other civil-rights battles are. And I think the most important one, obviously, is gay marriage. Also, personally, I am proud of what our administration has done and the people I've appointed and the policies I've pursued. But I would say … the issues facing the city are the issues facing the community.
WCT: Trans issues have been really big in Chicago this year. We had a trans murder. What are your thoughts about what the city needs to do to protect trans individuals?
Rahm Emanuel: The way I look at it is maybe you would ask it that way, but the goal is to bring safety to everybody regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. So while we've had an incident in the transgender area—a crime incident—I want the police department, if there are particular hate crimes or anything, I want to deal with that. That's very specific to a community. But my goal is to deal with crime regardless of the victim's background, and that's the way I'm approaching it.
WCT: Can you talk a little bit about the decision to cut back on the identity-based advisory councils?
Rahm Emanuel: Well, you know, look, first of all, I don't want [separated] boards. I'm interested in the actions we take, not so much who is on what board and the politics around a board.
I want to make sure that at the health goals we have for the city under [Health Commissioner] Dr. [Bechara] Choucair. Tell me if that's not reflective of the concerns of the gay and lesbian and transgender community. There are also the concerns I have for our public health. There's a lot in there. I'd rather make sure the policies that we're pursuing—the dollars we have—are in the right place, rather than, "Do I have a good cross-section of a community on a board?" You can get too caught up with that and miss what I think are the real things here, which are, you know, the policies we pursue.
There's no shortage [regarding] the diversity of my staff—both my staff and the commissioners, which I would stack that up against anybody. So, can you point to, okay, where's the board, which has had a series of appointments in the gay and lesbian community? But look at a cross-section of my entire cabinet.
WCT: So is the argument there—
Rahm Emanuel: No wait, I'm not done.
WCT: Okay, sorry.
Rahm Emanuel: Has that ever been noted—how many gays and lesbians I've appointed on my own staff, and the policies I pursue? So if the question is policies, representation on staff, representation in the cabinet, than a board, I'm proud of what we've assembled. [I'm also proud of] the cross-section of and the diversity and the breadth of people and their experiences and not pigeonholing people, saying, "Okay, this is your board. This is where you go." That's the wrong way to do politics.
WCT: One of the arguments that has also been made about this is that you might be focusing more on LGBT policy than your predecessor, that this might be a move away from more social programs to policy. Would you agree with that?
Rahm Emanuel: That's for others who have time to analyze whether my predecessor did "X" and I'm doing "Y." I want to make sure that what we're doing is consistent with my values and my goals for the city, and reflect what I think are important things for the city and make sure that the gay and lesbian community feels they are members of our city.
They're our parents, they're our teachers, they're our police officers, they're our firefighters, they're our doctors, they're our nurses, they're our marketing executives, our architects. And I want that feeling that they are fully integrated into the fabric of our city. And I think there's no doubt, you can say that that's true of my own administration.
WCT: That's fine. So Obama's marriage announcement … a lot of people have argued that he was supportive of gay marriage before and then was not. I'm wondering what your conversations were with the president about—
Rahm Emanuel: I don't talk about my conversations with the president. That's just off-limits.
WCT: Okay. Well, did you have a reaction to his coming out in support of gay marriage?
Rahm Emanuel: I'm supportive of his position. I'm supportive of his record. I'd like everybody to remember: He signed [the] hate-crimes [bill]. This is the president who directed the justice department to start pursuing the DOMA cases. He repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." He gave full visiting rights to partners in hospitals. And now, gay marriage.
Look at the record … more work has been accomplished after years of toiling in the fields on civil liberties and civil rights as it relates to gays and lesbians than any other president, while major other issues are going on. So I stand with him. I'm proud we passed in this state, early on, civil unions, and I hope we pass legislation as it relates to gay marriage. And I support the president. Okay?
WCT: A lot of people praised you because you didn't cut HIV funding for this year despite some really hard decisions. Do you have a sense what the situation for AIDS funding will be in the coming year?
Rahm Emanuel: You have the best knowledge about what I did last year. I haven't gone yet through a budget meeting for this year but when I do, you know my values. Okay?
WCT: There was also concern in the community that the Merlo Library [in Lakeview, which houses a large LGBT collection] could be cut last year. Is that on the table?
Rahm Emanuel: I can't address that at this point. It's not that it's not on the table, or that it is on the table. I haven't had a meeting on the Merlo library.
WCT: You mentioned Healthy Chicago and the LGBT plan. Can you talk a bit about the list of priorities it names and why you think the LGBT plan, in particular, is important?
Rahm Emanuel: Dr. Choucair put a plan together that reflects what we're trying to do [concerning] public health; whether that's issues of AIDS and other type of illness, we should have a goal. It also includes smoking. It also includes weight reduction. Those are also public-health goals. But it's inclusive, which is what I want it to be, and it's reflective of the entire city and all its important communities. Okay?
Look, I have to go. I have to go to this meeting.
WCT: Just have one more question?
Rahm Emanuel: Yeah.
WCT: A lot of LGBT people have been worried, because of the cuts especially to the LGBT advisory council, that you are perhaps not supportive of LGBT people. Is there a message you want to send to them?
Rahm Emanuel: Look at the people I've appointed. Look at the policies I've pursued. I think there's a few voices … I don't think the voices reflect the community. When George Bush was president, I got federal funding for the [Center on Halsted]. I'm a consistent advocate for the gay and lesbian community issues and also appointments. And I would challenge anybody: Have you ever seen an administration with this great of breadth and depth from the gay and lesbian community?
