Voters Guide Candidates for Erie County Executive, Erie County Council, Erie City Mayor, and Erie City Council were asked about their positions on LGBTQIA+ issues. Their responses appear below These were the questions asked for all races: The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Municipal Equality Index (MEI) https://hrcprod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ MEI-2020-Erie-Pennsylvania.pdf?mtime=2020 1202124502&focal=none, Erie has zero points for domestic partner benefits for city/county employees. What strategies would you use to address this?. How would you assure that Erie implements city/county contractor nondiscrimination policies? To what extent have you participated in LGBTQIA+ Cultural Competency Training? What types of training would you recommend for 1.) city staff & 2.) council members? What strategies would you use to include and engage LGBTQIA+ organizations and community members in developing policy and legislation? Share a time/moment when you influenced or were positively influenced by the LGBTQIA+ community.
County Executive
HRC MEI Score Tyler Titus (D) Assuring that all families are honored and protected has to be a top priority of county government. As County Executive I will work closely with the City and County Councils to advocate on behalf of domestic partner benefits. My experience working with various stakeholders as the president of the Erie School Board prepares me to effectively advocate for this change. © 2021 EGN
Brenton Davis (R) I believe Erie County should lead the way in eliminating workplace discrimination, not only hiring decisions and private contracts, but also in the rights and privileges afforded to our employees.
Contractor Non Discrimination Policies
Tyler Titus (D) As an active queer advocate who has assisted in constructing and revising nondiscrimination policies across the region and state, I am prepared to ensure our county procedures uphold this inclusive, necessary value. Brenton Davis (R) As a Military Officer, we are required to complete annual sensitivity training across a wide range of subjects. I would leave my decisions to the Human Resources experts to ensure Erie County is not only compliant with existing laws but fosters a healthy, professional, and inclusive environment. An effective leader knows their own limitations, recognizes the experts within their fields, and gives them the autonomy to improve the organization.
Cultural Competency Training
Tyler Titus (D) Over the past decade, I have had the privilege of conducting queer competency trainings across the country. I believe training is an excellent way to introduce topics, but that it needs to move into actionable items such as policy updates, procedural adjustments, and proactive steps to protect all community members, especially those most at risk of systemic harm within the queer community. Brenton Davis (R) I plan to continue to build coalitions across diverse groups of residents to aid The Erie County Executive’s office in making decisions through multiple lenses and draw upon the broad base of experiences.
Erie Gay News - October 2021 - Issue 311
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