HUD Town Hall Meeting on LGBT Housing Discrimination in San Francisco

Raphael Bostic, HUD Assistant Secretary, Ken Stram, Director of Economic Development at the SF LGBT Community Center, and Theresa Sparks, Executive Director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission

More than 120 people gathered in the San Francisco LGBT Community Center’s Rainbow Room on March 1 for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Town Hall Meeting on housing discrimination against the LGBT community.

The attentive audience was drawn by the news that the HUD bureaucrats would be traveling to San Francisco to listen to citizens’ comments about the proposed national study on home sale and rental bigotry. HUD assistant secretaries Raphael Bostic and John Trasviña made it clear that because same-sex marriage is still not a national reality, the State of California and the City of San Francisco can provide expansive protection against unfair treatment. And they stated that since HUD is a landlord, they can work against housing discrimination toward LGBT citizens and people with HIV/AIDS in their properties.

The listening part of the meeting brought a convergence of some well known community activists to the microphone:

Melanie Nation of the County of Marin Human Rights Commission spoke about the shocking cases of discrimination she had encountered.

AIDS Housing Alliance executive director Brian Basinger said that he has been trying for years to get HUD and people with AIDS together, and he said that he wanted the reality of gay poverty and homelessness to be made known. He added that more government funding would then be possible because the need would be established.

Tommi Avicolli Mecca from the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco backed up what Basinger said by describing in detail the myth of widespread gay wealth and its origins. And Avicolli Mecca said that sexual orientation and gender identity should be included in the HUD guidelines in receiving housing funding for tangible change. He told the harrowing story of a battered homeless queer youth and the need for more shelters and permanent housing for LGBT youth.

AIDS Legal Referral Panel (ALRP) executive director Bill Hirsh spoke about his organization’s work to provide legal advice to people with HIV/AIDS and how he hoped that HUD would support ALRP’s efforts in serving more than 2,000 clients a year.

San Francisco City Supervisor David Campos and Cecilia Chung, president of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, eloquently spoke from the stage about the toll of discrimination on the community, and they welcomed the HUD listening tour to the event at The Center.

Raphael Bostic, HUD Assistant Secretary, Brian Basinger, AIDS Housing Alliance Executive Director, John Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary, and Cecilia Chung, President of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission

AIDS Legal Referral Panel Celebrates 26 Years

AIDS Legal Referral Panel (ALRP) celebrated 26 years at their annual From the Heart Reception and Auction held at the War Memorial Building Green Room in San Francisco on October 14, 2009. The event drew a large turnout that filled the room with attorneys, legal staffers, and their friends. ALRP has handled over 50,000 legal matters, with the skills of more than 700 attorneys since 1983.

The event began with enthusiastic ALRP executive director Bill Hirsh’s welcome. He thanked all the donors for their help in making it possible for ALRP services to reach people with HIV/AIDS. Then he introduced progressive icon California State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, who made a point of inviting the guests to get in touch with his office with their concerns and needs.

The awards presentation began when host San Francisco City Supervisor David Campos, the popular Mission District activist, was introduced and he announced the Clint Hockenberry Award for Larry Katzin. Katzin spoke with emotion about meeting with men who were dying of AIDS, to help them with their legal needs. He stepped from the stage and was surrounded by his friends and co-workers. Amir Atashi Rang was honored with the Attorney of the Year Award, and his family was there to applaud him. Jones Day was awarded Law Firm of the Year and attorney Kevyn Orr accepted the plaque, with complimentary remarks.

California State Senator Mark Leno’s aide Anna Damiani was introduced and her proclamations for the honorees were distributed. There also were proclamations from US Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and San Francisco Assessor Phil Ting.

The auction had extraordinary items to peruse, and the clever Frank Bizzarro of Bizzarro's Gala Auctions took over with assistance from effervescent ALRP development director Jim McBride to raise a large amount of much-needed funds.

Notables at the reception included activist attorney Paul Melbostad, BALIF (Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom) co-chair Rebecca Prozan, and Project Open Hand executive director Tom Nolan. The buffet featured lamb chops, the most desired hors d’oeuvres of the year. Gilead and Target were two of the major donors, and their generosity was applauded.

Executive director Bill Hirsh’s warm closing remarks were a signal for silent auction bidders to rush to the hallway where winners’ names were posted. ALRP volunteer coordinator Ana Montano deserves much of the credit for the event’s success, and her mastery of matching of workers to duties should be the envy of professional party consultants.

[Photo caption: 10/14/09 — Attorney Kevyn Orr accepts the ALRP Law Firm of the Year Award on behalf of Jones Day.]