On April 29, Aldermen Roberto Maldonado ( 26th Ward ) , Joe Moreno ( 1st Ward ) , Helen Shiller ( 46th Ward ) and Tom Tunney ( 44th Ward ) gathered in City Council chambers to hear testimony on homophobic and transphobic hate crimes in Chicago.
The Chicago City Council's Human Relations Committee convened the meeting. In December 2009, Tunney and former 1st Ward Alderman Manuel Flores had sponsored a resolution requesting a hearing to evaluate and analyze hate crimes. The resolution was in response to the November 2009 murder of 19-year-old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado in Puerto Rico ( WCT 11.17.09 ) . The extremely brutal murder sent shock waves through the worldwide LGBT community and spurred vigils across Chicago's LGBT and Latino communities.
Commander Daniel Alvarado and Sgt. Allison Johnson, head of the Chicago Police Department's ( CPD's ) Civil Rights Unit, provided an overview of diversity training provided for new recruits. Johnson noted that materials related to LGBT hate crimes as well as other protected groups are rotated during morning roll call and also used when officers receive promotion. She stated that the training video is currently being reviewed and updated. Tunney and Shiller requested further information on the age of the materials and requested further discussion about engaging the community in curriculum review and development.
With Johnson agreeing to the concept of setting up a protocol for community involvement further discussion ensued about the need to enhance cultural sensitivity training in city areas beyond the 23rd and 19th districts. Alderman Moreno asked if the training specifically addresses the dual identities of LGBTs who are Latino/a or African-American and Johnson emphasized that hate crimes identification and prevention training was geared toward all protected classes.
Vernita Gray and Anne Huffman, both from the state's attorney's office, reviewed the process by which a hate crime is investigated, charged and prosecuted, stressing the need for victim advocacy and support, the importance of victims to come forward and the importance of cooperation between CPD and the state's attorney.
Sara Bales spoke on behalf of Dana Starks for the Chicago Commission on Human Relations. Bales explained the function of the commission as regards hate crimes. Bill Greaves, director of the LGBT advisory council, provided available data on hate crimes in Chicago. Discussion ensued with general agreement that statistics need to be better, but that part of the challenge is from low reporting by victims.
For more than an hour, representatives from community organizations testified, providing case studies and data, as well as impassioned calls to action for better support from government agencies in fighting hate crimes and the homophobia, transphobia and social conditions that feed the violence. Testifying were: Ryan Erickson, Center on Halsted; Dr. Kelly Ducheny, Howard Brown Heath Center/Broadway Youth Center; Edwin Corbin Gutierrez, Association of Latino Men for Action ( ALMA ) ; Ruben Feliciano, Boricua Pride; Sol A. Flores, La Casa Norte; Juan Calderon, Vida/Sida; Kim Hunt, Affinity; and Frank Walker, Youth Pride Center.
Gutierrez gave especially powerful testimony, providing what Tunney called "staggering" statistics. Gutierrez stated that "Latino gay and bisexual Latinos, youth, gender-nonconforming Latinos, and transgender persons of color [ who ] face multiple vulnerabilities." He focused on the problems faced by males who "considered themselves effeminate or were perceived as effeminate" and talked about harassment by police officers as well as difficulties in school and within the family.
Concluding his remarks, Gutierrez stated: "ALMA is making a formal recommendation…that trained liaisons be stationed throughout the city. These liaisons would enable Latino LGBT people to report hate crimes and not feel discriminated [ against ] because of who they are. It is also important that these liaison and/or officers be bilingual and bicultural. These liaisons could be current police officers and ALMA, as an organization that works on issues of discrimination, would be willing to work with the city on developing training for these liaisons."
Currently, there is one police officer serving as an LGBT liaison for the entire city.
The meeting adjourned with no additional hearings or action called for at the time.
