In a discussion with 44th Ward Alderman Tom Tunney (who is now running unopposed), the out politician discussed voter apathy, small business and a school for LGBT students.
Windy City Times: In a 2008 interview with Windy City Times, you mentioned that only one in four people votes in the 44the ward. As Lakeview is packed with a younger crowd, many of whom are new to the city, how have you worked towards engaging the young residents in Lakeview to make a difference by casting their votes?
Tom Tunney: Our voter turnout has been up and I think that's because I am working on national democratic issues. We had a huge spike under Barack Obama. And we had a nice significant uptake with the election of Gov. Quinn. I think, in a lot of ways, the community was very wary about the Republican challenger Bill Brady. I think with the mayoral excitement our numbers are up. I'm very satisfied with the work we've doing in terms of voter registration, especially in terms of the LGBT community.
WCT: There are a few openly gay candidates on the ballot this February. What advice would you have for openly gay candidates in the upcoming election?
Tom Tunney: I don't think there is as many as there should be.
I have given council to a lot of gay candidates and let them know what the job actually is! It's interesting to hear what an alderman can and cannot do.
WCT: How have other members of city council received you as an openly gay candidate?
Tom Tunney: My response on city council has been very respectful. I think there are some issues certainly that my colleagues have about their church teachings. I have people come up to me and say, "I can't do that because my opponent would really knock me on that."
It's really under the mayor's leadership that this tolerance for the LGBT community reverberates through the city council.
WCT: As an alderman, how may you assist in improving funding for HIV/AIDS treatment and education in your community and throughout the city?
Tom Tunney: I can tell you that on the city council I have been the leading advocate to increase an array of HIV services. Each year on budget time we work very closely with [local organizations] to make sure that resources are not only maintained but also increased. It is going to be especially important as we have a budget short fall to make sure there is somebody on the city council to protect those funds.
It has been an amazing opportunity to be on the council for when these decisions are finally resolved and convincing my colleagues that these issues affect the entire city of Chicago.
WCT: What steps have you taken to further HIV/AIDS treatment and education programs?
Tom Tunney: We have been working on prevention with the Department of Health and how to best use prevention funds. We are trying not just to be reactive but also proactive. As you know, most new transmissions are in the minority community. AIDS is deadly, not dead.
WCT: What are your thoughts on a school that would be designed specifically for LGBT students, like the Harvey Milk School in New York City?
Tom Tunney: I was involved in the early negotiations. That idea is still active in our community but I think we need to re-charge. There was some dissention on which avenue we should go.
A Harvey Milk type of school had been proposed, somewhat after the School of Social Justice in the Humboldt Park Neighborhood. Our ultimate goal is to make sure LGBT students feel protected in all their schools; we need to make sure there is a climate change on sex education and bullying issues.
I think the Board of Education would be receptive to it, but who is going to do the legwork?
As an alderman I am fully supportive and I am participatory but the onus needs to come from the education community and the community at large. I don't know how the Harvey Milk School got off the ground but we need to go back and look at that.
WCT: As a leader in Chicago's LGBT community, what do you feel is the biggest problem facing our community today?
Tom Tunney: We need to continue to work on is this whole concept of bullying with our youth and (I would venture to say) recognizing the importance of making sure that youths have role models—that [there is] an atmosphere of tolerance in everything they do. Coming out is still not an easy transition for society even in a tolerant city that Chicago has become.
The Center on Halsted has been a very good asset to the city to make sure that gay and lesbian youth are not only respected but are cultivated and becoming great members of society.
Another reason I am doing this job is because gays and lesbians are part of the cultural fabric of this city and are a part of the success of this city. There is a lot of isolation inside the [LGBT] community. Many of us do not have nuclear families. We're hopefully going to unveil a new senior LGBT affordable housing project on Addison and Halsted. The RFP has been out there and completed and we're hopefully going to announce who is going to be the development team. It talks about our needs for the community as they age in place.
WCT: A lot of your success in Chicago stemmed from small business. How have you continued to improve the entrepreneurial growth of small businesses in Chicago?
Tom Tunney: We have actually found new funding for the gay and lesbian chamber of commerce. Our chambers in Lakeview are very supportive. The economic climate of our city is at an all time low, certainly within our lifetime. [Because of this] more people will want to work for themselves.
My job is really to make sure we work with our chambers on streamlining regulations downtown and providing startup financing of small business of all types and trying to reduce some of the financial taxes. I have been the leading advocate on eliminating the employer expense tax. Everyone on council knows that's the most regressive tax, on the converse side we don't have a city tax.
WCT: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Tom Tunney: I want to emphasize that I am grateful for the opportunity to serve this ward for the next four years. I have a lot of projects I want to get done: more green space in our ward (there is a specific site on School Street I am working on), working on the gay and lesbian [senior housing project] on Addison/Halsted and redoing the shuttered hotel on Belmont and Sheffield. I have always managed the issues around Wrigley Field. There are new owners, but the commitments and neighborhood protections are still in place.
As far as being on the council at a time when the attitude is a little bit different is to make sure that the next mayor has the same respect for our community as our issues evolve.
