Charlotte, NC – The Mecklenburg County chapter of LGBTQ+ NC Democrats recently disclosed the outcomes of its county commission scorecard, evaluating candidates based on their responses to a questionnaire concerning issues affecting the local queer community.
Six candidates – Arthur Griffin, Jr., Leigh Altman, Yvette Townsend-Ingram, Mark Jerrell, Laura Meier, and Susan Rodriguez-McDowell – garnered excellent scores for their responses, demonstrating their dedication to LGBTQ+ inclusivity and support.
Promoting Inclusive Decision-Making
– Arthur Griffin, Jr: Underlined the importance of diversity and equity in decision-making, showcasing proactive efforts to foster relationships with the LGBTQ+ community to ensure their voices are represented.
– Leigh Altman: Encouraged greater participation of LGBTQ+ individuals in advisory boards and commissions, providing a link for applications and seeking support from LGBTQ+ Dems to inspire community members to apply.
– Yvette Townsend-Ingram: Emphasized the significance of LGBTQ+ representation in upholding democracy and human rights, advocating for the appointment of LGBTQ+ representatives to various boards to ensure equity and protection.
– Mark Jerrell: Advocated for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in decision-making processes, supporting measures for diversity, inclusion, education, collaboration, and addressing LGBTQ+ community issues.
– Laura Meier: Recognized the importance of inclusive language in advisory board applications and proposed direct outreach to LGBTQ organizations to encourage more applications and diverse representation.
– Susan Rodriguez-McDowell: Advocated for inclusive language in application forms, actively promoted LGBTQ+ community engagement, and supported LGBTQ+ members in advisory roles to ensure diversity and representation.
Addressing Rising HIV/AIDS Cases
– Arthur Griffin, Jr: Rated the county’s efforts as “average” in addressing HIV/AIDS prevention and care, suggesting areas for improvement in creative interventions and prevention strategies to combat the high rate of new HIV cases.
– Leigh Altman: Commended the county for expanding access to PrEP, robust community-based outreach, education, and testing, while acknowledging challenges related to social determinants of health affecting outcomes for those living with HIV.
– Yvette Townsend-Ingram: Rated the county’s efforts as “average,” commending the initiative while calling for more transparent benchmarks and data to gauge progress, emphasizing the importance of flexibility in strategy implementation.
– Mark Jerrell: Expressed concern over the limited effectiveness of current efforts in addressing rising HIV/AIDS cases, particularly among communities of color and socio-economically disadvantaged residents, advocating for increased collaboration, investments, and education.
– Laura Meier: Recognized the challenges posed by the pandemic in HIV testing outreach, underscored the need for targeted programs and expanded access to PrEP for underserved populations, pledging to prioritize HIV testing and programming in her service.
– Susan Rodriguez-McDowell: Rated the county’s efforts as “above-average,” citing progress in testing access, PrEP availability, and marketing campaigns, while supporting the “Getting to Zero” framework as a roadmap for addressing HIV locally.
The results of the Mecklenburg County Commission scorecard underscore the commitment of these six candidates to LGBTQ+ inclusion and ongoing efforts to address critical issues facing the queer community. For more information and detailed candidate responses, visit the Mecklenburg Democratic Party’s website.
