Answers are in! Last update Aug 28, 2014, 12:12pm
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[tabs tabs=”Corey Allen, ,Dan Cullinane”]
[tab title=”Corey Allen”] www.coreyjallen.org (D) ~ Dean of Discipline, TechBoston Academy, worked as a statistician in Boston Globe Sports Department
The top three issues I will prioritize in my first term are public safety, career focused education and increase use and production of renewable technologies within the district.
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q2A” opened=”false”]Do you promise and pledge NOT to participate and/or march in the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade if it continues to exclude LGBTQ groups from participating?[/toggle] [/toggles]I WILL NOT march.
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q2B” opened=”false”]If you checked WILL MARCH, please explain your position or rationale? [/toggle] [/toggles] N/A [toggles] [toggle title=”Q3A” opened=”false”]Do you pledge to support the state legislature’s bill An Act Relative to HIV-Associated Lipodystrophy Treatment?[/toggle] [/toggles]
Yes.
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q3B” opened=”false”]What actions would you take to ensure that all residents have access to HIV/AIDS treatment, services & resources?[/toggle] [/toggles]Work with local churches, non-profits and national groups to provide services needed for HIV/AIDS education and services to those affected and their families.
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q3C” opened=”false”]Do you support and rate as important HIV prevention programs and initiatives, given that new HIV infections continue to increase, particularly disproportionately among gay and bisexual young men, especially those of color?[/toggle] [/toggles] Yes. [toggles] [toggle title=”Q4 ” opened=”false”]What steps will you take to decrease violence and increase safety for all residents in Dorchester?
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My work as a teacher, dean of discipline and community liaison has always been centered around critical thinking and stabilizing individuals and their surroundings. As a state representative, I will support proven methods of community development, such as outdoors markets, sporting events and social gatherings. I will also continue to engage “high impact” individuals and dialogue with them and their families to see what kind of resources can be provided before they commit crimes and/or enter into the justice system.
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q5 ” opened=”false”]What actions would you take to ensure that attention is brought to LGBT victims of violence including domestic violence, and what have you done to reduce violence against LGBT residents?[/toggle] [/toggles]
I will use my position as a state representative to advocate for and apply for increased funding to amplify mental health services within our communities.
In my work in the school, when students who are categorized as LGBT, I followed the Boston Public Schools guidelines to ensure that the issues they were facing were resolved and that they were protected to the best of my ability as a school staff member.
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q6A” opened=”false”]Conversion therapy for minors, people under the age of 18, which seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, has been shown in evidence, to be harmful to youth, and all leading behavioral and mental health organizations and associations oppose it due to lack of evidence, with science showing and noting its harmful effects. Anti-conversion therapy bills have become law in California and New Jersey (signed into law by Gov. Christie), and anti-conversion therapy bills are expected to be considered again in the coming legislative session in many states, including Massachusetts, which has a bill in place and ready for legislative action. (Other states expected to move forward with anti-conversion therapy bills, in reverse alphabetical order, are WA, PA, OH, NY, MN and FL).Do you promise to support Massachusetts’ state legislative bill against conversion therapy?
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Yes.
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q6B” opened=”false”]As you may know, death by suicide is the leading cause of death among LGBT youth. Approximately 40% of homeless youth are LGBT, and approximately 28% of LGBT youth drop out of high school because of verbal and physical abuse, harassment or bullying.Given these startling statistics, what actions have you taken or will you take to address these important issues?
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I have mentored LGBT students in my time as an educator, and as a state representative I will ensure that educators receive training on how to spot and address students that may be in need of additional services.
I did not receive formal training, but because of my personal experiences and relationships, I was able to provide this service to my students, but realizing that my path is a unique one, I will avail resources to school and community personnel to methodically address this crisis
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q7 ” opened=”false”]It is believed that there are anywhere between 1.6 to 3.2 million LGBT people who are age 65 or older. Many of these LGBT elders are invisible to mainstream elder service providers and also invisible to the LGBT community as a whole.What actions would you take to ensure that LGBT elders have access to elder services and resources and to increase access by making existing services culturally competent?
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I believe that neighborhood outreach, support groups and social actiivites are key to reaching out to elders. As LGBT elders, I am not familiar with why these elders would be “invisible”, but they are just as valuable as my grandmother, so I would do my best to provide them with the same services as if they were family members.
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q8A” opened=”false”]Do you pledge to support the state legislature’s bill, The Transgender Equality Bill? This bill would add gender identity and gender expression to existing state law against discrimination in public accommodations, such as restaurants, public libraries, and other public facilities, already in place regarding other protected classes (e.g. race, religion, sex, national origin, disability and sexual orientation)?[/toggle] [/toggles]
Yes.
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q8B” opened=”false”]Massachusetts’ education officials this past year have issued new guidelines governing the inclusion of transgender students, following the passage of state law in 2011 adding gender identity and gender expression protections to existing state law protecting sexual orientation to other protected classes in the areas of employment, housing, credit, hate crimes and public education.Do you support these guidelines?[/toggle] [/toggles]
Yes.
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q8C” opened=”false”]What actions will you take to insure the transgender community is treated with equal dignity and respect?[/toggle] [/toggles]
With my legislative power, support bills that work to ensure that transgender community is not discriminated against and as a man, have regular dialogue with leaders and activists in the transgender community so that as I am in my travels, I can speak with authority on the issues that members o the transgender community are facing and denounce them.
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q9 ” opened=”false”]How have you supported the LGBTQ community in the past?[/toggle] [/toggles]
As an educator, I have a history of working with the most “at-risk” students, often times because they seek me out. My work has included mentoring and guiding LGBT students without discrimination, but with love and compassion.
[toggles] [toggle title=”Q10″ opened=”false”] If endorsed by DotOUT, will you include this endorsement whenever you list, name or state endorsements (e.g. in promotions, flyers, letters to voters, ads, speeches and/or media interviews)?[/toggle] [/toggles]
ABSOLUTELY.
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[tab title=”Dan Cullinane”] www.dancullinane.com (D) ~ incumbent; former field director for Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry
1. Continuing to secure resources and funding for my district, like the $500,000 I was able to secure for the planting of trees in Mattapan Square and along Blue Hill Ave, and the $250,000 I was able to secure with Senator Dorcena Forry for the renovation of Ventura Park in Dorchester
2. Continuing to push for more mental healthcare access across my district, but particularly in Mattapan. I was very proud to bring mental healthcare to Mattapan for the first time ever by funding the new Mattapan Integrative Care Partnership. We need to keep pushing.
3. I was also proud to vote for the most comprehensive change to our gun laws in over 16 years just this week. Gun violence is far too common in many parts of my district, and I will continue to use my vote and my voice to make our community safer.
I WILL NOT march.
N/A
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Yes.
I look forward to working with my good friend and former colleague Carl Sciortino and the AIDS Action Committee of MA, as well as my colleagues in the Joint Committee on Public Health to find creative and practical ways to increase access to HIV/AIDS treatments for all of our residents suffering with this debilitating illness.
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Yes.
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I was proud to fight for and pass some of the most comprehensive gun law reforms in almost two decades this past legislative session. We must continue to try and keep guns off of our streets, and help people who are predisposed to criminal activity have access to better pathways for educational and career opportunities.
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The domestic violence bill we passed earlier this year will be key in diminishing the occurrence of domestic violence within the LGBTQ community be mandating tougher sentencing for abusers, and providing programs that both help the victim heal and reform the perpetrator.
Do you promise to support Massachusetts’ state legislative bill against conversion therapy?
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Yes.
Given these startling statistics, what actions have you taken or will you take to address these important issues?
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The anti-bullying bill we passed earlier this year contained many components that will mandate better reporting requirements in schools where LGBT students are being bullied or harassed. It also mandates more efficient programming in our schools to prevent bullying or better deal with the aftermath for those being bulled. I was also proud to work with Senator Linda Dorcena Forry to bring mental health services to Mattapan for the first time ever. The Mattapan Integrative Care Partnership works particularly with youth who have experience violence-related trauma, but it will undoubtedly treat students at the Mattahunt School who are experiencing mental health issues due to harassment for their sexual preference. More generally, I believe that we must reduce the stigma related to mental health care services in certain communities, and start to view it as an essential part of overall clinical care. By increasing access to quality mental health services, we can provide better help for those in the LGBT community struggling with undue harassment.
What actions would you take to ensure that LGBT elders have access to elder services and resources and to increase access by making existing services culturally competent?
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I will sit with management of Mass Senior Home Care and ETHOS, two of the largest elderly service providers in my district, to make sure their outreach efforts are inclusive of the LGBTQ community. Additionally, I will work closely with organizations such as MassEquality, who I am proud to say has endorsed my campaign, to make sure all elderly service providers operating in the Commonwealth are outreaching to and planning to serve the older LGBTQ population in MA.
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Yes.
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Yes.
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The anti-bullying legislation I was proud to support earlier this year will do much to make sure the transgender community is treated with equal dignity and respect, particularly in our schools where bullying is far too prevalent. I also believe we must continue to support the new guidelines extending protected class status to transgender students in the areas of employment, housing, credit, hate crimes, and public education.
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I have always been a supporter of making sure people can love whoever they want without being prejudiced against in school, in the workplace, or at home. I am a proud DotOUT member, and even helped build floats with my wife before the DotOUT parade last year! I will continue to use my voice and my vote to ensure that those in the LGBTQ community can count on state government to be a strong partner in protecting their rights.
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Yes.