Washington
Mayor
Adrian
Fenty’s
nominee
for
director
of
the
Office
of
Human
Rights
met
this
month
with
local
gay
groups,
assuring
them
that
he
will
aggressively
enforce
city
laws
banning
discrimination
against
gays
and
transgender
people.
In
testimony
before
a
City
Council
hearing
on
Feb.
9,
Gustavo
Velasquez
characterized
as
unfounded
concerns
by
some
activists
that
his
lack
of
specific
experience
in
civil
rights
law
enforcement
could
hinder
his
ability
to
operate
the
office.
Velasquez
served
as
head
of
the
city’s
Office
of
Latino
Affairs
under
former
Mayor
Anthony
Williams.
He
told
Councilmember
Carol
Schwartz
(R-At-Large),
who
chaired
the
Feb.
9
hearing,
that
he
has
more
than
10
years
of
management
and
administrative
experience
in
local
government
and
the
private
sector.
“He
seems
to
have
been
shoved
from
his
former
position
as
director
of
the
Office
of
Latino
Affairs
into
OHR
as
merely
one
outcome
of
some
Byzantine
machinations
by
Mayor
Fenty’s
people,”
said
Craig
Howell,
in
testimony
on
behalf
of
the
Gay
&
Lesbian
Activists
Alliance.
Howell
noted
that
Velasquez’s
lack
of
background
in
civil
rights
law
was
in
marked
contrast
to
the
person
he
is
to
replace,
Kenneth
Saunders,
an
attorney
with
extensive
experience
in
the
field
of
discrimination
law.
“But
dissatisfied
as
we
are,”
Howell
said,
“we
must
confess
that
we
have
been
favorably
impressed
by
Mr.
Velasquez
over
the
last
few
weeks
…
He
strikes
us
as
energetic,
conscientious,
eager
to
learn
and
dedicated
to
establishing
and
maintaining
good
communications
with
anyone
with
a
stake
in
the
vigorous
enforcement
of
our
landmark
D.C.
Human
Rights
Law.”
Howell
said
GLAA
would
neither
support
nor
oppose
Velasquez’s
confirmation.
Among
those
supporting
Velasquez’s
nomination
at
the
hearing
was
Jay
Haddock,
the
openly
gay
chair
of
the
city’s
Commission
on
Latino
Affairs.
Haddock
said
he
was
favorably
impressed
with
Velasquez’s
accomplishments
at
the
Latino
affairs
office.
LOU
CHIBBARO
JR.
Virginia
lesbian
claims
discrimination
in
custody
case
A
homeless
Virginia
lesbian
battling
with
her
parents
and
the
state’s
Child
Protection
Services
over
custody
of
her
2-year-old
son
says
she’s
being
portrayed
as
a
bad
mother
because
she’s
gay.
Christina
Cimino,
21,
hopes
to
get
custody
of
her
son,
Justin,
so
she
and
her
girlfriend,
Heather
Ward,
26,
can
raise
him
together.
Justin
is
now
in
the
care
of
Cimino’s
parents,
Carol
and
Dominick
Cimino
of
Fairfax,
Va.
Until
December,
Christina
Cimino
lived
at
her
parent’s
house
with
her
son
but
CPS,
a
division
of
the
state’s
Department
of
Social
Services,
was
notified
around
that
time
that
Justin
was
not
being
cared
for
properly.
They
investigated
and,
according
to
Christina,
declared
her
a
“level
one”
threat
to
her
son.
“It’s
preposterous,”
Christina
says.
“I
never
knew
it
was
a
crime
to
be
a
lesbian.”
Dominick
Cimino,
63,
says
the
story
is
not
that
simple.
He
and
Carol,
50,
say
Christina
suffers
from
bipolar
disorder,
refuses
to
take
appropriate
medication
and
showed
no
interest
in
Justin.
“She
came
and
went
as
she
pleased,”
Dominick
says.
“She
never
bonded
with
him.”
He
claims
his
daughter
is
using
her
homosexuality
as
an
excuse.
“She’s
grasping
for
straws,
but
that’s
not
the
issue.
It’s
more
neglect.”
A
hearing
last
week
in
Juvenile
&
Domestic
Relations
District
Court
of
Fairfax
County
determined
that
Christina
is
not
fit
to
care
for
her
son,
though
she
was
granted
a
one-hour
visit
with
him
on
his
birthday
last
week.
Carol
and
Dominick
Cimino
are
seeking
full
custody
of
Justin
in
hopes,
they
say,
of
keeping
him
out
of
foster
care.
Neither
Christina
nor
her
parents
claim
to
know
who
notified
CPS.
Belinda
Buescher,
public
information
officer
for
CPS,
said
she
was
not
at
liberty
to
discuss
specifics
and
wouldn’t
say
who
notified
her
agency
to
look
into
the
case,
but
confirmed
that
“sexual
orientation
is
not
a
criteria
for
CPS
involvement.”
The
Ciminos
say
that
although
Christina’s
status
as
a
lesbian
was
a
shock
to
them,
they
don’t
have
a
problem
with
it.
Christina
says
she
doesn’t
know
whom
Justin’s
father
is.
JOEY
DiGUGLIELMO
Montgomery
County
to
consider
transgender
discrimination
bill
Montgomery
County
may
soon
become
the
second
Maryland
jurisdiction
to
outlaw
discrimination
based
on
gender
identify
and
expression.
A
proposal
expected
to
be
unveiled
early
next
month
would
bar
discrimination
against
transgender
people
within
the
county
in
the
areas
of
employment,
housing
and
public
accommodations.
It’s
similar
to
existing
rules
in
Baltimore
and
comes
as
state
lawmakers
consider
enacting
similar
protections
at
the
state
level.
“It’s
a
busy
year,”
said
Equality
Maryland
board
member
Dana
Beyer,
who
is
transgender.
“I’m
hoping
that
Montgomery
County
will
be
the
next
jurisdiction
in
Maryland
to
pass
this
important
anti-discrimination
act.”
Beyer
said
the
local
act
likely
will
be
formally
offered
up
around
March
5,
then
set
for
a
committee
hearing.
It
would
then
return
to
the
county
council
for
a
decision,
possibly
later
that
month.
JOSHUA
LYNSEN
