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Officer Matthew Perry (left) and Sgt. Kip Malcolm of the Gay & Lesbian Liaison Team of Arlington County Police. (Blade photo by Henry Linser)
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Visibility remains an ongoing challenge for the Gay & Lesbian Liaison Team (GLLT) of the Arlington County Police Department two years into the unit’s existence.
Sgt. Kip Malcolm, the GLLT’s gay leader, said he continues to work at “getting into the community and letting [people] know that we actually exist.”
From gay Arlington residents who may not be aware of the GLLT to officers within the department who don’t always think to solicit the gay officers’ input, visibility is an ongoing goal.
“We’re there to help should somebody within the community want to deal with another officer who may be able to understand or sympathize or assist them a little bit better,” Malcolm said.
The team’s seven members — who also handle other calls — plan to participate in Pride and other events to make their existence better known. But straight Arlington officers don’t always think to solicit GLLT’s help on cases with gay angles.
Members are regularly consulted on same-sex domestic violence cases, Malcolm said, but less obvious gay-themed calls sometimes occur outside the team’s realm, like post-hookup thefts.
“If we can at least get out the description of people that are perpetuating these types of crimes, we can maybe prevent somebody else from becoming a victim,” he said.
Tracking such cases is part of the problem. Malcolm is hoping to get non-GLLT Arlington officers in the habit of tagging gay-themed calls.
Most GLLT officers are gay or lesbian, but not all gay officers in the department are on the GLLT. Malcolm hopes to recruit a few more in the coming months so current GLLT members, who participate voluntarily, don’t get burned out.
“The more people that want to be involved, the more we’ll bring on board,” he said.
CHRIS JOHNSON
A retired Virginia Republican state lawmaker received a standing ovation when accepting a public service award Saturday at Equality Virginia’s annual dinner, despite some criticism that he didn’t deserve the award.
Del. Vince Callahan was honored April 5 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
The decision to commend Callahan for his legislative work sparked criticism from the Virginia Partisans, a gay Democratic group. Charley Conrad, president of the group, and Tom Osborne, its treasurer, said Callahan’s record on gay issues made him undeserving of the award. They criticized Callahan for a series of anti-gay votes, including his vote for the Marshall-Newman Amendment, which prohibits same-sex marriage in Virginia.
Dyana Mason, Equality Virginia’s director, responded by arguing that the organization needs to work on both sides of the aisle to get its legislative goals accomplished.
In his acceptance speech, Callahan said the Republican Party would not get ahead in Virginia by bashing gays and immigrants.
About 1,100 attended, including Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D), who gave a brief speech.
Del. Brian Moran (D-Alexandria), gay Del. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and Jay Fisette, a gay member of the Arlington County Board, also attended.
CHRIS JOHNSON
Organizers of a proposed gay community center in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia plan to survey gay residents there to determine what services are most needed.
A June launch is planned for a web site that will give residents a chance to provide direction and feedback. Fall focus groups will continue the input efforts.
“[We’re] just trying to find out what the community is looking for — what would service the most people with a reasonable budget,” said Pat Mulligan, a lesbian real estate agent and member of the center steering committee.
Organizers want community input about location, facilities and programming.
Mulligan said organizers are interested in setting up the center to bring together a “somewhat fractured” gay community in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, which includes Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News and more.
Gay sports teams, gay-friendly churches and a gay chamber of commerce exist in the region. Mulligan hopes the center will link the groups to each other and to gay residents.
Funding is a major challenge — grants, donors and patron institutions are all being considered. Space may also be leased to businesses. Two locations are planned — possibly one in South Hampton and another on the Virginia Peninsula.
CHRIS JOHNSON
Measures granting gay Marylanders tax breaks and hospital visitation rights passed this week.
The Health Care Facility Visitation & Medical Decisions bill and a measure granting domestic partners an exemption on recordation and transfer taxes were approved before the session ended April 7 and now ...
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