Mayor Pugh Establishes Baltimore LGBTQ Commission
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh has established the Baltimore Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Commission to assist the city with issues affecting the LGBTQ community.
Pugh issued an executive order Thursday to establish the commission, which will have 15 members "who are residents of Baltimore City and must be from the Baltimore LGBTQ community or its allies."
Mayor Pugh will appoint 12 of the members, while City Council President Jack Young will recommend the remaining three.
According to a release from the mayor's office, the "purpose of the Baltimore LGBTQ Commission will be to advise the Mayor, City Council, and City agencies about issues of concern affecting the LGBTQ community as well as to bring the LGBTQ communities and the larger Baltimore community together through long-range projects."
"I have long been a supporter of the LGBTQ community. While we have come a long way in terms of equality and acceptance as a society, there are still instances of discrimination, harassment, and sometimes violence towards the LGBTQ community. I am committed to providing a safe, fair, and affirming City for the LGBTQ community and look forward to the work of this Commission," Mayor Pugh said in a release.
Baltimore City values the contributions of our LGBTQ community," said City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young. "I look forward to receiving recommendations from the Commission and I believe the city will benefit from their rich and diverse perspectives."
Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook
