More than 100 mayors joined together on Jan. 18 to form the national Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination group. Among the members are Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed, Decatur’s Patricia Garrett, Ted Terry of Clarkston and Janquell Peters, mayor of East Point.
“The vision for Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination seeks to take the very best of the advancements for equality that have been made in cities such as San Francisco and provide a template to support mayors across the country who want to do what’s right for their constituents, and join the efforts at the national level,” said coalition founder Ed Lee, mayor of San Francisco, in a news release. “We need all cities to stand together, in solidarity, to continue the progress towards equality, justice and opportunity. This coalition is committed to doing the hard work of education and advocacy until we achieve a society that ensures equal treatment for all.”
The launch was announced at a Washington, DC, breakfast roundtable discussion with LGBT policy experts. The talk centered on what local elected officials could to do support the community and advance equal protections in their cities.
“As a long-time state legislator and Seattle’s first openly gay mayor, it has been a priority of mine to fight for inclusion and LGBT equality,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “During a time when LGBT rights are again under attack nationally, we must stand up against discrimination and fight for equal treatment of all people in every community, town and city in America.”
Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington DC, said though her city had ordinances protecting its LGBT citizens, the same could not be said of areas they traveled to. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said the coalition will work to make fairness and equality reality everywhere.
“Full equality — no matter who you are or who you love — is not only good for our community, it’s the right thing to do,” Kenney said.
The full list of coalition members is as follows:
Alabama
William A. Bell, Birmingham
Alaska
Ethan Berkowitz, Anchorage
Arizona
Mark Mitchell, Tempe
Jonathan Rothschild, Tucson
Greg Stanton, Phoenix
Arkansas
Lioneld Jordan, Fayetteville
Mark Stodola, Little Rock
California
Jesse Arreguin, Berkeley
Angel Barajas, Woodland
Claudia Bill-de la Pena, Thousand Oaks
Christopher Cabaldon West, Sacramento
Pauline Cutter, San Leandro
Carol Dutra-Vernaci, Union City
Patrick Furey, Torrance
Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles
Robert Garcia, Long Beach
Lisa Gilmor, Santa Clara
Glenn Hendricks, Sunnyvale
Ed Lee, San Francisco
Sam Liccardo, San Jose
Lauren Meister, West Hollywood
John Mirisch, Beverly Hills
Alan Nagy, Newark
Michael Passero, New London
Sam Pedroza, Claremont
Libby Shaaf, Oakland
Helene Schneider, Santa Barbara
Gary Soiseth, Turlock
Darrell Steinberg, Sacramento
Glynn Sylvester, Daly City
Jill Techel, Napa
Donald Terry, Rancho Cordova
Colorado
Michael Hancock, Denver
Connecticut
Scott Kaupin, Enfield
Florida
Mikkie Belvedere, Coconut Creek
Bob Buckhom, Tampa
Julie Ward Bujalski, Dunedin
Jim Cason, Coral Gables
Craig Cates, Key West
Harry Dressler, Tamarac
Andrew Gillum, Tallahassee
Sam Henderson, Gulfport
Rick Kriseman, St. Petersburg
Jeri Muoio, West Palm Beach
Gary Resnick, Wilton Manors
Mike Ryan, Sunrise
Pam Triolo, Lake Worth
Georgia
Patricia Garrett, Decatur
Janquell Peters, East Point
Kasim Reed, Atlanta
Ted Terry, Clarkston
Hawaii
Kirk Caldwell, Honolulu
Idaho
David Bieter, Boise
Nina Jonas, Ketchum
Illinois
Deborah Frank Feinen, Champaign
Bill McLeod, Hoffmann Estates
John Rey, DeKalb
Riley H. Rogers, Dolton
Nancy Rotering, Highland Park
Elizabeth Tisdahl, Evanston
Indiana
John Dennis, West Lafayette
Iowa
Roy Buoj, Duburque
Ann Campbell, Ames
Frank J. Klipsch, Davenport
Jim Throgmorton, Iowa City
Matt Walsh, Council Bluffs
Kansas
Larry Wolgast, Topeka
Kentucky
Greg Fischer, Louisville
Jim Gray, Lexington
Grayson Vandergrift, Midway
Louisiana
Mitch Landrieu, New Orleans
Maine
Joseph Baldacci, Bangor
Ethan Strimling, Portland
Maryland
Jacob Day, Salisbury
Candace Hollingsworth, Hyattsville
Bridget Donnell Newton, Rockville
Jeffrey Slavin, Somerset
Rocio Treminio-Lopez, Brentwood
Patrick Wojahn, College Park
Massachusetts
Joseph Curtatone, Somerville
Robert Dolan, Melrose
Kimberley Driscoll, Salem
Kevin Dumas, Attleboro
Jon Mitchell, New Bedford
David Narkewicz, Northampton
Joseph Petty, Worcester
Domenic Sarno, Springfield
Linda Tyer, Pittsfield
Martin Walsh, Boston
Setti Warren, Newton
Michigan
Rosalynn Bliss, Grand Rapids
Jim Carruthers, Traverse
David Coulter, Ferndale
Amanda Edmonds, Ypsilanti
Kenneth Fletcher, Delta Charter Township
Michael Fournier, Royal Oak
Bobby Hopewell, Kalamazoo
Mark Meadows, East Lansing
Kurt Metzger, Pleasant Ridge
Kathleen Newsham, Bay City
Kenson Siver, Southfield
Christopher Taylor, Ann Arbor
Michael Taylor, Sterling Heights
Hubert Yopp, Highland Park
Minnesota
Ardell Brede, Rochester
Chris Coleman, St. Paul
Betsy Hodges, Minneapolis
Emily Larson, Duluth
Mississippi
Johnny DePree, Hattiesburg
Missouri
Sly James Jr., Kansas City
Francis Slay, St. Louis
Eileen Weir, Independence
Shelley Welsch, University City
Montana
John Engen, Missoula
New Jersey
Stevel Fulop, Jersey City
Philip Kramer, Franklin
Adrian Mapp, Plainfield
Alberto Santos, Kearny
New Mexico
Javier Gonzales, Santa Fe
Ken Miyagishima, Las Cruces
Javier Perea, Sunland Park
New York
Noam Bramson, New Rochelle
Bill de Blasio, New York City
Jeff Katz, Cooperstown
Jen Lard White, Nyack
Stephanie Miner, Syracuse
William Moehle, Brighton
Svante Myrick, Ithaca
Frederick Ricci, East Rochester
Kathy Sheehan, Albany
Mike Spano, Yonkers
Lovely Warren, Rochester
Nevada
Carolyn Goodman, Las Vegas
Hillary Schieve, Reno
North Carolina
Ian Baltutis, Burlington
William Bell, Durham
Pam Hemminger, Chapel Hill
Lydia Lavelle, Carrboro
Esther Manheimer, Asheville
Nancy McFarlane, Raleigh
Jennifer Roberts, Charlotte
Nancy Vaughan, Greensboro
North Dakota
Karyn Hippen, Thompson
Ohio
Mark Fitzgerald, Loveland
Andrew Ginther, Columbus
Paula Hicks-Hudson, Toledo
Daniel Horrigan, Akron
John McNally, Youngstown
Carolyn Kay Riggle, Delaware
Chase Ritenauer, Lorain
Nan Whaley, Dayton
Oregon
Charlie Hales, Portland
Biff Traber, Corvalis
Lucy Vinis, Eugene
Pennsylvania
Robert Donchez, Bethlehem
Elizabeth Goreham, State College
Tim Kerney, Swarthmore
Jim Kenney, Philadelphia
Sal Panto Jr, Easton
Ed Pawlowski, Allentown
William Peduto, Pittsburgh
Ron Strouse, Doylestown
Rhode Island
Jorge Elorza, Providence
Donald Grebien, Pawtucket
South Carolina
John Tecklenburg, Charleston
Texas
Steve Adler, Austin
Curtistene McCowan, Desoto
Mike Rawlings, Dallas
Sylvester Turner, Houston
Utah
Jackie Biskupski, Salt Lake City
Virginia
Ron Rordam, Blacksburg
Allison Silberberg, Alexandria
Washington
Suzette Coker, Kent
Denis Law, Renton
Ed Murray, Seattle
Cheryl Selby, Olympia
Ray Stephanson, Everett
Marilyn Strickland, Tacoma
Washington, DC
Muriel Bowser
West Virginia
John Manchester, Lewisburg
Marti Shamberger, Morgantown
Steve Williams, Huntington
Wisconsin
Tom Barrett, Milwaukee
John Dickert, Racine
Sam LIebert, Janesville
Paul Soglin, Madison
Wyoming
Pete Muldoon, Jackson