Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, LGBT leaders meet to discuss safety post-Orlando

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed met with 35 LGBT leaders and business owners on June 21 to discuss public safety concerns following the June 12 mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in the heart of Orlando that claimed the lives of 49 people and injured 53 others.

Also on hand for the meeting was Robin Shahar, Mayoral Advisor on LGBT issues and Deputy City Attorney, Police Chief George Turner, Chief of Staff Candace Byrd and Senior Advisor Melissa Mullinax.

In a statement posted on the City of Atlanta website, Reed committed to scheduling active shooter presentations with members of the LGBT community, establishing a fund to supplement security costs at locations identified by the LGBT community, and agreed to establish a separate committee to maintain regular communication with the LGBT community on public safety concerns.

“Atlanta has a rich and storied history as the cradle of the Civil Rights movement, of upholding human rights and providing equal opportunity to all people,” said Mayor Reed. “Our city recognizes that providing equal opportunity to the LGBT community means creating an environment where people feel safe and supported in living openly as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender. I look forward to continuing this important conversation and working together with our LGBT community to ensure their safety and security.”

Reed echoed those statements on Twitter shortly after releasing a statement on his official site.

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The City of Atlanta has earned three consecutive perfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index (MEI) during Reed’s tenure.