Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed now has an official “advisor on LGBT issues” after appointing gay attorney Robin Shahar to the position Monday. In 2010, Reed told GA Voice he would not have a designated LGBT liaison for his mayoral office, preferring instead a policy of full inclusion that puts gay people in prominent positions based on merit.
The appointment was made public in a press release sent to media late Wednesday evening.
Shahar is also the Chief Counsel in the city of Atlanta's Department of Law and has worked in the city's law department since 1993.
“I am pleased that Robin Shahar will assume this vital role in my administration,” said Reed in a prepared statement.
“In addition to her keen legal mind, she is well-respected in the community and will be an effective ambassador. My administration and I are dedicated to eliminating barriers to equality, fighting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and engaging the LGBT community across the city," he added.