The Harris County LGBTQIA+ Commission came out with its list of recommendations to improve the quality of life for Houston’s LGBTQIA+ community.
The commission, created in June 2023 under the office of Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, presented its inaugural biennial report Tuesday at Commissioner’s Court outlining key initiatives and policy recommendations for the upcoming year.
“This commission is important not only for representation but for the commitment that Harris County is making to the LGBTQIA+ community to ensure that we are always at the table and in partnership with our local government to address our needs and issues,” said Vice Chair Brandon Mack.
The goal is to provide actionable guidance to the Harris County Commissioners Court on policies and initiatives to better serve LGBTQIA+ residents, and to promote equality and justice in Harris County.
“This inaugural report reflects the resilience of Harris County’s LGBTQIA+ community and the Commission members who have brought this vision to life,” Briones said in a release. “Harris County rejects hate and discrimination and is committed to building a more just, equal, inclusive community for all.”
Some of the commission’s key initiatives include holding a large-scale town hall, a banned book fair, expanding partnerships with law enforcement to boost cultural competency, and fostering health initiatives to combat HIV. Harris County has one of the highest cases of HIV in the country, exceeding rates both for Texas and the U.S. according to the Houston Health Department.
The report lists the following recommendations based on community input during a series of listening sessions held in the past year around the county:
- Collecting local data through a quality-of-life survey to learn the experiences of LGBTQIA+ residents living in Harris County and their feelings on the resources provided by the county.
- Becoming the named LGBTQIA+ liaison and advisory council for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and other county departments and areas in need of LGBTQIA+ inclusive policies and strategies.
- Introducing consistent LGBTQIA+ awareness and cultural competency training for Harris County law enforcement agencies.
- Developing a pipeline of qualified LGBTQIA+ residents for county boards and commissions.
- Investing in LGBTQIA+ educational resources at county community centers.
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The committee also emphasized the need to invest in more LGBTQIA+ educational resources at Harris County community centers, especially after public colleges and universities like the University of Houston were forced to disband their diversity, equity and inclusion offices and initiatives under Senate Bill 17.
“It becomes very easy for us to be separated in our community, and when that happens, that’s what makes it easy to devalue one another,” Mack said. “In doing this type of work, we’re once again uplifting our community and making it easier for others to interact and learn about the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Community centers should provide more than just educational resources about the LGBTQIA+ community, said Maria Gonzalez, who serves on the commission and is also an associate professor of English at the University of Houston.
“One of the things with the loss of the UH LGBT Resource Center was, in fact, beyond just books and information, but gathering places,” said Gonzalez, who was among the core group of faculty, staff and students who helped establish the LGBTQ resource center. “We want to make sure that every member of the LGBTQ community in Harris County feels welcome in all our spaces of service. Those community centers are so valuable to our communities broadly.”
You can download and read the report for yourself, and we’ll see what actions Commissioners Court takes in response. These are obviously fraught times for the community, and there’s a real threat of the Legislature doing more damage as well. I hope this helps until we can get to a better place politically.