The vice chair of LGBTQIA affairs for the Mobile County Democratic Committee addressed the Mobile City Council Tuesday in response to Mayor Sandy Stimpson dissolving the LGBTQ Liaison program earlier this month due to concerns throughout the community.
C. Pichoff-DeLorca said the LGBTQ community was disappointed with the mayor's decision and planned to meet with each council member on how to move forward. In the presentation to the council, Pichoff-DeLorca inserted a remark referring to the Montgomery Riverboat brawl that many tried to paint as a racially motivated attack despite the lack of evidence.
"When we are not all represented at the table, we do not destroy the table; we invite those that are missing and pull up a chair for those that are not there," said Pichoff-DeLorca. "And if there's one thing that we know how to do in Alabama, is how to use a folding chair."
The liaison program for the LGBTQ community was the only of its kind in the city of Mobile. No other group had special communications and attention from Mobile. Stimpson said giving one group privileges created a rift between constituents. Pichoff-DeLorca believes the LGBTQ community is entitled to those privileges and said there will be further action to meet the needs of that community.
"My offices will be reaching out to each council member with the intent to schedule a one-on-one meeting in order to ensure the continued efforts for and representation of Mobile's marginalized citizens within each of your districts and develop a plan moving forward that includes inclusionary practices and for meeting the needs of our community as a whole," Pichoff-DeLorca said. "It is our fervent hope and prayer that when Mobile records this period of time, and our response to minority groups that have already been systemically oppressed for far too long, that we all will find ourselves on the right side of the story."
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