Stonewall

Democratic Club of New York City

City Council Questionnaire

Candidate Information Full Name: Address: Personal Phone: Work Phone: Personal Email: District Information Office Sought: District #: Are you an incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? Campaign Information From which parties are you seeking a nomination: Full Name of Campaign Committee: Campaign HQ Address: HQ Phone: HQ Fax: Campaign Manager Name: Managers Cell: Managers Email: Marc A. Landis 337 West 85th Street #1B, New York, NY 10024 212-724-8300 (cell) 212-841-0705 marclandis@gmail.com City Council Member District 6 No

Democratic, Working Families Landis for New York pending (use personal address) 646-820-2013 Erica Overton 516-395-8450 LandisForNY@gmail.com

Please return to Robert Atterbury at Robert.Atterbury@gmail.com by April 15, 2013, with SDNYC Questionnaire [Candidate Name] as the subject.

Additional Candidate Information Endorsements List here the union, organizations (community, civic, media, issue groups), and elected officials that have endorsed you. Elected officials Assembly Member Richard Gottfried State Senator Adriano Espaillat State Senator Seymour Lachman (ret.) current and former Democratic State Committee Members: Vincent Alfonso Daniel Marks Cohen Sylvia DiPietro Lynn Thomas Justin Brasch Arthur Greig current and former Democratic District Leaders Cory Erin Haber Joan Paylo Nick Prigo Pauline Dana-Bashian Jean Grillo Mark Levine Gail Bernstein-Paris Suzanne Jacobson David Kornbluh Anne Raphael Arthur Schiff Civic, community and labor organizations 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East 32BJ SEIU Citizen Action of New York Community Free Democrats New York Hotel Trades Council UFCW Local 1500 and over 500 activists and community leaders!

Candidate Experience - Please explain any activities and/or experiences that demonstrate your commitment to the LGBT movement. I have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with my LGBT brothers and sisters in fighting against discrimination and homophobia I am proud to be a partner in a struggle for civil, economic and social justice which has come so far in recent years, but is only just beginning. When a private club withdrew its support for social programs for the LGBT community, I took a public role as the leading straight ally in fighting to preserve the programs leading to my removal from the clubs board. I served in the early 1990s as the board secretary and pro bono counsel for the Upper Manhattan Task Force on AIDS, and I have been a member of the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City dating back to 2001. - What experience do you have to demonstrate you are the best person to represent the district office you seek? I have served the Upper West Side for over twenty years as a community organizer and civic activist for health care reform, combatting discrimination, improving public schools, tenants rights, campaign finance and governmental reform. My experience includes chairing the NYC chapter of Citizen Action of New York, serving as an elected Democratic Party district leader for the last 14 years (and as president of Community Free Democrats for 4 years before that), organizing a rally against the KKK and educational seminars on international human rights concerns, litigating against the Salvation Army to block mass evictions of women from two of their residences, organizing tenant and block associations, conducting a strategy training for the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault, being arrested for protesting police tactics, leading bus trips and phone banks to swing states for Democratic Presidential and Congressional candidates, serving on Community Board 7 for 12 years (including as a board vice-chair). I have been a leader on issues which matter to my community, ranging from reforming police procedures such as stop-and-frisk to opposing hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and working to create and protect good jobs, affordable housing and small businesses in our neighborhood. Policy Positions Please answer the following questions in full, using your policy proposals and including specific examples of your previous actions on any given topic when possible. Marriage Do you support full marriage equality for same-sex couples? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes. As the chair of the NYC chapter of Citizen Action of New York, I worked to ensure that marriage equality was a priority issue for our organization. Will you work with New Yorks congressional delegation to support the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes. I support the Respect for Marriage Act (as well as a judicial determination that DOMA is unconstitutional) as well as the Uniting Families Act.

Adoption: Do you support full adoption rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes. Human Rights Do you support equal rights and treatment for people of transgender experience in the New York Shelter System, both adult shelters and youth shelters? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes. I oppose all discrimination against the transgender community, and strongly support GENDA. HIV/AIDS In 2011, Mayor Bloomberg proposed cutting 248 case managers and millions in rental assistance from the HIV/AID Services Administration (HASA). Individual legislators ended up using discretionary funds to fill the gap. Do you support increased funding for the HASA? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes. HASAs critical work requires a commitment to full funding for service for the HIV-positive community. Please explain your position on using discretionary funds to support agencies like HASA. HASA should be fully funded in the executive budget; discretionary funds are problematic and should only be utilized as a last resort. What actions do you think the City Council should be taking to provide emergency housing for homeless people living with AIDS? While emergency housing may be required on a temporary basis, we need to seek out sufficient resources (including Federal funds) for building and preserving affordable housing which can become permanent housing in short, HASA for All. Special attention should be given to the most vulnerable homeless populations, including people living with AIDS, victims of domestic violence and others facing serious medical challenges. AIDS funding no longer corresponds to the demographics of which communities represent the greatest number of HIV cases in NYC. Would you support yearly statistics of both the geographic areas where HIV is most prevalent and as well as which populations in those neighborhoods are most effected, and then allocate yearly funding to services and communities based on these results? Yes.

Community Boards: Many Community Boards routinely oppose applications for liquor licenses in their areas, particularly if the proposed venue is tailored to appeal to the LGBT community. Please explain your position on the appropriate balance between support for nightlife, minority communities and respect for neighborhood concerns. Nearly every Manhattan neighborhood faces the need to maintain a balance between residential quality-of-life concerns and commercial interests. I support a balanced approach to liquor license requests, and I will not allow discrimination against LGBT-friendly venues. Please outline the criteria you would use in selecting Community Board members. As a former CB7 officer, I know the importance of appointing people who come from diverse backgrounds, have varied life experiences and bring fresh perspectives, and I would certainly appoint openly LGBT board members. I support the reforms that were implemented by Borough President Stringer, and my appointments would be drawn from a screening panel that included the LGBT community.

NYPD The NYPD often targets bars, restaurants and clubs serving the LGBT community for increased scrutiny. They have used health code violations, allegations of drug use or sale, allegations of prostitution, allegations of serving minors, and a myriad of tools at their disposal. What changes would you implement to ensure LGBT institutions are treated equally by enforcement agencies? I will not tolerate discrimnation in enforcement activities by the NYPD and other agencies. To address these concerns, I would seek the appointment of NYPD LGBT liaisons in each precinct; the NYPD Inspector General (once created) should also have this as a priority. Do you support reforming Stop-and-Frisk? Please detail any specific changes to the program you believe are necessary. Yes, I support significant reforms, particularly including an end to racial and other bias-based profiling. I have spoken out on this subject in public, and my 11-year-old daughter and I participated in the Silent March to End Stop and Frisk on June 17; I also recruited co-sponsors for the march including Citizen Action of New York, and participated in Borough President Scott Stringers Manhattan-wide initiative to call attention to the issue. Do you oppose the use of condoms as evidence of prostitution in criminal cases? Please explain your support or opposition. I oppose the use of condoms as evidence of prostitution in criminal cases. The fact that condoms are present has nothing to do with establishing the elements of a crime.

Runaway and Homeless Youth Will you support increasing the funding for both emergency shelter beds and transitional beds for homeless youth, a huge percentage of whom are from the LGBT community and will you pledge to support capital and expense funding for programs serving this population? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes. What will you do to expand access to services for runaway and homeless youth? We must find safe housing for every runaway and homeless youth, particularly LGBT youth that are at greatest risk when they have no choice but to sleep on the streets. This means providing additional funding to DHS and to trusted community partners like the Ali Forney Center so they can provide more emergency and transitional beds.

LGBT Services and Funding: The LGBT community has no direct funding for the arts from the NEA or other funding sources because of institutional homophobia. Would your office help with funding for LGBT Arts? If yes, please explain how. Yes, I would help with funding through building coalitions with other Council Members to ensure that LGBT artists and art programs are not left behind when cultural programs are funded. I support the expansion of funding for arts programs, and I have signed onto the One Percent for Culture campaign. The LGBT community is in great need of senior housing for many of our aging population. Many seniors experience homophobia in senior facilities making them feel they must be closeted. Would you help with the funding of senior housing for the LGBT community? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes. I support the Stonewall Development Corporation effort, and will work to find appropriate sites in my district. I look forward to applying my affordable housing expertise to this effort.

If you are currently in office, have you made member item grants or supported LGBT funding requests? If seeking office for the first time, would you give strong consideration to LGBT social service organizations seeking funding from your office if elected? Please explain your position. I oppose the current system of member item grants, and I support systemic reforms which would distribute funds based on need rather than on political trades. However, I will be a strong advocate for funding LGBT social service organizations, regardless of the system then in place. What actions will you take to help support the LGBT community center in your borough? If there is not an LGBT community center in your borough, what actions will you take to help develop one? I have supported the work of the LGBT Community Center over the years, and will continue to support the Centers operations and programming in close consultation with the Centers staff and the LGBT community.

Other: Please state concrete achievements for the LGBT community that you are responsible for in your current, or previous, elected office/s. See candidate experience, listed above. Have you endorsed any LGBT candidates? Which ones? I have endorsed, donated to and/or otherwise supported many LGBT candidates, including: Deborah Glick for Manhattan Borough President Deborah Glick for State Assembly Daniel ODonnell for State Assembly Micah Kellner for State Assembly Brad Hoylman for State Senate Tom Duane for State Senate Jimmy Van Bramer for City Council Bob Zuckerman for City Council Justice Paul Feinman Justice Rosalyn Richter Justice Cynthia Kern Justice George Silver Justice Michael Sonberg Judge Arlene Bluth Judge W. Franc Perry If endorsed will you display the endorsement of the Stonewall Democratic Club of NYC in your literature whenever you list other endorsements and will you display the endorsement on your website? Yes, with pride! Will you hire openly LGBT staff and/or designate a liaison to our communities if elected? (Y/N If no, please explain) Yes.