FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Nell Gaither Phone: 214-449-1439 Email: nell@tpride.org Addre : P.!. "o# 39$2% &alla % 'e#a ()2*$

Dallas LGBT Community Wins With Equality Resolution

&A++A,% March )% 2*14-'ran Pride .nitiati/e i plea ed to recogni0e the &alla Cit1 Co2ncil 3or it hi toric action toda1 in pa ing the &alla +G"' E42alit1 5e ol2tion 61 a /ote o3 13 to 2. 'he re ol2tion et a 3rame7or8 3or addre ing ine42alitie 3or le 6ian% ga1% 6i e#2al% and tran gender 9+G"': per on a 7ell a other gender% e#2al% and romantic minoritie in &alla toda1 and 3or man1 1ear to come. Mo/ing 3or7ard% &alla +G"' 'a 8 ;orce mem6er 7ill 7or8 7ith Cit1 o3 &alla to de3ine peci3ic change and the path 3or7ard to addre ta33

i 2e . A de3ined in the re ol2tion% peci3ic area

to 6e addre ed are di paritie in the pen ion plan % Cit1 ordinance % <2man 5e o2rce policie % and health care plan . 'he legi lati/e e33ort o3 the Cit1 7ill al o incl2de ad/ocac1 3or +G"' e42alit1 i 2e at the tate and 3ederal le/el . A 6road directi/e that o/erlap and e#tend the e e33ort i the in tr2ction to the Cit1 Manager to =impro/e the ran8ing o3 the Cit1 o3 &alla in the <2man 5ight Campaign> M2nicipal E42alit1 .nde#.? 'hi directi/e anction e33ort to addre all item in the ME. no7 and mo/ing 3or7ard% o it pro/ide a

contin2o2 l1 ad/ancing target 3or impro/ement. @2 t prior to the /ote toda1% Cit1 Manager A. C. Gon0ale0 noted that tep are alread1 6eing ta8en to loo8 into proced2re 3or changing the pen ion plan and po i6le i 2e 7ith <2man 5e o2rce policie . <iring 3or a ne7l1 de ignated po ition o3 &i/er it1 and .ncl2 ion !33icer in the <2man 5e o2rce &epartment i al o 2nder7a1. 'he model =tran ition protocol? 3or tran gender emplo1ee % pro/ided 61 'ran Pride .nitiati/e to <2man 5e o2rce &irector Moll1 McCall Carroll thi @an2ar1% 7ill 6e ta8en 2p 61 'ran Pride .nitiati/e P.!. "o# 39$2% &alla % 'e#a ()2*$ Reducing Stigma, Building Confidence tpride.org

the ne7 &i/er it1 !33icer. =Ae are e#cited a6o2t the potential 3or change thi 6ring %? aid 'ran Pride .nitiati/e Pre ident and &alla +G"' 'a 8 ;orce mem6er Nell Gaither. ='ran per on are o3ten e#empted 3rom certain er/ice and proced2re in health in 2rance co/erage% e/en tho2gh other 7ho are not tran can acce tho e ame

6ene3it .? A one e#ample o3 7here imple change co2ld e33ect 42ic8 change % Gaither noted that = er/ice and proced2re peci3icall1 ho7n in 6ene3it de cription a a/aila6le Bto menC or B3or 7omenC can

di co2rage tran per on 3rom ee8ing needed care% potentiall1 creating greater co t 3or the Cit1 in the long r2n. Medicall1 nece ar1 care ho2ld 6e a/aila6le to all% 7hether the1 are tran or not.? .n addition to o2tlining area 3or impro/ement% the re ol2tion call 3or a 42arterl1 progre report.

='hi reporting re42irement not onl1 er/e a an monitoring tool%? Gaither noted% =it al o o33er an opport2nit1 3or ed2cating Cit1 Co2ncilmem6er a6o2t di paritie and ho7 1 temic di crimination can e#i t in pite o3 7ell intentioned ta33 and polic1.? Altho2gh the ne7 re ol2tion doe not pro/ide an1 change immediatel1% the 3rame7or8 it e ta6li he i a trong tarting point 3or impro/ing the li/e o3 &alla C +G"' emplo1ee % re ident % and /i itor . 'ran Pride .nitiati/e i greatl1 appreciati/e o3 the 2pport o3 the Cit1 Co2ncilmem6er % partic2larl1 the leader hip ho7n 61 @err1 Allen% Adam Medrano% Philip Ding ton% and ,cott Grigg . Gaither aid he loo8 3or7ard to contin2ing her 7or8 7ith the &alla +G"' 'a 8 ;orce% and hope that thi tep 3or7ard 7ill increa e opport2nitie 3or her organi0ation and other to 7or8 in coordination

7ith and pro/ide ed2cation and training to Cit1 ta33 and other &alla area emplo1er . ='hi i a great tep 3or7ard% 62t no7 the real 7or8 6egin .?

EEE 'ran Pride .nitiati/e i a 'e#a nonpro3it corporation de ignated 61 the .5, a a p26lic charit1 2nder ,ection )*19c:93: o3 the F, 'a# Code. 'ran Pride .nitiati/e 7or8 to pro/ide ad/ocac1 and 2port 3or tran and gender noncon3orming per on in area o3 healthcare% ho2 ing% ed2cation% and emplo1ment in the &alla region. 'ran Pride .nitiati/e P.!. "o# 39$2% &alla % 'e#a ()2*$ Reducing Stigma, Building Confidence tpride.org