I am honored to again carry the endorsement of EqualityNC!
Please share the LGBTQ+ focused events that you have attended and the LGBTQ+ organizations that you have supported:
As an ongoing practice to advance and protect human & civil rights, I show up regularly with and for community by using my time and resources with groups like: Tranzmission; Youth OutRight; Campaign for Southern Equality; Southerners on New Ground (SONG); and more, like participating in the marching band for the Asheville Gay Men’s Chorus performance commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. As a music teacher and mentor, my work often means being a confidant and resource for making personal connections with organizations.
Would you support banning discrimination in public accommodations, including restaurants, taxis, hotels, retail businesses, and more, including bathrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms? Would you be willing to be a leading voice on this issue? What are your views of adding religious exemptions to policies banning discrimination against LGBTQ+ people? Are there aspects of policy where would you support including religious exemption?
In 2019, I worked with fellow members of the Transit Committee to advocate for a gender-neutral, family bathroom at the newly-renovated transit center. We have yet to see the results of that decision.
The ability for a person to safely use the bathroom is a basic necessity and a human right. I have been public in my opinion that our City Council has failed to stand boldly for human rights in the face of HB2 and HB142, and hear from friends & neighbors the impact of inaction and mediocrity. I’m grateful that we have been building coalition to demand better, and invite accountability to ensure that action to ban discrimination in public accommodations is real and proactive. We need to build coalition across the state and to ensure no exemptions are allowed.
Would you support banning discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in hiring and employment? Would you be willing to be a leading voice on this issue?
Absolutely, I will continue to center affected voices while leading on this issue.
Would you support legislation to protect youth and vulnerable adults who lack the capacity to consent from the practice of conversion therapy? Would you support efforts to limit the authority of state licensing boards to issue professional credentials to any practitioner who engages in efforts to change a vulnerable person’s sexual orientation or gender identity?
Yes, and yes.
Would you support banning discrimination of LGBTQ+ people, single or married, in foster care and adoption? Would you be willing to be a leading voice on this issue?
This issue is personal to me because of my relationship with long-time students and mentees who are adopted. I will absolutely lead to protect all families against discrimination and separation, which is an intersectional issue.
Do you support Medicaid Expansion, Medicare for All, or other proposed or potential healthcare policies? Do you support Medicaid expansion proposals that include work reporting requirements or additional cost-sharing, such as annual premiums?
Medicaid expansion in NC is long overdue, but work reporting requirements are known to be discriminatory and don’t necessarily result in long-term employment or reduced poverty. I do support Medicare for All as well as cooperative health models.
Would you support legislation to guarantee access to abortion care without dangerous delay, isolation, or obstruction? Do you have other priorities you would pursue around reproductive healthcare?
Everyone deserves access to the health care they need, which includes reproductive health care, gender-affirming health care, abortion services, testing, preventative care, and treatment.
Do you support comprehensive sex education, including curriculum relevant to LGBTQ+ students? Yes.
Do you support free or low cost access to PrEP? Yes.
Do you support increasing educator pay in the public school system? If so, what are your strategies for implementation in your role?
Yes. This is going to require a state-wide coalition, and I do think participatory budgeting at the state level could be one tool to use for success. At this point, I think Asheville City Council must more actively engage in the budget processes with the County to recruit and retain teachers, especially with solutions to offset the high cost of living through transportation and housing options.
What is your position on school vouchers and the use of public tax dollars to support private schools that may discriminate against LGBTQ students?
I think our public tax dollars must support our public schools. I would not support legislation that would permit taxpayer funding of schools that discriminate against students and/or their families.
What would you do to address the school-to-prison pipeline? Do you support limiting the role of school resource officers? Do you support mandatory cultural and diversity training for school resource officers?
It is now well-known that Asheville City Schools see disproportionate disciplinary action based on implicit bias, and that our Black students suffer from a system that perpetuates an opportunity/achievement gap. Council and their appointed Board of Education must prioritize community-led efforts if we’re going to realize education equity in our schools. While we ensure training for school resource officers, we must also consider budget allocations to ensure schools have access to mental & physical health care, councillors, ESL teachers, etc.
In what way, would you work to increase access to public education and pre-K?
I support the Buncombe County Commission’s decision this year to invest and expand community-led efforts for pre-K, as led by Commissioner Beach-Ferrara. As part of the coalition with Better Buses Together, we advocated diligently around the City’s Transit Master Plan process and won the struggle to increase transit service to AB Tech from once an hour to every half hour, which started January 5th, 2020. The first year of the master plan also includes service to the Erwin school system, providing more access to after school programming like tutoring. This is the kind of access to economic mobility that I will champion when elected to Council.
——————WAGES——————
Do you support an increase in the minimum wage, and if so, how would you implement it and to what amount? Do you support adjusting the tipped minimum wage to equal the minimum wage that exists across other industries?
Yes. As a member of Just Economics Policy Advocacy Committee, we are building coalition across the state with Raise the Wages NC, which is advocating for $15-hour. Recognizing this is a “more just minimum wage,” Asheville’s cost of living includes housing that requires more, and we’re going to see those numbers in the next couple weeks. The last numbers we saw in 2017 showed rent requiring about $17-hour and home-ownership at almost $23-hour.
As a member of Council, I would direct the City Manager to ensure that all employees are indeed paid the living wages promised, since the last budget cycle showed about 50 firefighters making less than $12-hour. Increasing our base-level pay in City Hall would mean setting a high standard in our community, making us a competitive employer, and ensuring more staff are eligible for the City’s Downpayment Assistance Program, which may decrease commute expenses as well.
In addition to supporting living wages for tipped employees, which I understand as a long-time service industry worker, the City Council needs to address the issue with its own Civic Center staff not being able to keep their tips.
Do you support requiring access of a minimum amount of family and medical leave? If so, how much and how would you implement it?
Yes, we need to start with 2 weeks leave, which is a low/no cost option that will have a tremendous impact on our community, and we can start with City staff. We have advocated with the County through Just Economics Policy Advocacy Committee, and it looks promising, which will be a good standard for our community. It will require prioritization of the City’s budget and policy to back it up.
How do you view the role of labor unions and collective bargaining for private and public employees?
Labor unions are critical for ensuring safe working conditions and equitable pay & benefits. Unfortunately, NC is a right-to-work state, so we have some leveraging to do to change that in Raleigh. Additionally, NC legislation prohibits municipal negotiation with unionized workers, which requires municipalities to contract unionized workers through a management company, and that should be changed. For example, our local transit union is managed by a third-party, which creates a barrier to ensuring our City employees are managed in line with our community values, requiring additional City staff to regularly review and uphold a contract for an out-of-town company instead of being able to make needed procedural changes.
Do you support the extension of “ban the box” to private employment so that employers are restricted from asking job candidates about their criminal history on a job application? Yes.
——————PREEMPTION——————
If you were in office during the vote on NC House Bill 2, what was your stance on the bill? As importantly, if you were in office during the vote on House Bill 142, what was your position and vote?
I was not in office, but did speak up alongside neighbors advocating against HB 2 and HB 142, which was a terrible compromise.
The preemption of municipal non-discrimination in private employment and public accommodations in NC House Bill 142 is expected to sunset in 2020, opening the door for municipalities to pass local non-discrimination ordinances. What is your position on letting those provisions of this bill sunset and allowing cities to pass ordinances? If elected, what role will you play when the time comes?
I wish our State would ensure a non-discrimination ordinance state-wide, but if the option is sent to us, we will need courageous leadership to ensure non-discrimination ordinances here at home. As a City Council member, I would center most-effected voices, which I’m hearing means including a non-discrimination ordinance around housing as well. As the people of Asheville, we are the people of Buncombe County as well, and will need leaders ready to walk across the street and meet with our County Commission on these matters.
Regulation of multi-user restrooms, showers, and changing facilities is permanently preempted by HB142. What is your position on repeal of that provision and allowing cities and counties to pass ordinances protecting the access of transgender people to restrooms, showers and changing facilities?
It must be repealed as a matter of public safety. Though this is not a decision made by our City Council, it is a good example of why we need leaders in City Hall who are courageously standing up for us and working to build coalition.
——————GUN LAWS——————
Do you support the requirement for a background check for every gun purchased?
This would be part of gun law reform that’s urgently needed, and yet the answer is not as simple as “yes.” This legislation would need to be carefully crafted, reviewed, and implemented, and followed up with since Black, brown, indigenous, and LGBTQ+ people are more often the subject of discrimination. Additionally, we need to review conceal & carry legislation.
Do you support Extreme Risk Protection Order legislation, also know as Reg Flag Laws?
Yes, this would be in line with the previously stated answer.
What is your opinion of safe storage legislation?
It must be part of comprehensive gun safety legislation that has input from most-affected community.
——————IMMIGRATION——————
Do you support allowing local sheriffs to determine their departments’ cooperation with ICE and to end 287G agreements?
Sure, but I support ending 287G agreements, regardless of whether or not the sheriff makes the right call in protecting constitutional rights.
Do you support granting in-state tuition and financial aid to undocumented students? Yes.
——————VOTER RIGHTS——————
Do you support the creation of an independent, nonpartisan commission to draw electoral maps or some other effort to end gerrymandering?
Yes. We are getting closer to ensuring fair elections in NC, but this is key to our success. This work will continue to be important when new census data becomes available.
Comprehensive Democracy Reform also includes voting rights restoration for people with felonies, voter registration modernization, Election Day registration, campaign finance reform, and releasing funds for county boards of election. Would you lead on any of these issues? How so?
Yes. I have advocated beside neighbors fighting for voter access and voting rights for years, including speaking up in public comment and writing letters to the editor. We will have an ongoing struggle with voter ID as well.
Do you support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment? Yes.
——————POLICING——————
Do you support eliminating or reducing fees and fines that hinder reentry efforts and turn jails into debtors’ prisons, including eliminating cash bail?
Yes, and I have advocated with both the Sheriff’s office and with the DA, openly endorsing candidates based on their stance on eliminating cash bail. Until that is a reality in Buncombe, I will continue to join in liberation efforts, including Black Momma’s Bail Out.
Do you support limiting the use of solitary confinement with a maximum number of consecutive days and eliminating its use for at-risk populations, such as pregnant women, LGBTQ+ people, those with mental illnesses, and those under the age of 21 or over 65? Yes.
Would you support housing incarcerated transgender individuals with the population they deem to be the safest option? Yes.
Do you support decriminalization of sex work? Yes.
Please describe what your advocacy priorities will be when in office.
Working alongside neighbors, I understand so many of us are struggling to make ends meet on stagnant wages as the cost of living rises, while the tourism industry strains our natural resources and infrastructure. The work we must do to ensure a resilient community prepared for climate change includes urgent action to take better care of the planet and each other. This means we need:
- DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING through cooperative & creative solutions!
- A fare-free, REGIONAL TRANSIT NETWORK, because transit is at the intersection of equitable access, economic mobility, and environmental sustainability.
- A PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY & BUDGETING process that removes barriers to participation while ensuring equity in decision-making around our budget, planning, and policies.
As a community, we are woven together, and need each other, so I invite you to join me in strengthening our community bond. We can and must Be ‘Bout it Being Better.
Thank you for your consideration. I would be honored to be endorsed by EqualityNC!