Hello and welcome to the first candidates forum of the 20 21 Campaign for Allentown Mayor.

I'm Tyler Pratt, the afternoon host of 91.3.

Why are we PBS39 and we are proud to present this virtual forum in partnership with Bradberry 11 LGBT Community Center.

Good evening.

I'm Adrian Shanker, executive director of Bradberry Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown.

Tyler and I will be moderating tonight's forum.

LGBTQ residents in Pennsylvania's third largest city have been waiting for an opportunity like this to ask questions about issues that directly impact them.

We are coming to you live from the People Public Media Center in Bethlehem.

Our guests, the candidates are joining us remotely.

The Pennsylvania primary election is Tuesday, May 18th, a little more than six weeks away.

Tonight we're joined by four candidates on the ballot in the Democratic primary.

We also invited the one candidate on the Republican ticket, Timothy Ramos.

Mr Ramos declined our invitation because he said he did not have a primary opponent, but he told us he looks forward to future opportunities to discuss the issues.

Let's meet tonight's participants.

CDC Garlock is an Allentown councilwoman who previously served on the Allentown School Board.

Julio Gorriti is a former city council president.

He has Allentown's longest serving councilman.

Ray O'Connell is the current mayor.

He's a former council member who was appointed interim mayor in 2018 and elected to complete that term.

And Matt Turk formerly served at the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation and the Allentown Economic Development Corporation.

Here's how tonight's forum will go first.

Each of our candidates will have up to 90 seconds to share an opening statement.

Then candidates will be questioned.

One at a time.

They'll be asked for questions and have two minutes to respond to each one.

The candidates do not know what the questions will be.

Each candidate will also receive a question from a community member.

These are questions that the voter submitted online to ask the candidates.

If you hear this tone, that means the candidate has 10 seconds left to answer that question and should wrap it up because the candidates are joining us remotely.

They will not interact.

We ask that anyone who wishes to respond to something said by one of the others use their time and their closing statement to do so.

We'll ask extra questions if we have time, but we have a lot to get to.

So here we go.

Before tonight's forum, we randomly selected the order of candidates.

Mr Turk, you were chosen to go first tonight.

Welcome to the forum and please begin with your opening statement.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir, for the opportunity to speak to you.

I hear from you and me tonight.

I'm that Turk and I'm running for mayor because I think that we can do better.

I heard a story of an Allentown company losing out on hiring an LGBTQ executive because she felt that Allentown wasn't a welcoming place to live.

My background is in nonprofit economic development and I've spent the past 12 years working to bring jobs and investment that we have our making our communities stronger by allowing people to create wealth, invest in their neighborhoods and provide stability to education for children.

But in order to grow our Allentown's economy, we need to be a more inclusive city.

We need to make sure that Allentown is a welcoming place to starting at the top.

I'll be a mayor who is a vocal ally and outwardly inclusive to all marginalized communities.

My administration and board appointments will reflect the diversity of city and we will say every day that we want you here.

I hope the Senate passes the Equality Act, but we still need to fight for equality.

Our administration will ensure landlords are providing safe and healthy conditions for tenants that they're not discriminate against any candidate for their sexual orientation or gender identity.

We also need to get our own house in order.

Our appointed chief diversity equity inclusion officer and part of their responsibility will be overseeing diversity training to accomplish a number of injured objectives like combating implicit bias by customer facing city employees such as the police department.

I will be personally invested in our human relations mission making appointments that will old the city accountable to its residents on issues of bias and discrimination.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you.

I look forward to your questions.

I'm all in for Allentown.

I want our city to be a model for the country and show that our diversity is our strength.

Mitch McConnell you're up next.

Your opening statement, please.

Yeah, good evening.

First of foremost, thank you to the Bradberry Sullivan Center for hosting tonight's forum.

An aging tanker in particular, full inclusion in society.

It's the only measure of quality.

Allentown is a progressive city that recognizes what makes us great is our unique diversity as a member of city council, I voted in favor of the domestic partner ordinance which extends to the employee medical benefits to same sex partners who meet the criteria for eligibility.

Allentown earns a perfect or 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.

The MCI Municipal Equality Index score.

We scored 100 which measures an inclusive city of municipal laws policies which serves the LGBTQ community in Pennsylvania.

There are only a few cities Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St.. College and Allentown, which scored one one hundredth the national average for all the other cities in the US was 64.

There are 49 different criteria that fall under the five categories nondiscrimination laws, domestic fatality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ equality.

With that being said, I will continue to be a diversity for the city of Allentown.

Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said the message underscores the importance that mayors and local officials play in creating safe and inclusive communities, even if there is a Biden a lack of leadership at the state and federal level.

We want everyone to go about their lives and openly without fear.

All individuals are entitled to full rights, protection and benefits.

We've come a long Mario call.

Thank you so much for your time.

Your opening statement is done.

Our next candidate is Councilman Julio Greedy.

Good evening.

Thank you for the opportunity to talk to you today and for many was truly a city councilman and president of City Council and being president of the Council for the Times.

And I'm working very, very hard to make sure that our city is a city that can be in the United States.

I being in council for 20 years and I'm the most experienced person in council to this point for the people who are running.

One of the things that I'd like to say in regards to you community is that we have been a leader in this city, in the state providing services to LGBTQ, for example, back in 20 or to 21 Breonna Taylor until November.

We passed a resolution and became a law to make sure that the LGBTQ community gets into the day into a protected class of the citizen, including human and commissions.

Second, we also passed the resolution and also a bill that indicated that we have prohibiting commercial therapy in the city and in from therapists and also from psychologists and the next one was a making sure that we provide the same services that we provide to employees of the city and to to retirees in regards to health benefits for our employees.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman.

And now before we get to our final now, before we get to our questions, our final opening statement is from Councilwoman Scurlock Catwoman.

Thank you so much, Adrian.

Thank you.

Thank you, Tyler.

Thank you.

Bradberry Sullivan Center and PBS for hosting historical its earliest historical town hall.

I've served Allentown for the last 10 years.

I'm currently on Allentown's City Council and I served on the Allentown School Board for eight years.

Two of which I was Vice President.

I'm a teacher.

I'm a street outreach worker and I'm a community organizer.

I know how to bring people together from different walks of life to work on solutions to real problems.

And that's one of the most important roles the mayor has, especially in the third largest city in the state of Pennsylvania.

As soon as I got to city council, I formed the Commission on Homelessness, which brings together people who are sleeping in tents with the CEOs who are running organizations here locally.

I believe that people closest the pain need to be closest to the power.

So that's why I've spent this last decade uplifting people who are in marginalized communities.

I know how to translate your concerns from your neighborhood into policies inside of the boardroom.

We are a city that has people from over 74 different countries who speak more than 47 different languages.

And it's about time that we have a mayor who's willing to invest in its diversity and put policy behind this diverse.

I believe that housing is a human right and that development must be equitable and actually benefit communities.

People need help, not handcuffs.

I have the personal professional and political experience.

Thank you, but it takes to move.

Thank you, Councilwoman Inclusive.

Thank you.

Scotswoman.

Now that the candidates have shared their opening statements, we'll start with the first round of questions.

First up, is Matt TURC.

Mr Turk, do you think this first question is one that all four candidates will receive?

What makes you an ally to the LGBTQ community?

You have two minutes.

What makes me an ally to LGBTQ community?

I've spent really my entire life working within that community through a variety of a variety of different realms.

I haven't understanding.

I have a background in LGBTQ+ communities coming up through my early years in Boulder, Colorado, or a crash course in progressive politics, but also a crash course in diversity and inclusion.

It's city for those of those of you that know that where it's hard, honestly and where is its diversity on its sleeve and its commitment to inclusion?

I remember one of the earliest political things I was ever aware of was Amendment two in Colorado, which we fought for gun discrimination in Colorado, Boulder, successfully voted for the rest of the state, did not defeat for us as people who are committed to that cause through the years I've spent in a variety of different communities I've always been engaged with friends and family who are LGBTQ+ I have a variety a number of personal stories, but I've always felt the need to to fight for the marginalized among us and certainly been LGBTQ+ community members over the years.

What makes me an ally?

It's a fight for the underdog.

It's the fight for the people who aren't getting fair treatment.

It's a commitment to making sure that everyone in our city has representation in the places of count and having to have access to power and the ability to to to to be involved.

So what makes me an ally Gamma It's my heart.

It's my heart and commitment to those people.

I want to fight for you.

Thank you, Mr Tarik.

Sorry to cut you off.

We have a lot to get through tonight.

We know that LGBTQ people have fair sorry.

We know.

What do you as mayor.

I apologize about that.

What would you do to ensure LGBTQ people have fair access to housing and shelters in the city?

What measures can the city enact to address Allentown's affordable housing crisis?

You have two minutes for this question.

So with regards to fair housing and affordable housing, one of the core responsibilities of the city is to ensure access to to those things through maintenance, rental inspections, through its Bureau of Building Standards and Safety.

And that on a high level is there for all residents of the city the way the city ordinance has been passed in Councilman Greedy mentioned includes protected classes.

So the city has an additional responsibility to ensure that protected classes have fair access to housing and access to affordable housing.

So one of the things that we would if we were to engage in landlord and tenant education programing, that would make sure that landlords are held discrimination, free access to housing opportunities and make sure that tenants are aware their rights here in the city, housing discrimination, a plague nationwide for BIPAC communities, but especially for LGBT communities.

We are we're responsible for making sure that our city creates fair opportunities and equal opportunity for all.

So we work with landlords, with tenants to ensure that they have full access and work in English and in Spanish to make sure that everyone is aware of the their their rights here in the city.

And as I mentioned, we make sure that the Human Relations Commission is acutely aware of these housing discrimination issues.

I've heard them.

I hear that a lot of what the Human Relations Commission sees is housing related.

I want to make sure that there's an clear path for people in the LGBT community to bring those complaints before the commission.

Thank you, Mr Chairman.

We're going to go to the next question.

Some say that the city budget is a moral document that should reflect the greatest needs in our community.

2021 county health rankings confirms that Lehigh County has the second highest HIV prevalence per capita in Pennsylvania.

How will your budget prioritize HIV prevention, testing and treatment in the city of Allentown?

Your two minutes start now so when I look at the Allentown Health Bureau and its budget, I think it's one of the most important parts of the city budget.

It sits within the Department of Community and Economic Development.

And I've always felt that it has for the many years that I've been involved with the city of Allentown, it's been a strength of the city.

I think many people don't appreciate the amount of effort and resources they spent on AIDS prevention and AIDS treatment through the Allentown Health Bureau.

I think that it's many people would assume we're past that, but we're clearly not past that.

It's an ongoing need and I think we need to continue to invest there for community health because ultimately when we're fighting for safe, clean and healthy cities, the healthy peace is critically important.

So making sure that the health Bureau is appropriately resourced to deal with the need, the epidemics of the past, the pandemics that we're working through currently and anything that comes in the future, that it's a place where I'll be intimately involved for sure.

Our first community question of the evening comes from Bill Sanders with the Civic Theater of Allentown.

Mr Turk, you will have two minutes to answer.

Let's take a look at this question.

Do you think the city has a role to play in the funding of the arts Gamma And what would you do to help all of the city's arts organizations recover from the devastation of a pandemic Gamma Tetrarchy response so the role that the city plays in funding for the arts I think is the best way to do that.

Is to create a positive environment that allows arts organizations to access grant making opportunities by by non-profits nationally, by foundations and by governments.

These nationally and on the state level, the direct funding of the arts is tricky for Adrian mentioned the city budget.

We have $119 budget that is spent many different ways.

It's time finding funding for arts within the city is is a massive challenge.

I think what we can better do is be an ally to arts organizations.

I have a long history working with particularly arts education organizations.

I sit on the board of the community music school.

I've been my kids to the bomb school of our we've been longtime members of the Allentown Art Museum.

Enjoy the symphony.

I think the arts are critical to Allentown, critical to the diversity and vibrancy of the city.

We need to act as partners to those or are organizations and make sure that we are doing everything we can do to facilitate their ability to access resources.

Thank you, Mr TURC.

We'll hear more from you later this evening.

The 2021 Allentown's LGBTQ mayoral forum continues on PBS.

39 and 91.3 WHO.

We are questions for Mayor Ray O'Connel, Mayor, thank you for joining us.

Your first question tonight is what makes you think you what makes you an ally to the LGBTQ community?

You'll have two minutes.

I've been an ally to the LGBTQ community my entire life.

I worked for the Aaron Katersky for 38 years as a principal assistant assistant principal, principal executive director of Secondary Education and then deputy superintendent.

I have always, always was very inclusive in the classroom with all students, whether LGBTQ and that's a concern about mine right now, how the young people in the LGBT community are being treated.

OK, human rights issue is the bottom is LGBT human rights is a human rights issue.

According to the documentation earlier than the states and the federal government when I took office in 2018.

The first thing I did was hire a human relations officer, Tatiana Tooley.

Tatiana truly is a bridge liaison from my office to the community.

We work together to make sure that everything in the community as far as assisting, advising people about housing discrimination at the workplace, training, organizing an expert on city employees, we do LGBTQ diversity trainig in our city each and every year.

We also we meet with business owners.

We also meet with community groups concerning the LGBT community.

We work with HIV AIDS, transgender people, nonviolent bisexual people serving as representative Toyota.

Tatyana is an outreach to the LGBT community.

She identifies and attends trainings along with my city cabinet on the on a yearly basis.

She did also maintains an open, trusting relationship with everyone in the community, especially the LGBT community.

City officials, including myself, a city manager, city council or updated monthly after they have the Human What the concerns of the community, what their priorities and how are we going to make those challenges into opportunities for our community?

That's how I've been an ally.

I have been an ally in my entire life.

I will continue to be an ally with Adrienne Bankert.

Thank you, Mayor.

And thank you, Mayor.

Community more welcome in the city of Mayor.

We're going to go to the next question.

The pandemic has impacted much of our lives for more than a year, but we're starting to see a return to life before Covid-19.

The city's swimming pools are reopening and lifeguard jobs were just posted with a salary range of nine to 12 an hour.

You called it, quote, a great opportunity for some of our Raising low wages are an urgent LGBTQ issue, as many LGBTQ people, especially youth, live in chronic poverty.

As mayor, what commitments can you make to increasing the lowest wages for city workers to a livable wage?

Your two minutes for this question.

Start now.

Yes, A lot of the we used to give them like $8 and 75 cents, OK, which is ridiculous.

Now the people that you're talking about or more Susan Wild a playground instructor, a swimming pool lifeguards, things like that I have made with a director Parks and Recreation, a commitment to each year increased it up to eventually getting to $15 over the course of the next three or four years.

I totally agree.

But again, the seasonal workers are not full time workers and we are reaching out to our Allentown kids to fill those jobs.

Playground instructors, lifeguards, are working at the golf course, but I agree totally you have to do a better job to increase that wage.

So we include and make sure that they earn a decent living, a decent wage that they actually take that home and benefit their families.

Can I go back?

Thank you.

And we will continue to improve getting that up to 15, but it's going to take about three or four years Mitch McConnell there is deep history between pride and Black Lives Matter.

The first pride was a response to police brutality.

Allentown's saw numerous protests over the past year in the wake of the death of George Floyd and a national outcry over systematic racism in policing.

What concrete plans have you come up with to address these concerns and to bring stakeholders to the table to develop solutions?

You have two minutes to respond.

Well, OK, I'm working.

When you talk about pride, I've attended almost every pride event in the city Vallentine as a as an educator, as a city council person.

Now as mayor it has been a very difficult summer with the you know, the despicable thing that happened to George Floyd and in Minneapolis, Minnesota, what we are doing, we're working with police chief and we'll work with other stakeholders in the community such as Promise, Promise neighborhoods.

Julie Thomas this Jennifer Ashton from Lehigh University to look at different alternatives.

So when somebody calls 911, they don't always have to have a police officer show up and we're working with the county.

Phil Armstrong, Rick Mulvaney to look at different avenues that we can control and send out if there's a lot of mental health issues, a lot of drug and alcohol issues that the police have to respond to.

But we are working with again to county and to social services within county to make sure that we have a social service person that will go out and help that individual in whatever particular need they have.

Again, we've been looking at the Cootes program for Meghan McCain.

We've looking at a model in Denver.

We've been looking at something in Houston if that Bensalem Township Police Department, they have a model we're looking at, but we have to work together as a stakeholders because not every call has to be responded necessarily by a police officer.

And we're working with the county, like I said, will be unveiling a plan hopefully in the next month or two to address that issues.

Absolutely.

We have to do everything we can to make sure there is social justice and no racism.

Hate has no place in the city of Allentown in Allegheny County, the state of Pennsylvania for the entire nation.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Our next question comes from Chloe.

Call Wilson with Valley Youth House Mayor O'Connell.

You'll have two minutes to answer after we take a look at Chloe's question.

What the lack of access to emergency shelters in this area that is safe and supportive of transgender non binary folks.

How were you better advocate for transgender non binary folks who are unsheltered.

How will you be able to make sure that LGBTQ folks are safe and affirmed in your city?

Mayor, your response?

Everyone has to be safe and OK. Everyone has to be shapen friend in the city or adults.

But obviously I know CDC works but values house.

OK, a Tom Harrington.

I've met him many times over the last several months.

We have to make sure that anyone transgender LGBTQ community, transgender young youth or make sure they are safe and sheltered and get the necessary needed services to make their life better going forward.

It's a very difficult thing.

I mean, we have talked about over the years about conversion therapy and Adrian, I worked in that the conversion therapy, which is totally, totally, totally wrong.

So we will continue.

If anyone has a concern, they could reach out to myself.

Tatiana, truly, if they need services, we'll make sure we hook up with DCC or Tom Haratin have Billy Values House.

But it's a major concern more and more young people.

I'm very proud that both high schools, Allen and Dezhurov have, you know, they have gay alliances.

They have groups that they can talk to within the school and they could outreach to my office values house will make the connection with the Lama Hasan touch on actually going forth to make sure everyone is sheltered and is in a safe, caring, loving environment.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

The Allentown LGBTQ mural Forum continues on PBS.

39 and 91.3.

We are with a look at our next candidate, Councilman Julio Garretti.

Councilman, thank you for your time tonight.

We want to start by asking you what makes you an ally to the LGBTQ community?

You have two minutes.

Thank you for being an ally for the LGBTQ community community for many, many years.

I was there for the last three years at least, and even before that becoming the city council.

Now, 20 years ago, I truly was one of those people who was out there advocating for LGBTQ community and including once I got into council, as I said earlier, we budgeted Bill to make sure that we stopped the discrimination against LGBT.

Terje, particularly people in our community.

But you know, we have a great community in houses that are being taken care of by the LGBTQ community.

And also personally, I developed a program in the Lehigh Valley.

It was a six county program that some of you may have heard of before.

I was one of the founding members of that organization that helped a lot of people during those days when working in addition to the I developed the Latino its outreach program, which was another program that I got support from the state secretary of state at that time was Dr and Allen Noonan and supporter was into helping the LGBTQ community a lot during those they also worked with fat fighting AIDS communities together.

We built LA and worked the three different resolutions, not only not resolution, there were actually ordinances that we passed in the city to make sure that we protect the LGBTQ community in our city as well as personally.

I have a nephew who is the estranged gender and I being the great ally and supportive to him as a family of the beginning.

I found it to be different than where they expected and I was always there for him and have been for him throughout his life.

Actually.

So it's something personal to me because of Grady.

I'm sorry to cut you during that story.

Thank you so much for sharing with us.

Across the country, states are grappling with legislation that would dial back transgender rights, bathroom bills, laws pertaining to sports and access to health care.

Data from the National Center for Transgender Equality shows that trans people often face unemployment rate two to three times the national average.

It's even higher for trans people of color.

As mayor, what would you do to ensure trans people in Allentown feel welcome here and are able to work and thrive in the city for two minutes?

Start now?

Sure.

And that's something that I you know, as an immigrant myself and facing a lot of those issues, I want to make sure that doesn't happen to anybody in one of the things that I would do also is get and I think Mr Derrick talked about that as well.

But I also have a plan to have a inclusion diversity person that we work hard to make sure that all those issues that you just talked about, employment don't happen to our city.

One of the things that happened when I first came in was that we had a lot of people who were being discriminated because Wuhan because of their sexual orientation and preference back in the early 2000s and even earlier than that.

And we passed a resolution, I was more inclusive for our citizens in all all of the people who were suffering of discrimination at that time.

So we continue to work hard.

I'm very tough on employment.

I want to make sure that people have it, that all people have an opportunity to be employed in our city and throughout the Lehigh Valley.

I was a member of the CareerLink board and at that time we worked very hard to make sure that we are inclusive in our hiring throughout this, not only across the city, throughout the Lehigh Valley with CareerLink.

So would be, I think, the strongest person, the strongest mayor, the we would see in the future because I had the experience of working in every single community in the city and understand how employment works by being a manager.

I've been working with a lot of people throughout my career and as a banker and also where I work now and also run a couple of nonprofit organizations, including the Hispanic Hispanic Council in and also parts president and also many community organizations, nonprofit organization that I support.

Katzmann Garity, The City Strategic Plan, Allentown Vision 2030 prioritizes the quote, successful launch expansion and sustainability of diverse owned businesses, including LGBTQ owned businesses.

As mayor, how will you help these diverse businesses succeed?

You have two minutes to do because I always fact last night we had a meeting and I was returning back to the original story because I wanted to make sure that it was in Spanish as well and we were able to do it not only in English but also in Spanish, provide a lot more support to our community.

But how would I help specifically Gamma I think I would be one of the things I would do is develop and develop a plan that would take people who want to get into business from A to Z and have a person dedicated for that specifically to make sure that they don't go through a red tape that they usually experience.

In many cities, including Allentown, I get tons of calls.

I mean, I get calls almost every day from people who are trying to open a business and sometimes they feel that they I don't know if it is discrimination or if they don't understand the system or what's going.

But I think what I want to do is I want to make it easy for people who want to make an open a business and be friendly to them that look of ways how they can open the business not supposed to telling them why they cannot open their business in Orlando.

And I think looking at the zoning codes that we have and easing those crowds of people, they have an opportunity to open the business and provide some incentives for them to open the business in Arlington.

So that would be inclusive of everybody.

LGBTQ community and non LGBT communities in regards minorities and no minorities.

So everybody will have an opportunity to open a business in an easy way, a lot easier than what we have today.

The next question comes from Alice Saham, a former Allentown human relations commissioner.

Councilman, you'll have two minutes to answer after we take a look at Alison's question as a former human relations commissioner for the city of Allentown, I used to be very involved in making sure that the ordinance protect employment, housing and public accommodation rights were protected and enforced in the city of Allentown.

And I want to know what our future mayor can do to make sure that businesses know about our policies so they can follow them and how they would be enforced in the future.

Got security response?

Sure.

Great question.

And thank you also for us asking that question.

Yes.

One of the things that I said that I would do is make sure that we have bilingual people in the city that will be able to express those sentiments.

I mean, in real life and be able to go out and talk to the people, work and develop a plan that everybody has an opportunity to open a business in the city.

Is by making sure that when they come into the city that one person but it's going to be dedicated to them and make sure those people are also incentivized by some of the services that we provide.

But some of the services that they want to get and be able to speak their language, just be able to provide the services to the community in Oakland, no different language is necessary as well.

As provide any type of support that they need in the city and that burgeoning Betty dedicated for that.

So we're going to not only be able to bring more companies into the city to provide employment, but also that they are they have a good economic plan to be able to survive and progress in city.

And some of those plans includes housing includes and I brought a couple of people who are opening businesses in the city like supremo is one, which is a grocery store right on 7th Street, but also developers that are developing the city and continue to develop.

We're looking at doing the riverfront area and that's going to provide not only employment, but it's also going to provide an opportunity for upscale housing and also housing for anybody who would be able to afford.

So we're not looking just to provide that.

We're looking to revitalize our city as well as the housing Dr Fauci Dan Harris are very old.

So rehabbing the city, providing services for them and making sure that the city is open with an open door policy for them to talk directly to me as opposed to having to telephone and dial five or six numbers in order to get to the right person.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Grady, the final Democratic candidate running for Allentown mayor as councilwoman Ce-Ce Gerlach.

Councilwoman Gerlach, thank you for your patience this evening.

We want to get you right to our first question, which is one you've heard already, what makes you an ally to the LGBTQ community Gamma You have two minutes starting now.

Thank you.

Thank so I've been an ally to the LGBTQ+ community before I was on council since I moved to Allentown, I continuously reach out to members of the LGBT community to help them inform me of my policy and my decision making.

As we know from this time last year, there's been a 266 percent increase in trans people who have been killed.

And so what I've done is I've reached out to trans people of color, specifically in Allentown to ask them what has their experience been in Allentown?

What is their experience been in Lehigh Valley with the police, with employment, with housing.

I also reached out to the director of a local organization called the Trans Equity Project.

And I learned a lot about homelessness that are trans youth are experiencing.

I also learned about the services they offer for people who are currently transitioning.

I've attended Pride ever single here and I missed it last year by being in person, but I definitely attended virtually and I can't wait to attend again in person this year.

Hopefully.

And more recently I've attended the trans stay of visibility and the Trans Day of Remembrance.

Thank you all for for for hosting those two events.

And I should also point out that I have LGBTQ folks that are part of my campaign team.

They are literally informing me of my policies and directing my campaign.

So I've been alive while I was on the school board as I'm on city council and I will be an ally as mayor and I will tell you one of the first things I will do as mayor is to do a climate assessment.

It's been far too long since we've done one to ensure that everyone who works in city hall especially people who live who are in marginalized communities are not discriminated against or harassed.

I will make sure of that.

Thank you, Councilwoman.

The Covid-19 pandemic has unmasked existing disparities faced by the LGBTQ community and other marginalized populations.

What lessons did you learn in this past year that will affect your public health decisions and how will it impact future city budgets?

If you are mayor, you have two minutes for your answer.

That's me.

So first off, in terms of the budget under my administration we will implement priority based budgeting with priority based budgeting.

We will actually be able to have that moral document that addresses the vision.

2030, the values and the priorities of a community.

Now speaking specifically to Covid recovery, you're 100% right, Adrian?

There have been cracks and open wounds in the system that many of us have lived our entire lives and they have now been exposed.

So in order to fix these systemic issues, it takes more than band aids.

It takes intentional planning and it takes specific policies.

One of these cracks that has been exposed has been homelessness.

We know that the LGBTQ community suffers homelessness at a higher rate than the general population.

And yet we only have one shelter in the entire Lehigh Valley that will accept a youth who identifies as trans.

That is unacceptable.

And the year of 2021 and it will be unacceptable when I am mayor.

We also know that in Allentown most of the jobs that exist in Allentown are held by non Allentown residents.

That's why right now I am working on an employee Allentown ordinance that will incentivize businesses to hire Allentown residents and actually that metrics for us to contract with Black, brown and LGBTQ businesses here in Allentown.

And then finally we have to address these health disparities that exist across the nation.

But even here in Allentown, we know there are certain risks in the LGBTQ community, such as certain cancers and anxiety and depression that we that are at higher rates in the community.

We have to make sure that our health care providers are properly trained and aware of these disparities so they can provide proper screenings and prevention tools for folks that are in Allentown and throughout the Lehigh Valley.

Thank you, Councilwoman Gerlach, in an email from your campaign this week, you raised concerns about racism and sexism in the mayoral contest, saying, quote, smear tactics, misogyny and white supremacy are alive in this race.

What specifically are you referring to and what does this mean for the diverse communities in Allentown, including LGBTQ residents?

As always, you'll have two minutes for this question.

Thank you.

So you I've grown used to walking into the room and being the only one that looks like me.

And in fact, here right here on this town hall, I'm the only one that looks like me.

If elected, I will be the first person of color and the first woman to ever be mayor and the third largest city in the state of Pennsylvania.

And in fact, if Epaulet, I will be the first woman and first person of color to be elected as mayor of any major city in the entire state of Pennsylvania.

As I've said earlier and as I've said in previous events, systemic racism and bias is real.

It's part of it's part of this country.

It's part of system.

And unless we take on these biases and the systemic issues again with specific policy and intentional planning, they will continue to permeate throughout society.

So I pledge to you as mayor that I understand what it's like to be marginalized.

I understand what it's like to be discriminated against.

I will stand with you.

I have your back.

And under my administration there will be no place for racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia or any other ism that exist.

Our final community question comes from Brittany Gilb, a student from Muhlenberg College.

Councilwoman Gerlach, you'll have two minutes to respond right after we watch Brittany's question.

How have you engaged trans people, especially trans people of color in your leadership decision?

Making Catwoman, Garlock Yes.

Sorry about that.

My battery was dying.

So as I've said, earlier, I have reached out to members of the community, especially members of color.

I've attended the various events, the Transbay visibility and the transit of remembrance.

And I've learned a lot.

I've learned that if you are a trans person that you're not guaranteed to get into a shelter.

Well, I would like to do is I would like to change our rubric that we use to to allocate funding, federal funding, state funding and local funding to the different shelters to ensure that they are living up to our nondiscrimination ordinance.

You know, trans that the trans community it's intersectional community, just like the entire LGBTQ community and the issues that black and brown trans people face are both racism, sexism, transphobia, And so it's important that as mayor I will continue to reach out to the folks who I've reached out to over the last 10 years.

And they will be at the table with me.

They will be informing the policies that I make.

Thank you.

Now it's time for closing statements.

Each candidate gets up to 90 seconds.

The tone signals the 10 second warning and we'll keep the same order for candidates.

Mr Chuck, your first.

Thanks, Adrian.

And I want thank Bradberry so and LGBT Community Center, PBS.

39 William Barr for hosting.

There's been a great opportunity for us to talk about issues that are central to our lives and I'll be a proud and vocal ally to the LGBTQ community in Allentown and in the Valley.

Ally, as you know, requires proactive outreach from City Hall to address issues our most vulnerable populations face.

And really what makes me an I think we all talked about us having been allies of the past.

But what makes me an ally now is I care a lot.

I love a lot of people who are LGBTQ and beyond.

Those are people in my lives or in my life who have affected my life since the beginning.

There's a deep level of love that I feel I know that love to to city hall.

You know what I want to do?

The populations, the issues that they face.

I'm an economic development guy.

As I mentioned, jobs are important.

What less people out of the it gives people an opportunity to better themselves represent making sure that there are faces on in City Hall that look like the faces of the people in Allentown is critically important and housing came up many times over this forum.

We to make sure that nobody is denied housing on the basis of their sexual orientation or Thank you, guys.

So much.

I look forward to serving you as mayor and serving Valentine as mayor.

Bell Thank you, Mr Thirt.

We'll go next to Mayor Ray O'Connell.

Thank you.

The human rights issues universal Declaration of Human Rights states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights without distinction of any kind.

Yet all over the world, including Pennsyvania, Allentown, there are acts of violence and discrimination committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and their gender identity.

As I stated in my opening statement, full inclusion in any society is the only measure of equality.

The anti defamation League.

The ADL has long worked for LGBT rights opposing discrimination on laws and criminalizing and exposing hate crimes.

A landmark brief with the US Supreme Court recently over felt overburdened, overpowered versus Hodgins and added to that successful call for marriage equality.

The next generation, the next generation.

Our children are grandchildren and great grandchildren.

They will be the proving ground for sustainable change, which is why all the ADL education and programs include anti bias and bullying prevention and address respect for all people throughout the city.

The state and the country regardless of sexual orientation.

Or gender identity.

Thank you again, Bradberry Sullivan Center.

Adrian, in particular, a great forum.

It's all about education, educating our youth, educating the community at every age, young, middle and old.

That sexual orientation and gender identity is everyone choice in life to be whatever they want to be without discrimination and harm to them.

Thank you and have a great night.

Thank you, Mayor O'Connell.

Next up, Councilman Julio to your closing statement.

Thank you for the opportunity say that the came here 45 years ago from the Dominican Republic Third World country.

I grew up with my grandparents.

I worked very hard since I was a kid, since I started working.

I started working and I was given the opportunity to come to this country and in no know the language.

At the age of 15 when I came here, I didn't even speak