Worcester looks into creating commissions focused on Black, LGBTQ residents

WORCESTER — A city councilor has requested the creation of commissions to advise on policy related to the affairs of the African American/Black and LGBTQ communities.

During the July 18 City Council meeting, Councilor-at-Large Khrystian King filed two orders for an update on his previous request to create the commission for Black residents, which he said would be similar to the current Commission on Latino Affairs.

The Commission on Latino Affairs is a seven-member advisory commission that is tasked with encouraging, promoting and monitoring policies and practices in the city so Latinos have equal protection of the law and equal access to public services. The City Council supported the creation of the commission in late November 2021.

King requested the administration look into creating an advisory commission for Black/African American affairs in October and the order was approved by the City Council.

During the March 2 Standing Committee on Municipal and Legislative Operations meeting, King, who chairs the committee, requested a report back on the creation of the commission.

The second order requested the City Council go on record in support of amending the city’s organizational ordinances to create a LGBTQ commission, whose membership size would be determined by the city administration.

On Tuesday, King said U.S. Supreme Court decisions inspired his focus on the creation of these commissions.

"What we've seen during these times is an assault on human rights led by the Supreme Court," King said.

The Supreme Court struck down college affirmative action policies June 29 and backed a Colorado web designer's right to deny services to couples seeking to create websites for same-sex weddings.

The Supreme Court also began to chip away at the heart of the Voting Rights Act a decade ago. However, the Supreme Court recently ruled that Alabama's congressional district maps violated the Voting Rights Act.

On the Black/African American commission, King said he wants a commission to look at how the city is doing with disparate health, economic and public safety outcome for Black residents.

The city administration has been working with Black Families Together and the Worcester NAACP on the Black/African commission, King said.

On the need for an LGBTQ commission, King said July 18 that the LGBTQ community in the city and across the country is multifaceted, with both young members and an emerging group of LGBTQ seniors facing struggles,

Elderly LGBTQ residents are an "unseen" population across the country with limited access to services that support their sexual orientation or gender identity as they age.

“It’s a population with limited access to just and fair supports that foster their sexuality and aging," King said. "Many LGBTQ seniors worry about aging with dignity and respect.“

LGBTQ youths face housing issues, King added.

"There's nothing more important than having an equity lens when it comes to all of these demographics, in addition to folks of lower economic status," King said. "I think this is a part of governing that could only enhance what we do as elected officials."

Both commissions should also work to highlight contributions from members of the LGBTQ and Black communities in the city, King said.

King said he wanted Worcester to join other municipalities in having LGBTQ-focused commissions. Boston has the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement, Cambridge has an LGBTQ+ Commission and Arlington has the LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Commission.

The state has a Commission on LGBTQ Youth and the state Legislature has an LGBTQ Aging Commission.

Gov. Maura Healey established the Advisory Council on Black Empowerment, which includes a few Worcester residents.

City Manager Eric D. Batista said during the July 18 council meeting that he hopes to have an ordinance pertaining to the advisory commission for Black/African American affairs residents and will look into the LGBTQ commission order.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the city said Batista has been working on the expansion of cultural commissions, similar to the Commission on Latino Affairs, as part of the restructuring of the Executive Officer of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

The spokesperson said a report is expected to be delivered at the next City Council meeting on Aug. 22.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester Black, LGBTQ communities may see new advocacy commissions