LGBT liaison officer
An LGBT liaison is any individual employed by an organization or institution as a point of contact, serving as both a spokesperson for the organization to a local LGBT demographics as well as a representative of LGBT interests to the leaders of the organization. LGBT liaisons typically play an advisory role to organizations or government branches.
Liaison Officers in Police Departments
LGBT Liaison Officers have been appointed since at least 1962, when San Francisco Police Department appointed Elliott Blackstone as the United States' first liaison officer to the "homophile community". A pioneer of community policing, Blackstone worked within the police department to change policy and procedures directed against the LGBT community, such as entrapment of gay men in public restrooms.
Notable LGBT liaisons
- Aditi Hardikar - Joined the White House as LGBT liaison in November 2014.[1]
- Monique Dorsainvil - Served as White House LGBT liaison from Raghavan's resignation[2] until the position was filled by Aditi Hardikar.[1]
- Gautam Raghavan - LGBT liaison (officially "Associate Director of Public Engagement") in the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, appointed by the president[2]
- Richard Socarides - former White House LGBT liaison
- Brian Bond - former White House LGBT liaison
- Detective Kevin Czartoryski - liaison officer for the New York Police Department to the LGBT community under the Deputy Commissioner for Public Information. Died in 2010 of a September 11, 2001 attacks-related illness.
- Bill Kraus - gay liaison advisor to Congressman Phillip Burton. Successful in persuading Burton to publicly acknowledge the need for AIDS research
- Connie Locke - Atlanta Police Department's first LGBT liaison (appointed 2002)
- Lawrence McKeon - first mayoral liaison to LGBT community in Chicago, appointed 1992 by Richard M. Daley
Notable LGBT liaison units
- Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit - Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (established June 2000)
- LGBT liaison team in the New York City Police Department Community Affairs Bureau
References
- 1 2 Johnson, Chris (November 10, 2014). "New White House LGBT liaison named". Washington, DC: Washington Blade. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- 1 2 Snow, Justin (September 4, 2014). "White House LGBT liaison to depart Obama administration". Washington, DC: Metro Weekly. Retrieved 17 September 2015.