Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Dave Pine
Supervisor Carole Groom
Subject: Appointment to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) Commission
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation for the appointment of Jose Romero-Betancourt to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) Commission, for a partial term ending June 30, 2019.
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BACKGROUND:
The Commission reports and makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding policies, programs, procedures and legislation affecting LGBTQ individuals in San Mateo County, and provides outreach and support to at-risk and underserved LGBTQ populations within San Mateo County, including youth, communities of color, non-English speakers, older adults, and immigrants. The Commission promotes transgender inclusion among private and public entities in San Mateo County, including access to health care and to gendered spaces such as bathrooms and shelters. It develops initiatives to support LGBTQ families with children in San Mateo County and provides a public forum for input from the LGBTQ community to identify unmet needs.
DISCUSSION:
Jose Romero-Betancourt, a Bay Area native, is a passionate advocate for human rights and community development against racism and homophobia. He is currently working for the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and holds a degree in Criminal Justice and Accounting. He was also a Commissioner for the San Francisco LGBTQ Commission previously, where he founded and adapted the Beyond the Castro (BCG) Work Group-which established a relationship with community organizations in different underserved community areas throughout San Francisco with LGBTQ Rights and community development against homophobia and racism. Jose is also a Member of the GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Network) and a founder, facilitator for the Mission Neighborhood Centers "Aquellos Locos" Gay Latino Youth Program.
He is filling a seat being vacated by Commissioner Andres Camarillo who is resigning because he is moving out of the country (by Dec 31, 2018) with a work transfer and is not able to finish his term which ends June 30, 2019.
This appointment contributes to the 2025 Shared Vision statement of a Collaborative Community. Our diverse population works well together to build strong communities, effective government and a prosperous economy, civic engagement - including voting, public service, charitable giving, volunteerism, and participation in public discussions of important issues - is uniformly high among the diverse population of San Mateo County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.