Kleinschmidt and Lavelle speak at first event for ACLU 50th anniversary

In honor of N.C. ACLU's 50th anniversary, the Chapel Hill Pubic Library is hosting a month-long program focusing on a different social justice issue each night.

Monday's program centered on LGBT struggles in N.C. with speakers mayors Mark Kleinschmidt of Chapel Hill and Lydia Lavelle of Carrboro.

The two interviewed each other in front of a small audience, discussing the history, progress and personal experiences of the LGBT community. Both mayors said neither is the first gay elected official in N.C., which makes them a part of a small community.

"One-tenth of one-percent of elected officials are gay," said Kleinschmidt.

Lavelle said she did not formally announce her sexual orientation during her campaign for mayor, but instead slipped it into a questionnaire and mentioned her thoughts as part of the LGBT community.

"People have to decide whether they're gonna come out as part of their election process," said Lavelle. "I used to tease people that it was an asset."

Kleinschmidt said he also saw Lavelle's sexual orientation as an advantage.

"At the time I was thinking 'well of course those are the only qualifications we need,'" said Kleinschmidt. "She's a lesbian, she lives in Carrboro, therefore she should be serving."

Both mayors said sexual orientation should not be a focus anymore, to which several members of the audience agreed.

"I would hope that we would get to a stage of life, of evolution if you will, in which (sexual orientation) wouldn't matter," said John Hammond, a former UNC professor.

Lavelle said that she had to come out when she became a mom to her partner's children.

The mayors discussed different ways throughout history where members of the LGBT community were forced to come out of the closet — in the past it was the AIDS epidemic and today it's about getting married.

Both said more work needs to be done for LGBT equality.

Kleinschmidt said the focus used to be on anti-sodomy laws, which can still be used against minors in N.C. today, and that the fight for marriage equality will still be present in the realm of religious liberty.

Lavelle and Kleinschmidt also discussed several court cases involved in the fight for LGBT equality.

Kleinschmidt said one of the most important cases to him was the Romer v. Evans Supreme Court decision. This case decided that the state of Colorado could not discriminate residents based off of homosexuality or bisexuality.

He said it was the first time the Supreme Court recognized the humanity of LGBT people.

Farther down the road the mayors said the LGBT community will focus on work place discrimination.

When Susan Brown, director of the Chapel Hill Public Library was asked how she connected to the issue of LGBT equality she responded, "as a fellow human being that's my connection with it."

@ARPapadopoulos

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