Equality Long Island – Fall 2018 Candidate Questionnaire

About Equality Long Island: Equality Long Island (EQLI) is the 501(c)(4) arm of the LGBT Network. As a non-partisan organization, EQLI provides the Long Island and Queens communities with new and unique opportunities to get involved with public policy and government officials through community education, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy and lobbying. Our annual candidate endorsements help LGBT and allied voters to choose candidates that support issues important to the community.

About the LGBT Network: The LGBT Network is a home and a voice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, their families, and support systems of Long Island and Queens. Its 6 community centers help LGBT people to be themselves, stay healthy, and change the world. The LGBT Network provides 30+ programs including leadership, education, outreach, social, health promotion, advocacy, mental health, and support services. The LGBT Network has a 25-year history of pioneering social change to promote safe spaces, not only within its programs, but in schools, workplaces, organizations, places of worship, and in the greater community where LGBT people live, learn, work, play, and pray.

With a service area from the Midtown Tunnel to Montauk Point, its 6 community centers, upcoming senior housing development and over 300,000 people served annually, the LGBT Network’s reach is the most expansive out of any LGBT nonprofit in the New York metro area. The LGBT Network represents constituents in every single legislative district with more than 5 million New York families in its catchment area.

Candidate and Campaign Information

Thank you for seeking the endorsement of Equality Long Island. Submission of a completed questionnaire is required for consideration.

1. Name of Candidate: Howie Hawkins

2. Name of Campaign Committee: Hawkins for Governor

3. Campaign Address: P.O. Box 562, Syracuse NY 13205

4. Campaign Telephone Number: 917-825-3562

5. Campaign Email Address:[email protected]

6. Campaign Website: www.howiehawkins.org

7. Campaign Twitter Handle:@HowieHawkins

8. Campaign Manager's Name: Michael O'Neil

9. Campaign Manager's Email Address:[email protected]

10. Campaign Manager's Cell Phone Number:917-825-3562

11. What Office / District are you seeking?Governor of New York

12. Are you an Incumbent, Challenger or Candidate for an open seat:Challenger

13. On which party lines are you running? Green Party

14. If you are an incumbent, do you have a primary challenge? N/A

15. What is your occupation? Recently retired truck unloader at UPS

16. Please list any professional affiliations: Teamsters Local 317

17. Please describe any community service history:

Treasurer, Southside Community Coalition

Secretary, Eat To Live Food Cooperative

18. Please list any endorsements to date

DUH! - Demand Universal Healthcare!

Green Party of New York

International Socialist Organization

Socialist Party USA

Solidarity

19. Previous offices held (if any): N/A

20. Briefly describe any involvement with the LGBT community

Politically, I have been supporting Serena Rahzie Seals, the organizer of Black Cuse Pride, a group supporting the inner-city LBGTQ community in Syracuse, particularly her Green Party candidacy for 4th District Councilor in 2017. Socially, I have attended LGBT events with my lesbian sister, particularly performances of the LGBT-indentified Seattle Men's Chorus and Seattle Women's Chorus, in which she sings.

Candidate Positions

21. Do you support the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) proposed for NYS? Support

22. Do you support government funding for community based programming to meet the health and human service needs of LGBT people? Support

23. Do you support the implementation of a thorough, and age- appropriate, HIV/AIDS and sex education curriculum for public schools? Support

24. Do you support legislation that would prohibit any contractor doing business with County, State or Federal governments from discriminating against LGBT people? Support

25. Do you support religious liberty exemptions or religious freedom bills that would permit discrimination against LGBT people based on religious beliefs? Oppose

26. Would you support the appointment of commissioners or officials who reflect the diversity of New York State, including the LGBT community? Support

27. Do you support measures to ensure that aging LGBT New Yorkers in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and senior centers have programs that are responsive to their particular needs? Support

28. Do you support public financial support for the treatment and prevention of HIV and AIDS? Support

In your words...

Please answer the following questions in 75 words or less.

29. What is your legislative record in the area of LGBT issues and support for LGBT non-profit organizations?

I supported the Green Party's long-standing advocacy of marriage equality, including the gay marriages performed by the Green mayor and vice-mayor of New Paltz in 2004. As the Green Party candidate for governor in 2010, 2014, and 2018, I have campaigned for GENDA, the Child-Parent Security Act, for outlawing "conversion therapy," and fully funding homeless youth shelters and the AIDS Institute.

30. Local non-profits have experienced considerable cuts in funding largely due to county, state and federal budget difficulties. As an elected official, what would you do to protect and increase funding for health and human service agencies?

Tax the rich and prioritize funding for health and human services. The top 1%'s share of all income in NYS has grown from 12% in 1980 to 30% today. Top end income tax cuts, rebating the stock transfer tax, corporate income tax cuts, and cuts to revenue sharing with local governments all occurred over the same period. Reversing these regressive tax policies will provide the revenues to fully fund health and human services.

31. Why are you seeking the endorsement of Equality Long Island?

I admire the services and advocacy provided by the LGBT Network and Equality Long Island and that they have kept going after the Empire State Pride Agenda disbanded saying its equality mission is completed when equality is far from realized. I would be proud to publicize the endorsement of Equality Long Island.

32. Why should members of the LGBT community support your candidacy?

Vote Green so Cuomo can’t take you for granted. Make him compete for your vote by enacting the LGBT equality agenda. Cuomo enabled the Republican/Independent Democratic Conference coalition to rule the Senate and block LGBT equality legislation. Cuomo’s acceptance of the Independence Party line in 2018 provides Cuomo coattail votes to all the Senate Republican candidates who are also on the Independence line. That indicates Cuomo's still wants a Republican Senate firewall against progressive reforms.