Public Comment

OFFICIAL LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER OF GREATER CLEVELAND STATEMENT CITING SUPPORT OF UPCOMING CITY OF CLEVELAND ANTI-CONVERSION THERAPY ORIDINANCE Since 1975, the mission of the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland has been to provide the vital resource, care and support for members of Northeast Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community. Over the course of the organization’s history, we have proudly advocated and celebrated major steps forward in a long-standing movement that began with a brick at 53 Christopher Street, New York City in June 1969. In the last decade alone, we had realized some of the most progressive societal shifts towards the equitable treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals leading to the recognition of same-sex marriages in all corners of the United States. But as any student of history may have been taught, the historical and political landscapes of this country have swung like a pendulum, back and forth between social progression and more conservative ideology. We have without question experienced a swing to the latter in recent years and it has shown through a national movement to censor literature and speech within our schools. It has shown through legislation prohibiting youth from enjoying the comfort of their own identity within the realms of sport as well as seeking gender affirming medical care. And with this swing has seen the resurgence of a harmful practice that today we proudly take a stance against. Conversion therapy is an aggressive tactic to suppress an individual’s own naturally occurring instincts and has time and again proven to lead to more serious long-term damage to the mental health of LGBTQIA+ individuals, especially youth. This practice has widely been condemned as having no scientific basis and often incorporates verbal, physical and even sexual abuse [1]. Numerous studies have shown that this practice, which often aims to coerce an individual to alter their sexual preference or gender identity through the aforementioned abusive behavior, is generally unsuccessful and has widely been discredited by health professionals and even past practitioners [2]. The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland firmly supports any action that helps improve the quality of life and promotes equality for every individual here in Cleveland, Ohio. For too long this practice has damaged LGBTQ+ youth’s mental well-being and has hindered an individual’s ability to accept one’s identity without guilt or shame. With this ordinance, we call for support from City of Cleveland leadership, who have the ability to take a step in swinging the pendulum away from this destructive practice and back towards one of unity, acceptance and love. We thank our leaders in council for hearing this ordinance and hope for a resolution that promotes the respect and dignity each individual within our Cleveland community so justly deserves. [1]Collins, Donald. “The Damaging Mental Health Effects of LGBTQ+ Conversion Therapy.” Psych Central, 25 June 2021, psychcentral.com/news/conversion-therapy-for-lgbt-kids-linked-to-higher-risks-of-depression-suicide. [2]Cheers, Hannah. Proposal of Alternative Solutions to Address Children’s Rights Violation: Conversion Therapy | Social Work and Policy Studies: Social Justice, Practice and Theory. 2019, openjournals.library.sydney.edu.au/index.php/SWPS/article/view/14075.

Holy wow, I just learned about what ShotSpotter is. This is chilling. Please, we do NOT need more surveillance in our communities. In addition, ShotSpotter is NOT shown to actually reduce crime. Furthermore, ShotSpotter has led to false convictions. It is shown to cause drain on police resources. ShotSpotter also erodes trust in a community and enhances the horrifying effects of racist policing. This will not only be harmful to our communities, but it will be a waste of money and result in more lawsuits for misconduct. We say NO to ShotSpotter, and YES to investments in programming and the environment that enrich and support our community and our neighbors.

Dear Cleveland City Council, I’m writing with regards to Ordinance 895-2022 Transformative Public Art Projects Fund Program, on the agenda for the City Council meeting on Oct. 3rd. The amended Ordinance reads: “That the Director of City Planning is authorized to create and administer the “Transformative Public Art Projects Fund Program” to provide financial assistance to provide grants to Community Development Corporations and other public and private entities for publicly accessible art programs in the estimated amount of $3,000,000. Artist participation in the projects funded by this program shall include 50% local artist participation.” I would like to ask that you please do not vote in favor of this Ordinance until it reads “Artist participation in the projects funded by this program shall include 100% Cleveland artist participation.” Please support Cleveland artists. Thank you, Laura Cyrocki 11303 Hessler Road, Ward 6 216-288-9587

I would like to ask that this Ordinance regarding partnership with ShotSpotter is NOT passed. The technology does not work (watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL6qkaYpekI if you have not) and the placement of the detectors promotes discriminatory policing. Thank you, Deborah Kohn 44120

The greed of people who own homes for rent . How are people going to be able to afford to rent a decent place to live when every landlord wants so much money. We are being made to move by a new owner and we have been looking for a month a half. There is nothing out there below 900 to1500 dollars. Social security only goes so far. This unacceptable and unexcusable . Something must be done now . NOW! So as council members of the city of Cleveland if you people can't do nothing to make this right or remedy this then you need to be fired and get out of office right now so somebody else that can take care of it this this is ridiculous

These two projects are a colossal waste of public money and I could not be more unsupportive of either of them. Use our taxes to fight poverty not arrest and jail the impoverished

My name is Kimberly Carter my concerns is the construction that’s going on on Eva 105th St., I’m a business owner and this project has put a damper on my business we’re losing business no one have been out there to work on the streets for over a year , I have called City Hall on several occasions with no return phone calls I have call channel 19 news to come out which they have done a story on the street project no one has returned their phone calls I came down to City Hall law office and picked up a copy of the contract of the company perks that is doing history repairs not only the street repairs look at E. 105th St. between superior and St. Clair it looks like a war zone there’s no city plowing grass and open feels we have builders that fallen and collapsing this neighborhood has been ignored ,Jeff Johnson was a council person he never done anything Kevin Conwell took over our ward it was a lot that he had to take on we need help over here we need to be treated as such as you treat Tremont was 125 The West side is getting a complete upgrade we never got anything I’ve been in Glenville area all my life I’m 56 years old I’ve never seen no type of construction know anything going on in that area and 56 years of my living in the Glenville area so I will be calling the news channel every time I get I’m going to Continue to speak about the treatment this neighborhood is getting every chance I get until the city gets it that we need help over here I also try to get garbage cans put on E. 105th St. we have no trash cans none .It’s terrible it’s a war zone

My name is Jacqueline Foster. I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. I graduated from East High school on the east side of Cleveland. I went on to work various jobs in the clerical field and started college at Cleveland State University. During my twenties I married and left school and work for some years. I later divorced and returned to CSU to complete a bachelor degree. I do not have any children of my own. When I returned to the workforce, I noticed several disparities between classes of people. There is a class of people who do not have their education. Some people do not have high school diplomas or college degrees. There are people with children without their education. This affects black and white people and old and young. Most of the higher wage opportunities are available to people with a higher education. There is a since of entitlement among people with children. I have been attacked several times by people with children trying to get better opportunities for their families. There needs to be more services available for people with children to further their education. These opportunities need to be promoted and publicized regularly. This is a serious issue in our communities. Can we make education a priority for our citizens?

Hello, I'm writing to share my strong support for requiring the release of video footage of police officers using deadly force within seven days of the incident. I understand an Ordinance is under consideration by the full City Council, and urge you to adopt this reform. Thank you, Andrea https://www.ideastream.org/news/cleveland-city-council-may-require-release-of-some-police-body-cam-footage-within-7-days

we as a city and the Leadership of the city of Cleveland and the Cleveland Communities we must work together and bring Positive force of change on all Levels, we as a community must work with the Cleveland Police to stop the Guns Shootings within the Cleveland communities. and the Cleveland Police must bring Trust Back within the Black communities like the old days. remember this y'all together we rise on change not on hatred, or blaming each other, we have Bad cops, and we Have bad People within the Cleveland communities on Both sides of the fence. if the city of Cleveland Leadership and the Cleveland Communities want to bring Positive force of change within the city of Cleveland and within the communities, please give me a call 440.650.7063 Maurice Sledge.