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[]

Danielle Bottineau - LGBT Liaison Officer for the Toronto Police Service^[1]
Ben Bjarnesen - Queensland Police Service LGBTI Liaison Officer since 2010.^[2]
- Joined the White House as LGBT liaison in November 2014.^[3]
Monique Dorsainvil - Served as White House LGBT liaison from Raghavan's resignation^[4] until the position was filled by Aditi Hardikar.^[3]
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^[4]
Richard Socarides - former White House LGBT liaison
Brian Bond - former White House LGBT liaison
Bill Kraus - gay liaison advisor to Congressman Phillip Burton. Successful in persuading Burton to publicly acknowledge the need for AIDS research

Notable LGBT liaison units[]

- Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (established June 2000)
Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officers^[5] (referred to as GLLO) team in the New South Wales Police Force, for over 25 years.
Queensland Police Service - LGBTI Liaison Officer Program established in 1997.^[6]
Amsterdam Police Roze in Blauw

References[]

^ Mann, Arshy (August 3, 2018). "The gay cop trying to fix the relationship between Toronto's LGBT communities and the police". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
^ "Why QPS Acting Sergeant Ben Bjarnesen Became An LGBTI Liaison Officer". QNews. February 27, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Johnson, Chris (November 10, 2014). "New White House LGBT liaison named". Washington, DC: Washington Blade. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
^ ^a ^b Snow, Justin (September 4, 2014). "White House LGBT liaison to depart Obama administration". Washington, DC: Metro Weekly. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
^ Wales, corporateName=NSW Police Force; jurisdiction=New South. "Sexuality, Gender Diversity and Intersex. Working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people - NSW Police Force". www.police.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2017-03-22.
^ https://www.police.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-07/LGBTI%20Liaison%20Officer%20Brochure.PDF

[1] Mann, Arshy (August 3, 2018). "The gay cop trying to fix the relationship between Toronto's LGBT communities and the police". Xtra Magazine. Retrieved November 16, 2021.

[2] "Why QPS Acting Sergeant Ben Bjarnesen Became An LGBTI Liaison Officer". QNews. February 27, 2019. Retrieved November 16, 2021.

[Aditi_Hardikar-3] Johnson, Chris (November 10, 2014). "New White House LGBT liaison named". Washington, DC: Washington Blade. Retrieved 18 September 2015.

[Raghavan_resignation-4] Snow, Justin (September 4, 2014). "White House LGBT liaison to depart Obama administration". Washington, DC: Metro Weekly. Retrieved 17 September 2015.

[5] Wales, corporateName=NSW Police Force; jurisdiction=New South. "Sexuality, Gender Diversity and Intersex. Working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people - NSW Police Force". www.police.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2017-03-22.

[6] ttps://www.police.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/2018-07/LGBTI%20Liaison%20Officer%20Brochure.PDF

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