CandidateName:PhilipKingston Council

District:14

Pleasecompletequestionnairebelow.
YoumustsendacompletedelectroniccopytoPolitical@StonewallDemocratsOfDallas.orgormailacompletedcopyto
P.O.Box192305Dallas,TX75219byMonday,March6th,2017.

1. YourbackgroundandtheLGBTQcommunity

PleaseshareanyexperiencethatillustratesyourunderstandingandinterestoftheneedsofLGBTQDallasresidents.

IwasawakenedtosomeoftheneedsoftheLGBTQcommunitywhenMikeNorthrupaskedmein2005toput
asigninmyyardopposingProp.2tomakethemarriageofsamesexcouplesdoublesuperextraillegalby
writingitintotheconstitution.Mikeisafriend,andIthoughtaboutthediscriminationheandhispartnerhad
endured,andMelissaagreed(infact,shewaspuzzledthatitwasaquestion)toputthesignintheyard.Since
thattimeIhavesoughtoutopportunitiestoadvocateforLGBTQequality,andtheachievementsofCouncilin
conjunctionwithLGBTQadvocateshavebeensomeofmyproudestmoments.

StonewallDemocratsofDallasseektoinformmembersoftheLGBTQandDemocraticPartycommunityofcandidate's
politicalbackground.OurorganizationsbylawsrequireusonlytoconsidercandidateswithDemocraticPrimary
voterhistoryor,inthecaseofsomeonehavingsomehistoryofvotinginRepublicanPrimaries,affirmstheirparty
affiliationviaanoathofallegiancetotheDemocraticParty.Doyouqualifyorwouldyoubepreparedtosignanoath
ofallegianceformfromtheDallasCountyDemocraticParty?

AsfarasIknow,Imtheonlypersontoeversigntheoath,andIhavescrupulouslycomplied
withiteversince.Democratsalloverthecountycantestifytomysupport.

2. Creatinganinclusivecommunity

Citiescompeteforresidents,taxpayers,conventionsandnewbusinesses/economicdevelopment.Asamemberof
theDallasCityCouncil,howwouldyouinsurethatDallascancompeteeffectivelywithothercitiesintheareaof
LGBTQinclusion?

DallashasarobustregulatoryframeworkinfavorofLGBTQinclusion.Iamproudofmyroleinmakingthat
frameworkstrongerincludingour100ptMEIscore.IwillcontinuetosupportLGBTQrecruitingtoDallas.

WouldyourecruitandconsiderqualifiedLGBTQconstituentsforyourcommissionandboardappointments?

Ofcourse.MytreasurerisKertPlatner,myLandmarkCommissionerisMikeBirrer.



WillyousupportaDallasCityCouncil'sresolutionforastatewidebanonLGBTQemploymentdiscrimination?

Yes.

3. TheCityofDallasasaLGBTQinclusiveemployer

TheprivatesectorhasseenalargeincreaseinpoliciesandbenefitsforLGBTQemployees,howshouldtheCityof
DallasremaincompetitivetoattractandretaintopLGBTQtalent?

TheCityofDallas,especiallyafterAdamMedranoseffortstoobtaintransinclusivehealthbenefits,isa
regionalleaderinLGBTQinclusion.

DoyousupportcomprehensivetransgenderinclusivehealthbenefitsandasacouncilmemberworkwiththeCity
Managertoimplementsuchbenefits?

Iwasresponsible,atMedranosrequest,forbeatingdownbothcityattorneysandstafftoachievethis
equalityinitiative.

4. CurrentEvents

TheGovernorandmanystatelegislatorscontinuetopushlegislationtocurtailthecurrentscopeof
governanceforhomerulecitieslikeDallas.Thiscouldremovelocalcontrolovermatterssuchasdrillingwithincity
limits,LGBTprotections,etc.Doyoufavororopposethis,andwhatdoyouplantodoinresponse?

Iamatirelessproponentoflocalcontrol.Iamabouttomakemy3rdtriptoAustinthissessiontoadvocateforourlocal
rights.

WhatareyourthoughtsonthecurrentcampaignfinancerulesforDallaselectionswhichsetdonationamountlimits
onpeoplenewlyseekingofficebutessentiallyplacenodonationamountlimitsonincumbentsviaunrestricted
officeholderaccountswhichmaybeusedforcampaignpurposes?

Officeholderaccountswererestrictedto$1002yearsago.IcantclaimIdidthatmyself,butitwasmyidea.

HowdoyouplantoaddressthePoliceandFirePensioncrisis?Howwouldyousupportataxincreasetoaddressthe
ongoingfundingdeficitsforthePoliceandFirePensionSystem'sbenefits?

NotaxincreaseisnecessaryifpeoplewillsimplylistentoScottGriggs.Thefixisbenefitscutsthatarelegalincluding
the4%COLA,annuitizingtheDROPaccounts,andmovingan1/8ofacentofsalestaxtothepension.Thisistheonly
reasonableplanbeingproposed.Themayorsplanwouldwindupinyearsofruinouslitigationboundtofail.

WhatisyourpositionregardingcurrentstatelegislationtoregulatepublicfacilityaccessandkeeptransgenderTexans
fromusingrestroomsthatalignwiththeirgenderidentity?Willyoudefendtheexistingnondiscriminationcity
ordinanceforLGBTQindividuals,includingpublicaccommodations?


Isupportpeopleusingtherestroomthatmatchestheirgenderexpression.WevehadthatruleinDallassince2002,and
ithasgeneratedzerocomplaints.Iamwillingtopersonallyfundlitigationtodefendtheopenandwelcomingpublic
facilitiesthatwehave.IhaveproudlydebatedDonHuffines,JonathanSaenz,andMattRinaldionthisimportantissue.

Homelessnessaffectsmarginalizedcommunities,suchastheLGBTQcommunity,atadisproportionalrate.Giventhe
increasingproblemofhomelessnessinDallasandeffortstominimizeit,whatwouldyourapproachbetoaddressthis
crisis?DoyousupportaHousingFirstinitiativeforDallas?

HousingFirstisanideathathasitsplace,butwemustalsofocusonshortandintermediatetermsolutionsthathelp
ourresidentsnow.Ispentalotoftimeadvocatingfortheuseofafacilitythatcouldhousetheencampedhomelessin
asafeandsecureenvironmentuntilhousingcanbefoundforthem,essentiallymovingTentCityindoors.Evenifwe
couldjusttake600peopleoutofencampments,thereductioninpressureonDowntown,FarmersMarket,Deep
Ellum,andtheCedarscouldallowourexistinghomelessnessresourcestomakeamuchbiggerimprovementin
neighborhoodqualityoflife.Rightnowwerebasicallyoverwhelmed.

WhatareyourIdeastoaddressincomeinequalityintheCityofDallas?Doyousupportimplementinglivingwage
rulesforcityemployees,citycontracts,andsubcontractorworkers?Howwillyousupporttheuseofcitysubsidiesor
taxabatementsforhousingdevelopmentthatsubstantiallybenefitthegrowingnumberofworkingpoorand
strugglingmiddleclassresidentsintheCityofDallas?

IamproudofmyeffortstoimplementalivingwageforcitycontractorsforwhichIreceivedtheAFLCIOsHeroofthe
LivingWageaward.IamalsoproudtohavefoughtforwageincreasesatLoveFieldthatresultedinhundredsof
thousandsofdollarsinincreasedwagesforsouthernDallasfamilies.Onmyrequest,thecityiscurrentlydeveloping
newstandardsfortheuseofCh.380grantsandtaxabatementsthatshouldendsubsidiesinhotrealestatemarkets
andrestrictthosetypesofeconomicdevelopmenttoolstodisinvestedneighborhoods.Ialsodevelopedtheconcept,
nowadoptedbythePovertyTaskForce,oftheNeighborhoodFloor,asetofminimumstandardsforneighborhood
infrastructurethatshouldguideourinfrastructureinvestmentformanyyears.

Whatdoyouthinktheroleoflocallawenforcementshouldbeintheenforcingoffederalimmigrationlaw?

Almostnone.Locallawenforcementmustbeseenasapartnertoimmigrantfamilies.Iftheyareatoolofthefederal
government,noonewillcooperatewiththeirinvestigations.

WhatareyourthoughtsabouttheDallasCountyCommissioners'recentresolutiondeclaringDallasCountya
WelcomingCounty,particularlyasitpertainstotheCityofDallas?Doyousupportthisresolution?

IsupportthatresolutionandasimilaroneintroducedbyAdamMedranotobedebatedthismonth.

DoyousupportensuringthatallresidentsoftheCityofDallashaveaccesstocityservices,regardlessofimmigration
status?Why,orwhynot?

Absolutely.Thoseareourbrothersandsisters.Theypaytaxesanddeserveoursupportandfriendship.

Lastfiscalyear,theDallasCityCouncilapprovedanongoing$15milliondollarbailoutforATTPACwithlittlesupport
forsmallartsorganizationsinreturn.Criticsarguethattherealneedisforsupportinlocalneighborhoodsoutsidethe


ArtsDistrictthatareculturaldeserts.Whatareyourthoughtsonrevisingorcancelingtheannual$1.5millionbailout
andusethosefundstosupportsmalltomidsizeartsgroupsinunderservedneighborhoodsaswellasthedowntown
area?

Iopposedthebailoutandwilldosoagainthisyear.

I,_______________________________,amseekingan
endorsementfromtheStonewallDemocratsofDallasforthe2017DallasCityCouncilelections.