Executive Director Sought for New Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement

The Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement is tasked with empowering, protecting and promoting the rights, dignity, and advancement of Boston’s LGBTQ+ residents. This office will be responsible for developing policy, community oriented programming, and providing resources for the city’s multiracial, multigenerational, multicultural and multilingual LGBTQ+ community.

Previously, this work was led by various LGBTQ+ Liaisons who served in the Office of Neighborhood Services to share resources and deliver City services to Boston's LGBTQ+ community. The Wu administration is excited to scale this work and continue to prioritize the needs of LGBTQ+ residents.

“City Hall can do much more to ensure that we are truly connecting with and serving LGBTQ+ residents across all of our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This new office will ensure that our policies and programs are advancing and protecting the rights and dignity of Boston’s LGBTQ+ residents and centering the lived experiences of queer, trans BIPOC residents in the City’s work to make Boston a place for everyone.”

The City will be hiring an Executive Director for the new Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement to lead this work in the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet led by Chief Solis Cervera. This office will partner with other City departments and community organizations to ensure we close opportunity gaps for our LGBTQ+ residents.

Learn more about the Executive Director Role

“As a queer first generation Latina, I’m honored to stand on the shoulders of and next to people who have given so much and continue to give to the LGBTQ+ community,” said Mariangely Solis Cervera, Chief of Equity and Inclusion. “I look forward to working in partnership with the Executive Director and Mayor Wu to eliminate barriers to access, amplify the work of community leaders, and create new opportunities for the LGBTQ+ family.”

"I am delighted and greatly appreciative for the establishment of the Mayor's Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement as we work toward ensuring the City is a more affirming, equitable, and welcoming place for all," said City Councilor Liz Breadon, the first openly gay woman elected to the City Council. "The interdisciplinary work of ensuring each and every City department, office, and program serves the targeted needs of LGBTQ+ community members, particularly Black and Brown transgender and non-binary residents, is essential. I am appreciative of the commitment of the Mayor's Office and the Neighborhood Services LGBTQ+ Liaison in spearheading this initiative, and I look forward to working closely with the Office and its director."

“The Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement is an encouraging step in ensuring that Boston is an inclusive city committed to centering voices of those historically excluded,” said Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune, Chair of the Council's Committee on Civil Rights. “As a city, we have a responsibility to break down the systemic barriers that have created inequities at every level, and as the chair of the Civil Rights Committee, I am looking forward to continue working with the Mayor’s office to ensure that our LGBTQ+ residents are supported in this work.”

“We at Club Cafe are honored to be an important, safe and affirming business serving the LGBTQ+ Community for over 38 years,” said James Morgrage, Owner and General Manager at Club Cafe. “We have seen the loss of so many other safe and affirming spaces over the years and know all too well of the need for more in this incredible city.  We are excited to pledge our support for this important office.”

"Mayor Wu has long been a strong ally and champion in advocating for the needs of LGBTQ communities in Boston, and so BAGLY is thrilled that she is establishing this new Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement within her administration,” said Grace Sterling Stowell, Executive Director, BAGLY.  “We thank Mayor Wu for her leadership, and look forward to working with her team to ensure that Boston is a safe and affirming place for LGBTQ youth, adults, and elders of all of our communities!"

"There is still much work to be done to address the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. Health inequities, disproportionate impacts on BIPOC LGBTQ+ people, persistent challenges facing youth and elders, and a host of systemic barriers that require focus and attention at the city level,” said Adrianna Boulin, Director of Community Impact & Engagement at Fenway Health. “We applaud Mayor Wu for recognizing this and elevating our communities' concerns through the creation of the Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement and look forward to working closely with the office and the Wu administration."

“We welcome the announcement of the Inaugural Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement as a demonstration of Mayor Wu’s commitment to ensuring equity and dignity for all Boston residents. LGBTQ+ people are a part of every community in the city,” said Janson Wu, Executive Director, GLTBQ Legal Advocates & Defenders. “We look forward to the Mayor’s partnership in the continuing work toward a Boston that is welcoming to all, free from discrimination, and where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

Mayor Michelle Wu has been a consistent and equitable champion for LGBTQ+ rights through uplifting the work of critical LGBTQ+ organizations and ensuring that Boston is a city for everyone. In 2020, then-City Councilor Wu and City Councilor Liz Breadon proposed and led the adoption of an ordinance to ensure gender inclusivity on all City-issued forms, documents, and certificates. In 2014, then-City Councilor Wu, along with then-City Councilor Ayanna Pressley proposed and led the adoption of an ordinance to guarantee comprehensive health care for all municipal workers and their dependents regardless of gender identity or expression. This ordinance allowed for City staff, in particular Trans and non-binary staff and their dependents, to access gender affirming healthcare, gender reassignment surgery, hormone therapy, and mental health services to fall under the city’s healthcare plan.

As the City seeks to hire an Executive Director for the new Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement, this role will be charged with building upon this work and ensuring that the needs of this community are prioritized in the Wu Administration’s equity agenda.