HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A commission established to provide more support for the county's queer community presented its first report to Harris County Commissioners Court calling for increased resources and collaboration in county government.
The Harris County LGBTQIA+ Commission was established by Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones in 2023. Over the past year, the group has held listening sessions, gathering input and feedback from the community on how the county can support it. On Tuesday, the group presented its first report to the court.
The report included the following recommendations for actions by the court:
- Enhancing local data collection through a quality-of-life survey of Harris County LGBTQIA+ residents.
- Becoming the named LGBTQIA+ liaison and advisory council for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and other county departments and areas in need of LGBTQIA+ inclusive policies and strategies.
- Introducing consistent LGBTQIA+ awareness and cultural competency training for Harris County law enforcement agencies.
- Developing a pipeline of qualified LGBTQIA+ residents for county boards and commissions.
- Investing in LGBTQIA+ educational resources at county community centers.
"This is more than words," Briones said. "We formed this commission so that we could have actionable recommendations and how we can continue to advance justice, fairness, security, economic opportunity and beyond."
Commission leaders told KHOU 11 why the effort was important.
"Starting in January in Texas, the legislative session begins which is going to be particularly hostile for LGBTQ folks not even taking into consideration what's going to happen at the federal level, which we also know over the next four years is probably going to be particularly bad for LGBTQ people as well," Brad Pritchett, the chair of the commission, told KHOU 11. "So we really need local leadership, local municipalities to find ways to uplift and support their LGBTQ constituents."
More information about the commission can be found here.