As president of Worcester Pride in 2013, I knew when The Human Rights Campaign rated Worcester at 55 out of 100 for the LGBTQ Municipal Equality Index.

In fact, based on the questions, we should have gotten closer to a 75, and we could have gotten even higher with some effort. I felt Ed Augustus would be interested in improving our city’s score because of the win for Worcester. I approached him with it, but he wanted 100 in the next cycle! He quickly began working internally, as well as with the city council and mayor to make it happen.

Worcester did achieve a 100, as well as special recognition as the most improved score of any city in the history of the Municipal Equality Index, and that was because of his leadership and the work of our elected officials.

One of the reasons for the increased score was the appointment of an LGBTQ liaison to the Worcester Police Department. Lieutenant Rick Bates served as Worcester’s first LGBTQ liaison.

As a straight ally, Lt. Bates said that he had no idea what was expected of him, but saw there was a need, and he was happy to help the community in any way possible. He gives a large amount of credit to Ed Robinson, who was the chairman of the Human Rights Commission for the city. Robinson had been involved with Worcester Pride over the years but also was very familiar with the groups that support the LGBTQ community here in Worcester.

“Although there were no specific guidelines regarding what was expected of me as the liaison, I knew that I needed to build relationships with the community, so that I could determine the needs of the community and how best to serve them. Ed told me about and introduced me to the numerous support groups and their leadership, including the youth dance organizers, Safe Homes, Parents and Families of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), in addition to Worcester Pride and many more.

“I was really not sure what the community response was going to be to me specifically; however, with Ed’s help, I was able to build relationships quickly. I could tell people wanted to figure out if I was genuine or if I was there as window dressing, but I continued to attend the meetings without an agenda, and I became an active listener, so that I could understand the issues within the community so as to provide the services needed. It worked.

“I am proud that I was chosen for this important position and that I was able to be there for the community. With the help of many people such as Ed Robinson, Laura Farnsworth, Lori Wentworth and John Trobaugh, I was able to identify the needs of the LGBTQ community and develop strategies to fill those needs. One of those strategies was that I organized the Worcester College Campus Police LGBTQ Liaison Consortium and provided training for the respective campus police departments of all the city colleges. I did so after speaking with students. I realized that there was a need for more awareness on the college campuses. I also organized the Central Mass Police Chief’s Association LGBTQ Liaison Partnership and provided the same training to over 50 police departments in Central Mass. as well!”

Lt. Bates has since retired to pursue an opportunity in the private sector and has handed the baton off to a new police officer. He said this assignment has made a tremendous impact on him personally. “I met so many good people who I now call friends. The smile on the kids’ faces acknowledges that they recognized me as an advocate of theirs and a friend that they could trust. I can’t tell you how powerful that is for me.”

The new LGBTQ Liaison is Officer Sharon McQueen. Officer McQueen has been involved in the LGBTQ community for longer than her almost 30 years of service in the Worcester Police Department. I will have a more in-depth article about her in the coming months, but she is eager to get started. She was hired after having seen the position posting and applying for it. She said one of the subtle ways she demonstrates her understanding of the community was to add the letters I and A to the LGBTQ community involvement. The I stands for “Intersex” and the A stands for “Asexual.”

We look forward to seeing her as the new LGBTQ liaison in the community and know she will do an excellent job. If you would like to speak with Officer McQueen, you can call her office line at 508-688-0229.