"I stand with you"
by Robin Dorner
Editor in Chief
Ed Shadid says he believes we are happier when we are with other people. It’s part of the reason his efforts to make Oklahoma City a better place to live for everyone is so important.
Shadid began fighting for LGBT equality in OKC the moment he took office in April 2011. In Nov. 2011, he led the OKC City council in voting 7-2 to add sexual orientation to Oklahoma City's nondiscrimination policies for public employees.
Shadid simply said, “I sponsored the sexual orientation anti-discrimination ordinance for the City of OKC because I believe the only factor in hiring, firing and promotion should be job performance.”
A long-standing supporter of LGBT rights and equality, Shadid has marched in the OKC Pride Parade and fought battles for LGBT rights at the legislative level. Additionally, he garnered the title ‘Hero of Hope’ from Cathedral of Hope Church for his work in supporting LGBT causes, and won awards from Cimarron Alliance, to mention a few.
Shadid told The Gayly he is running to be the next mayor of Oklahoma City because he wants to help create a healthier and happier city.
“Over the past years, cities have been able to apply a growing science about how the built environment can change our daily experience to improve our physical health and emotional happiness,” he said. “We understand that ‘placemaking’ (building special places where we can congregate together, like the Plaza District) is successful because of a basic human truth: we are designed to be part of a community and we largely thrive when we are around other people.
“We can transform the city by developinghubsof activity throughout the city by investing in neighborhood parks, surrounding them with mixed-use retail and residential buildings and connecting these hubs with transit, trails and sidewalks.”
He feels that with this, we could truly transform this city.
Shadid went on to say, “All public transactions require transparency. We should err on the side of going overboard on the side of transparency.
“There is another component to developing a truly comprehensive renaissance in the city and creating more health and happiness and that is that we need a relentless drive towards becoming a more inclusive city, which celebrates its diversity and in so doing, improves its public health.”
A long-standing supporter of gay rights and inclusion, he teaches his children about acceptance and diversity by setting an example.
“I march proudly in each years Pride parade with my children because while I am heterosexual, I feel empathy for the shame and stigma LGBT people endure and because of the tremendous amount of gratitude I have for the lessons the LGBT community has taught me in regards to how to fight shame and stigma insofar as it related to recovery and those who might never seek help without someone showing them that recovery works and that there is a way back.”
Shadid was at the helm for the beginning of the revitalization project started for the LGBT community. On November 26th, 2012, the community came together for the first 39th St. Improvement meeting initially called “SOS” or, “save our strip.”
Shadid said, “I have worked to engage in placemaking on 39th St because I believe the community deserves a safer, healthier and happy place to come together. As mayor I will relentlessly fight to include everyone at the decision-making table and to promote inclusion and the celebration of diversity, which at the end of the day, is what makes cities so great.”
Ed Shadid says, "I stand with you," and he means it.
Shadid is running for Oklahoma City Mayor against Mick Cornett. The people will vote on March 4th, 2014.
Published 2/20/2014 at 1:45pm by The Gayly - all rights reserved.