Three Democratic candidates vying for a seat on the Providence City Council debated their positions on LGBTQ issues at a Feb. 20 Rhode Island Pride forum.
Reported WPRI-TV 12’s Eyewitness News:
Nick Cicchitelli, John Goncalves and Anthony Santurri are all running in the special election for Providence’s Ward 1, an influential seat that represents part of the East Side and downtown formerly represented by Seth Yurdin. The primary election is March 3.
The trio weighed in Thursday on issues relevant to the LGBTQ community at an event hosted by Rhode Island Pride. They all touted their personal experiences supporting the community; Santurri, a nightclub owner, was once on the board of R.I. Pride.
There was widespread agreement among the candidates on multiple issues, including that Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) that can prevent contraction of HIV should be widely accessible and covered by insurance, and that the Pete Buttigieg presidential campaign was wrong for canceling a fundraiser at a Providence gay club because of its dancer pole.
Goncalves, a 4th grade teacher, pointed to his work supporting diversity and inclusion in schools, including gender-neutral bathrooms. And Cicchitelli, who works in real estate, said he has worked with LGBTQ political candidates and is proud that Rhode Island is “ahead of the curve” on the way to equality.
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