NAGLREP Welcomes HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan as Guest Speaker

Left to Right: NAGLREP members with HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, NAR Vice President of Government Affairs Division Joe Ventrone

NAGLREP proudly welcomed HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan to our NAR Midyear meeting in DC May 15, 2013.  Secretary Donovan addressed approximately 100 NAGLREP members and allies in attendance and highlighted the many accomplishments the Administration and HUD have realized on behalf of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender (LGBT) Americans.

The presence of HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan at the NAGLREP meeting was welcomed with open arms for what NAGLREP is calling 2013 a “pivotal year for LGBT Fair Housing”.  This November 8-11, 2013 NAGLREP will be in San Francisco to attend the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) annual meetings and on November 11 from 1-2:30pm NAR’s Delegate Body will cast a final vote on NAGLREP’s proposal to include gender identity protections to the NAR Code of Ethics.  NAGLREP has successfully already lobbied for sexual orientation protections to the NAR Code of Ethics.  See http://live.blogs.realtor.org/2012/05/16/diversity-committee-unanimously-votes-to-include-gender-identity-protections-in-nar-code-of-ethics/  

NAR’s Code of Ethics includes both REALTOR to customer conduct and also workplace conduct and with NAR being the largest trade organization in the USA with over 1 million members this is very significant to strengthen the case for for both an amendment to the Federal Fair Housing Law and to ENDA, the Employment Non Discrimination Act.