2025 Democratic Primary County Board Candidates Respond to Equality Arlington Questionnaire

Equality Arlington sent the 2 candidates running in the 2025 Democratic Primary for Arlington County Board a questionnaire about their stances on the needs of the LGBTQ+ community and related policy issues. Equality Arlington will not be endorsing any candidate this cycle but we think it is important that the community is aware of the candidates’ responses and take these into account when casting your vote. Thank you to the candidates for letting us know how you intend to serve the LGBTQ+ community of Arlington if you are elected to the County Board. The candidate responses can be found below and the PDF with all responses in the link below.

Early voting is from Friday, May 2nd through Saturday, June 14th. Election Day is Tuesday, June 17th (polls open 6am-7pm). For more information about voting, please go to Elections – Arlington County VA Voting and Elections (arlingtonva.gov).

Question 1 – With the Trump administration’s attacks on the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans, especially transgender and nonbinary individuals, LGBTQ+ community members are feeling anxious and alarmed. If the Trump administration threatens to withhold federal funding to Arlington County if the county continues its support of transgender and LGBTQ+ residents, as a County Board member, will you take all legal steps to continue supporting LGBTQ+ residents and their families?

James DeVita - I am appalled that the Trump administration continues to attack LGBTQ+ people. I will take whatever action is necessary to protect LGBTQ+ people.

Takis Karantonis - Arlington County is already actively engaging and supporting legal defenses -at many levels- against a growing number of overreaches by the current Federal Administration. The latter is not only ‘threatening’ to reduce or cancel federal appropriations but has already started doing so. It is noteworthy that the administration’s MO includes the threat of holding hostage entire programs that benefit thousands of Arlingtonians, in order to smother our values. Defending against such, imo illegal and immoral, tactics with all legal and constitutional means was, is and will remain my priority. Finally, knowing that being a member of our LGBTQIA+ community often means being marginalized and having less, or more difficult, access to services and support programs, it is of critical importance to closely scrutinize whether our own government services are designed and delivered in a way that is responsive to the specific challenges that this community faces.

Question 2 – The Trump administration’s assault on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and the rights of transgender individuals appears to have had a chilling impact on local businesses’ support for Pride celebrations and the LGBTQ+ community. As a County Board member, what will you do to encourage local businesses to support LGBTQ+ employees, LGBTQ+ customers, and LGBTQ+ suppliers?

James DeVita - I will reach out to business leaders and encourage them not to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people and also reach out to LGBTQ+ people who want to start a business and try to help them.

Takis Karantonis - At its May meeting, the County Board adopted a Resolution affirming our County’s Support of WorldPride 2025 and of our LGBTQIA+ Community. This Resolution was the result of an intensive collaboration with our LGBTQIA+ Community and with Equality Arlington in particular. Together with my colleagues, I championed County Board guidance that County agencies, especially Arlington Economic Development lead by example in affirming and branding our commitment to unity and pride. This principled posture permeates all government programs, at all levels of interaction with thousands of businesses in Arlington. I have worked to get us that far and, if re-elected, I will continue the same path. Further, I will continue working at the regional and state level to ensure that other elected officials and local governments, as well as their economic development agencies continue to defend values of Diversity, Equity, Equality and Inclusion, not only because it is the right and ethical stance to take but also because inclusiveness is a hallmark of economic success benefitting the entirety of our region. I further support an increased focus on properly resourcing our Office of Human Rights in order to strengthen its capacity to ensure that it enforces Arlington’s Human Rights ordinance against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity. Pro-active education of our businesses (but also of employees at large) is a priority that I share with Equality Arlington, especially in these challenging times where both, businesses and employees, need re-assurance that their local government stands firm on human rights.

Question 3 – Arlington County has taken steps in the last year to better market sexual health prevention and treatment services to members of the LGBTQ+ community. At the same time, the federal government is likely to pull back support for public health programs like free access to HIV prevention medication and other critical preventive and treatment options for at-risk residents. As a County Board member, what will you do to ensure that LGBTQ+ residents have improved access to sexual health prevention and treatment services?

James DeVita - If the federal government stops funding health services for LGBTQ+ people, I will insist that the County government continue to fund these services.

Takis Karantonis - The Federal Government is already attacking essential (and very successful) public health programs. It is critical to me that our Public Health Division continues to be able to reach out to tens of thousands of residents, on all possible social communication platforms, providing information on STI Clinics. We know that more than a thousand residents avail themselves every year of these services with very beneficial public health outcomes for all Arlingtonians and decreasing infection rates (especially in high-risk communities). I further support continuation of free and unfettered access to PrEP, anti-retroviral prophylactic medication, and will oppose all instances where the Federal Government may want to interfere with the intention to reduce access for LGBTQIA+ community members.

Question 4 – Hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals in Arlington have been increasing since 2022. These include physical assaults, property theft, vandalism, and multiple bomb threats to LGBTQ+ serving organizations. As a County Board member, what will you do to protect LGBTQ+ adults, youth, and their families from hate crimes?

James DeVita - I will encourage our local prosecutor, Parisa Deghani-Tafti to vigorously prosecute these hate crimes.

Takis Karantonis - I fully recognize how vulnerable our LGBTQIA+ community feels (and is) right now. Not only the expressed hate and hostility but also the latent threat-potential that can be triggered anytime by any random event, purposefully amplified and distorted by hostile media. Besides my focus of properly resourcing our Civil Rights Office (see above), I will continue to emphasize education and training for our Law Enforcement and continue inviting all other related constitutional offices (especially OCA, and ACSO) to join in this effort. I will further continue to support and drive a culture of visibility and clear statement of our shared inclusive values. Energizing our community in defense of our values and most vulnerable residents is arguably the most effective medium and long term strategy against any campaign of hate and bigotry. I continue to regard Normalizing Diversity as a critical part of my job-description as an elected official.

Question 5 – LGBTQ+ youth are facing attacks from the Trump administration over their access to safe and harassment-free learning environments, gender-affirming healthcare, and their right to simply exist. This is on top of data that shows Arlington’s LGBTQ+ youth report higher rates of bullying at school, depressive symptoms, and being sexually harassed at school than their heterosexual or cisgendered peers. As a County Board member, what will you do to better support LGBTQ+ youth in Arlington?

James DeVita - I will seek to have training programs installed in the schools designed to prevent bullying, harassment and sexual harassment against LGBQT+ youth. No one should face discrimination or harassment simply for being who they are.

Takis Karantonis - I stand by APS’ multiple layers of support for LGBTQIA+ youth, which is indeed particularly vulnerable to attacks by federal and state administrations. I supported and actively proposed several investments in youth counseling and mental health in our schools but also outside of APS, as part of our all-of-society focus on youth mental and physical health, through programs and partnerships with community organizations and non-profits.

 I support the proposal of a joint (APS, ACG) Arlington Youth Commission focused on Youth Wellness anchored in youth voices, lived experience, subject matter expertise and a well established collaboration with community organizations. (Including parents organizations and youth-sports organizations). I was among the earliest proponents, and among the first to commit to substantial funding allocations for massive public investment in Youth Mental Health during and after the pandemic. I plan to continue building on this work.

———

Click here to view the PDF candidate responses