Much of the zoning in the South Hills is extremely exclusionary such that multi-family units cannot be built in wide swaths of communities like Bethel Park and Upper St. Clair. We have a fantastic resource in the T, but it can’t be fully utilized because high density housing can’t be built near most of the stops. I think working with municipalities to help them understand how inclusionary zoning builds stronger communities with more growth and resources is an important step at moving the initiative forward. Dormont has been a fantastic leader on this front and is a community to look at for guidance.
Our next post of our 2023 primary election season series ‘Political Q&A’ with progressive candidates throughout Pennsylvania. Candidates can be anywhere in Pennsylvania running for any level of office. Please note that these are not necessarily endorsements, more of an opportunity for candidates to connect with the LGBTQ community, progressives neighbors, and others with an interest in Western Pennsylvania. If your candidate would like to participate, please contact us pghlesbian at gmail dot com. We welcome candidates at all levels of government across the entire Commonwealth.
By participating, candidates are saying that they
- must be an LGBTQIA+ ally, specifically supporting equality and dignity for transgender persons
- identify as pro-choice
- must affirm that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election and that they accept the certified Pennsylvania’s election results
Dan Grzybek is our 12th Q&A published to date. I contacted him along with others in early February. A friend poked him about it when I posted this list and Dan contacted me within hours. He took responsibility for missing my original email without layering excuses and justifications (that’s refreshing.) I sent him a Q&A and he returned it exactly when promised. And that’s what transparency and accountability look like. No rationalizations, no diminishing of this opportunity to engage the community, and a solid response. His answers are great, I am pleased to have learned something new as I do with each Q&A. Actually, I learned several new things …. looking forward to more.
Your Name: Dan Grzybek
Your Pronouns: he/him
The Office You Seek: Allegheny County Council, District 5
How do you describe your identity? I’m a straight, cis, white man
Tell us about your district. What is a hidden gem most people might not know about?
District 5 includes Bethel Park, Dormont, Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair. District 5 is really fortunate because we have the T red line that runs through the majority of the district, stopping at South Hills Village, just barely outside of Upper St. Clair. We also have some amazing access to green spaces, including South Park.
A gem that definitely isn’t hidden to the people of District 5 but may be for those not from the area is the Miracle League of South Hills ball field and Clubhouse playground. The field and playground offer an inclusive and wheelchair accessible environment so that every child and young adult has the opportunity to play in an environment suited for their needs.
Tell us about the first LGBTQ person you met and what impact they had on your life?
The first LGBTQ person I met was Aaron. Aaron and I were friends in kindergarten, and one of my formative memories is him coming over and wanting to play with my neighbor’s dolls rather than play sports or video games with me. At the time, six year old me didn’t have any friends who had interests outside of what were traditionally considered “boy activities,” and I really didn’t know how to react to this. My parents didn’t do a great job of helping me to understand that it’s perfectly okay to have interests that fall outside of gender norms. Had I experienced that kind of parenting, I think I would have been much more apt to try something outside of my comfort zone and played dolls with Aaron and my neighbor. Instead, Aaron and I quickly grew apart.
I often think about that memory because I can’t imagine how difficult it was to grow up gay in a community like Hampton. One where neither the school district nor most parents adequately teach their kids about people who may think, feel, and/or look differently than them. I’ve brought this experience into my approach as both a volunteer student mentor and school director. Because so many parents aren’t exposing their children to people, perspectives, and experiences different from their own, I believe that it is all the more crucial for the public school system to do so. It helps both our schools and communities to become kinder, stronger, and more inclusive places in which people can exist happily and freely as who they are.
How has your familiarity with the LGBTQ community in your district and the region changed since you took office?
As a millennial, I have a pretty different perspective from most school directors, as I have more friends and colleagues in the LGBTQ community than most of my fellow board members. That being said, joining the school board and our district’s diversity, equity, and inclusion committee has really given me the opportunity to hear from some LGBTQ students in our schools, expanding the perspectives I’m exposed to. I’ve been able to hear directly what barriers and struggles our gay and trans students are facing and adjust what I am advocating for appropriately. Since I’m not part of the LGBTQ community and am only an ally, I believe that speaking directly with those who are is the best way to inform my decisions, and is how I will continue to conduct myself if elected to County Council.
Based on this, what do you understand to be our top LGBTQ concerns and priorities for County Council? How will you respond to those priorities?
Right now trans people are under tremendous attack throughout the United States, with states attempting to prevent trans kids from playing sports, criminalize trans people for using the restroom consistent with their gender identity, and ban gender affirming care. While Pennsylvania is currently protected from these types of bigoted attacks thanks to the election of a Democratic Governor in Josh Shapiro and a Democratically controlled house, similar bills could easily come to Pennsylvania in future years. While County Council’s ability to address civil rights issues such as these are limited, I plan on doing everything in my power to protect the rights of the most vulnerable members of our community. As such, I plan on proposing trigger bills as discussed in the next question. I also think that rhetoric, while no replacement for policy, is very important. I will consistently express love, respect, and affirmation for the LGBTQ members of our community, as I have done as a school director
The criminal justice system has largely served to cycle low-level offenders (probation violations, drug use, etc.) in and out of jail/prison, leading to incredible amounts of disruption in their lives and unnecessary costs to taxpayers. People have grown accustomed to this punitive system and have it ingrained in their minds that “tough on crime” policies are how to keep communities safe, despite the fact that the vast majority of data we have on the topic points to the contrary.
On your website, you share “I would support similar trigger laws to protect the right to same sex marriage as well as the right to receive gender affirming healthcare” Marriage is a state matter, not a County matter. Please explain with details what sort of County laws you would craft to address these two issues.
Bill No. 12537-22, proposed by Councilman Duerr and unanimously approved by council, deprioritized any crimes resulting from the future criminalization of abortion nationwide or specifically in Pennsylvania. I would like to do the same to protect the rights of trans people to receive gender affirming care, use the restroom consistent with their gender identity, and simply exist freely and openly as who they are.
As for same sex marriage, my goal (at the time of adding that section to my website) was to protect the rights of people who are in same sex marriages in Allegheny County through a trigger bill that would be enacted if same sex marriage is ever made illegal nationwide or specifically within Pennsylvania. While, as you point out, County Council cannot do anything to preserve a marriage if the state renders it illegal, I want to ensure that people do not also lose out on the associated benefits of marriage.
Allegheny County rescinded domestic partner benefits in 2015, citing the Supreme Court decision legalizing marriage equality. Fast forward to 2022 and the undermining of Roe v Wade legal arguments that underpin the marriage equality rulings. How would you propose County Council revisit domestic partner benefits for all employees, both same sex and opposite sex?
Keeping in line with my previous answer, I believe that the county should reinstate domestic partner benefits.
Please give an example of how intersectionality has informed your School Board work?
I try to approach all of my decisions with intersectionality in mind. Characteristics like race, gender, and socioeconomic status are deeply interconnected and impact the ways in which decisions impact students differently. I lobbied for our school district climate survey to include questions on gender/gender identity, race, socioeconomic status, ability/disability, and sexual orientation so that we as a district could better understand the experiences of all of our students and ensure that we were addressing everyone’s needs. While I was unfortunately on the losing side of that vote, I was still proud to advocate for all students to have their voices heard.
What work have you started on the Bethel Park School Board that you will continue on Allegheny County Council?
There is a surprisingly small amount of overlap between the work that County Council performs and the work performed by local school districts. However, one area that school districts rely upon heavily is the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU). While I have been on the Bethel Park School Board, we have doubled the number of social workers in our school district and added a TEAMS (Therapeutic, Emotional, Avoidance, Monitoring, and Support) Room. The TEAMS Room has resources for students so they can deescalate/decompress, regroup, and then rejoin their class when they’re comfortable to do so. I would like to continue this effort to boost mental health resources for students through the AIU, as these resources are especially sparse in more underserved districts with less local real estate tax revenue.
Please give an example of when another member of the School Board has persuaded you to change or adjust your perspective on an issue.
My fellow school director and close friend, Sharon, has been fantastic at constantly challenging me and teaching me new things about the disability community. Previously I had heavily relied upon special education “experts” to learn about the topic. However, as an Autistic adult, Sharon has used her lived experience to show me how important it is to center the voices of people with disabilities in any topics which concern them, rather than supposed experts. While the opinions of the two groups are often in concert, there are many times that they are not.
Criminal justice reform is a comprehensive series of policies addressing everything from sentencing guidelines to the everyday lived experiences of the incarcerated human beings, our neighbors. It is the jail, the courts, the personnel, and more. What do you think is the biggest political barrier to reform? What is the biggest pragmatic or practical barrier? Are they the same or not?
I think the biggest barrier to reform is getting people to rethink the way they view criminal justice. The criminal justice system has largely served to cycle low-level offenders (probation violations, drug use, etc.) in and out of jail/prison, leading to incredible amounts of disruption in their lives and unnecessary costs to taxpayers. People have grown accustomed to this punitive system and have it ingrained in their minds that “tough on crime” policies are how to keep communities safe, despite the fact that the vast majority of data we have on the topic points to the contrary. For example, many people oppose cash bail reform despite it failing to increase the rate at which people show up to trial, removing the presumption of innocence for poor people, and increasing costs to taxpayers.
Furthermore, we have placed far too many day to day tasks on police, who lack both the background and resources to adequately address them. Issues like housing instability, substance use disorders, and mental health struggles should all be addressed by tackling the root causes of the problems and placing more funding in housing, jobs programs, and treatment. Instead, people affected by these issues end up interacting with police and are sent to jail or prison.
I also think that rhetoric, while no replacement for policy, is very important. I will consistently express love, respect, and affirmation for the LGBTQ members of our community, as I have done as a school director.
Recently someone made a flippant public comment that people in the South Hills are not concerned about affordable housing. You work with South Hills Interfaith Ministry and other groups. What are your thoughts on affordable housing concerns in the South Hills?
As you mentioned, I volunteered as a student mentor at South Hills Interfaith Movement for the past two years, where I had a number of students who have recently immigrated to the area or are refugees. While the community the South Hills Interfaith Movement serves is largely in Baldwin Whitehall and outside of District 5, there is still a significant need for affordable housing within my district. I believe that Allegheny County needs to increase the number of affordable housing up to the Faircloth limit (we currently have ~700 available units). I think many of the issues with housing also are caused by a lack of supply.
Much of the zoning in the South Hills is extremely exclusionary such that multi-family units cannot be built in wide swaths of communities like Bethel Park and Upper St. Clair. We have a fantastic resource in the T, but it can’t be fully utilized because high density housing can’t be built near most of the stops. I think working with municipalities to help them understand how inclusionary zoning builds stronger communities with more growth and resources is an important step at moving the initiative forward. Dormont has been a fantastic leader on this front and is a community to look at for guidance.
What unique perspective do scientists bring to politics?
I think having the ability to digest and accurately analyze leading research is a huge attribute that so many politicians lack. In a perfect world, politicians would have subject matter experts available to provide them advice on topics where they lack sufficient knowledge. However, many of our public institutions are far too underfunded to provide that level of support.
Furthermore, many issues where decisions should be relatively cut and dry based on the data available are politicized, making them needlessly difficult for politicians who don’t have the ability to perform data analysis. A great example of this is masking, something that is of rather low burden and moderate to significant benefit. The decision of whether or not to mandate masking was largely thrust upon school boards, many of which didn’t feel adequately equipped to make the decision while embroiled in a tense culture war within their communities. While it was still difficult to see the division that the arguments had on my community, having a background in engineering and data analysis made the decision itself a rather easy one for me to make, while my fellow board members had significantly more difficulty.
How do competitive primary elections benefit the residents of a community?
I think having competitive primaries is extremely important. The Democratic party spans a wide spectrum of ideologies and policy positions and I think it’s important that communities have representation that truly reflects their ideals.
Tell me about your other endorsements and supporters.
I’m currently endorsed by the Steel City Stonewall Democrats, Run for Something, the Young Democrats of Allegheny County, Sunrise Movement Pittsburgh, and several local officials. You can check out my website below to stay updated on my endorsements as they roll in.
Finally, what are three reasons people should vote for you/support your campaign?
Analytical Approach – As previously mentioned, I leverage my education and experience as an Engineer to make data informed decisions. Whether I’m voting on a policy concerning the climate, housing, transportation, or criminal justice, my decisions will always be fully informed by leading data and research.
Proven Commitment to Democratic Ideals – Since I’ve moved to Bethel Park, I’ve been dedicated to getting Democrats elected up and down the ballot. When I couldn’t find someone to run for the Bethel Park School Board to ensure that our students were receiving a high quality education, I stepped up and became one of the youngest school directors in the state. I’ve used my position to advocate for our most marginalized students, but my advocacy also doesn’t stop at electoral politics. I’ve stood at the picket line with striking workers, marched to protest police brutality against our black and brown siblings, and repeatedly issued public comments supporting pro-environment initiatives.
Transparency and Communication – Before I joined the Bethel Park School Board, there were many people in our community who had no idea what was happening in the district. The level of communication coming from the board was severely lacking, and there were big decisions being made that people were not aware of. Unfortunately, many people don’t have the time to spend two hours at a school board meeting three times a month. So I filled this gap in knowledge by creating a Facebook account where I give the community detailed rundowns of board actions. You can check that page out here.
Because so many parents aren’t exposing their children to people, perspectives, and experiences different from their own, I believe that it is all the more crucial for the public school system to do so. It helps both our schools and communities to become kinder, stronger, and more inclusive places in which people can exist happily and freely as who they are.
Where can readers find your campaign on social media?
Website: dan4district5.com
Is there anything you’d like to add?
Nope! I appreciate the opportunity to participate in the Q&A as well as the in-depth questions!
Thank you, Dan.
Other Q&A’s in this election cycle series. You can read previous cycle Q&A’s here.
- Q&A with Rachael Heisler, Candidate for Pittsburgh City Controller
- Q&A with Abigail Salisbury, Candidate for PA State House District 34
- Q&A with Erica Rocchi Brusselars, Candidate for Allegheny County Treasurer
- Q&A with Bethany Hallam, Incumbent Candidate for Allegheny County Council, At-Large
- Q&A with Tracy Royston, Candidate for Pittsburgh City Controller
- Q&A with Lita Brillman, Candidate for City Council, District 5
- Q&A with Kate Lovelace, Candidate for Magisterial District Judge 05-2-31
- Q&A with Valerie Fleisher, Candidate for Mt. Lebanon School Board
- Q&A with Barb Warwick, Candidate for City Council, District 5
- Q&A with Nerissa Galt, Candidate for PENNCREST School Board
- Q&A with Todd Hoffman, Candidate for Mt. Lebanon School Board
- Q&A with Dan Grzybek, Candidate for Allegheny County Council, District 5
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