Former mayoral candidate and gay-favorite Mary Norwood showed interest on being on the Atlanta Police LGBT Advisory Board, but withdrew her request after being informed members must self-identify as lesbian, bisexual, gay or transgender.

At Monday's meeting of the board, Norwood's name came up as someone interested as being on the board — and putting her in a pretty good spot to oppose the man who beat her to become mayor, Kasim Reed — but Norwood is straight and ineligible.

"It's nothing against Mary at all, but this board is for LGBT people," board chair Glen Paul Freedman said Tuesday.

Three-way tie to fill open seat on board

Three openly gay people have applied to fill an open seat on the board after a member recently resigned. At Monday's meeting, the board couldn't come up with a consensus and it was a three-way tie between the candidates that did apply: Melissa Carter, former co-host of the Bert Show on Q100 and columnist for the GA Voice; Charlie Stadtlander, a teacher at Lakeside High School in DeKalb County; and Matthew Robison, assistant dean of students at Georgia State University.

Freedman said there were only six members of the eight-member board present at the Monday meeting and each applicant received two votes. Two members were out sick and were going to cast their vote via email today to hopefully break a tie, he added.

"It's kind of unheard of," Freedman said of the three-way tie. "If we do not break the tie today, we will vote at the December meeting."

There was also more turmoil among board members when Betty Couvertier continued to disagree with how the board has been operating.

Freedman said that he suggested she resign if she was unhappy on the board. Couvertier did not resign Monday night but said today she would be making a statement tonight on her radio show, Alternative Perspectives, at 7 p.m. on WRFG 89.3 FM, and issuing a written statement tomorrow.

Board members attending Monday's meeting were Freedman, Couvertier, Philip Rafshoon, Tracy Elliott, Terence McPhaul and Josh Noblitt. Absent because they were sick were Tracee McDaniel and Ebonee Bradford-Barnes.

Top photo: Members of the Atlanta Police LGBT Advisory Board at a recent meeting. (file)