Monthly Milwaukee Meeting — Rights, Realities, and Resilience in the age of Trump

Description:

• What are the rights of trans / non-binary people when stopped by police?
• What should I do if my ID doesn’t match my gender (when an officer stops me or in other situations)?
• Can I use the bathroom that aligns with my gender? What are the legal implications?
• “Walking While Trans” really is a thing… what can I do about that?
• I’m undocumented *and* trans — what can I do to best protect myself and my family?
• What if I do get arrested? What rights do I have?  How can I be as safe as possible if detained?
• What happens if I’m being bullied at school?
• How can I get involved in making positive changes in my community?

We’ll explore the answers to these and other questions at this event.
 
Guest speaker: Emilio De Torre, Youth and Programs Director, ACLU-Wisconsin
Emilio De Torre has been the Director of Youth and Programs at the ACLU of Wisconsin since 2006. He serves on the Board of Directors for TRUE Skool and Milwaukee Shakespeare in the Park, and was the 2013 recipient of the YWCA’s Eliminating Racism award. He lectures and consults nationally for a variety of organizations and is dedicated to advancing the civil liberties and civil rights of all people. Emilio served as a public school teacher at PS 287 in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and as the Director of Education Services for 15,000 young people from Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Manhattan at the Madison Square Boys and Girls Clubs. He’s a devoted father to his three kids and is an avid comic book collector.
Learn more about the Wisconsin ACLU @ http://www.aclu-wi.org/leadership
 

What’s the purpose of FORGE’s Milwaukee Monthly Meetings?

1. Share information on pre-selected subjects.
   [Ideas for discussions, speakers, books, films, and panels are initiated by group recommendations and facilitator suggestions. With only 12 monthly meetings per year, these topics only touch a small number of areas with plenty of room for post-meeting discussion and other groups to take on other topics.]
2. Provide support for people who attend.
   [All people who are interested in trans and gender non-binary issues are welcome.
   We encourage people to participate at their level of comfort.
3. [Note: Milwaukee Monthly Meetings are not political action or social justice-focused events. Our purpose is support and information-sharing. There is ample community space for political organizing, confronting injustice, and creating action agendas.
   FORGE monthly meetings are not that space.]

WORKING AGREEMENTS
Creating a space where people can feel free to participate is important. These are some working agreements and principles that FORGE meetings operate under. We will review and add to this list at tonight’s meeting.

1. Confidentiality / Privacy
2. Use “I” statements
3. One person / one mic
4. Move up / move back
5. Oops and ouch (and snap)
6. People can choose to be quiet / Participation is voluntary
7. We are more than our gender (or any one identity/component)
8. Speak about own experiences – please do not talk about others not in the room
9. Criticism-free zone – no hurtful or negative comments about individuals or agencies
10. In this support-centered space, everyone has an equal voice
11. Respect different backgrounds, experiences, and identities
12. Remember we all have trauma