Wisconsin’s LGBTQ Summit 2018

On Saturday February 24^th, 2018, Diverse & Resilient and Fair Wisconsin hosted the Wisconsin 2018 LGBTQ Summit at the Westin Milwaukee. The annual Summit focuses on connecting and empowering a network of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and allied community members across the state of Wisconsin.  The sold out, one-day conference included a breakfast Plenary entitled “Queering Reproductive Rights & Justice,” a lunch Plenary which featured the official launch of Diverse & Resilient’s antiviolence program Room to Be Safe’s “Colors in Bloom” campaign and included a performance by Lex Allen. There were also four sets of concurrent workshop sessions throughout the day covering a variety of topics from polyamory to bystander intervention trainings, supporting trans youth in rural Wisconsin, and more.

FORGE’s Community Organizer and Project Coordinator, Ashley Altadonna was on-hand along with members from the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, Voces de La Frontera, and GenderQueer MKE to present “Drafting a New TGNI Policing Policy”. The workshop highlighted the trans-led workgroup’s efforts drafting a new Standard Operating Procedure for the Milwaukee Police Department’s interactions with trans, gender non-conforming, and intersex individuals. The new policy provides vast improvements, and vital protection for the trans community, as well as for the LGB community. The policy is currently under review by the Milwaukee Police Department and Fire and Police Commission.