The LGBTQIA+ Summit at the League of Municipalities — a now-annual event that aims to bring attention to the community during the highly attended League of Municipalities Conference — announced its lineup for this year’s event, to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Ocean Casino Resort.
Gus Penaranda, executive director of the New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce, said the LGBT summit aims to connect LGBT organizations and allies to each other, especially in this volatile anti-LGBT atmosphere that is spreading across the country. (Register here.)
The event, which hopes to become a permanent fixture at the League conference, will have presentations and breakout sessions around five key elements: advocacy, business, education, safety and sports.
It will include presentations:
- Richard Helldobler: William Paterson University president (education);
- Sam Lehman: Columbia Consulting Group CEO (sports);
- Newark FBI: Your civil rights (safety).
And panels :
- The Dollars and Sense of Pride Events: How your business/community benefits (business), with moderator Joseph Cameron, co-director, Jersey City Pride;
- Fire Spreading in Our Midst: The urgency of protecting transgender and non-binary adults, youth and children (advocacy), with moderators Jeannine Frisby LaRue & Lauren Albrecht.
The LGBTQIA+ Summit is being organized by the Pride Chamber in collaboration with Garden State Equality and Visit Atlantic City.
Penaranda said he has high hopes for the event.
“Over 100 attendees were part of this historic event last year,” he said. “This year, we look forward to breaking last year’s attendance and connecting more LGBT organizations and allies to each other — in a time that includes a volatile anti-LGBT atmosphere that is spreading across the country.
“Our goal is to eventually become a permanent part of the League, which will help expose more of the opportunities and resources available in the state.”
