Santa Ana, CA June 9, 2011—The NEA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus will hold it’s Annual Robert Birle Awards Dinner July 3, 2010 at the Chicago Hilton Downtown. In addition, Sidetracks will be hosting the Caucus’s 2011 Ichabod Crane reception on June 30.
Held in conjunction with the National Education Association’s (nea.org) 149th Annual Meeting and 90th Representative Assembly (RA), the Robert Birle Awards Dinner is attended by 700 educational professionals from across the nation. This year, the NEA Health Information Network (neahin.org) is honoring Laura Pietropaolo with the Ryan White HIV Prevention Award for her efforts in HIV/AIDS prevention education. In addition, our keynote speaker is LGBT actor and activist, Doug Spearman.
Over 11,000 participants are expected to attend the NEA’s event at the McCormick Place Convention Center. Participants meet to discuss, debate and set NEA policy and direction. An integral part of this annual meeting is the input from caucuses.
Founded in the 1980’s by a handful of NEA Members seeking to provide a means of professional support for gay and lesbian colleagues, The National Education Association Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Caucus works to eliminate institutional discrimination and homophobia, the NEA-GLBTC monitors and participates in the development of NEA policies and activities, provides resources and fosters better communication among educators, students, and communities. During the NEA-RA, members of the caucus meet provide NEA-RA participants feedback on proposed changes in NEA policy and their potential affect on GLBT educators, educational support professionals and students.