Equality Illinois hosted LGBT-equality organizations from across the Midwest this past weekend to discuss issues facing the LGBT community and to strategize about future tactics to advance towards full LGBT equality, according to a press release.
“We were honored to host colleagues from all over the Midwest and welcome them to Chicago,” Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois, said. “This meeting was a wonderful opportunity to strategize about the future of the movement and to learn from each other’s efforts. It was refreshing to talk with advocates who are working across the region for the same rights and benefits that we are working for here in Illinois.”
Representatives of LGBT equality groups from 10 states gathered to discuss such topics as safe-schools initiatives, marriage equality, employment non-discrimination, senior care, fundraising and development, grassroots organizing, the 2012 election, working across party lines, social media and engaging board members.
The Equality Federation, a national alliance of state-based LGBT-advocacy organizations, organized the two-day meeting. The federation works to achieve equality for LGBT people in every state by building organizations in a state-based movement.