This page lists all the workshop and their abstracts, by chronological order.

CB = Community Building CM = Communications and Marketing DF = Development and Fundraising EP = Event Planning GO = Global Outlook LD = Leadership Development YM = Youth Matters

For information about the Unconference and the InterPride Business sessions, click the following links:

Unconference InterPride Business

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CB1 – Engaging Our Faith Communities With Pride

Presenters: Lisbeth Meléndez Rivera, Luz M. López

Room: Beacon H

“A la Familia” brings together Latin@ family members of LGBT people and Latin@ LGBT people of different ethnicities to develop relationships and movement building strategies around the intersection of race, faith, sexual orientation and gender identity in our communities. As Pride celebrations worldwide encounter faith-based bigotry, right wing attacks and targeting, “A la Familia” is an organizing tool useful for bringing together members of faith communities to support Pride celebrations and respond directly and powerfully. “A la Familial” serves to increase the active participation of current and potential Christian-based allies to increase their visibility at Pride celebrations. We aim to engage Pride organizers who are interested in increasing members of the faith community as ambassadors at Pride celebrations across America Latina and in all 50 states. While in many instances this might be perceived as a campaign tactic we see this as a beginning step towards building a cadre of people building a community, a movement towards justice and equality. Join us for this interactive movement building session!

 

CM1 – Dealing With The Press: What Do They Really Want?

Presenter: David Foucher, Sue O’Connell, David Brown, Randy Price, “Fast” Freddy Murphy, and Jim Clerkin

Room: Beacon A

Pride organizations and the media enjoy a complex, symbiotic relationship: media personalities often appear as featured guests and masters of ceremonies, committees utilize the press to communicate out to the public, and media coverage of LGBT Pride is a critical part of gaining traction in the community. This panel includes a variety of professionals from television, radio, print and digital media who will discuss their experiences working with LGBT Prides and provide tips on effectively dealing with the media. Topics will include how to get your press releases to the right individuals, how to get events covered, crisis communications, talent management, advertising, and handling reporters and photographers on location. Be sure to bring your questions for this first-rate panel!

 

DF1 – Creative Fundraising For (Not Just) Small Organizations

Presenter: Andrea Gilbert

Room: Beacon F

Athens Pride, now eight years old, is a grassroots, all-volunteer non-profit organization operating in a traditional society where homophobia is deeply entrenched. With little support from the LGBT community at large and being spurned by the government, typical sponsors and funding sources (including grants from international foundations) have been out of reach. Athens Pride has been forced to come up with creative alternatives in order to bring in money, products and services, but also to promote itself and elevate its image and attendance. Athens Pride has been remarkably successful at both. This workshop will demonstrate how Athens Pride was able to become successful, and will provide information that benefits attendees’ own organizations and their fundraising efforts.

 

EP1 – PRIDE 5.0 – Evolving And Engaging For The Future – Part 1

Presenters: Jeff Consoletti, Sam Borelli

Room: Beacon E

In this workshop, we will provide an overview of the successful LA Pride model that increased overall attendance by 38%. We will showcase how event organizers can rethink their planning process to drive attendance, create excitement and expand their audience.

 

GO1 – Pride Is Political, But Only If We Shape It That Way

Presenter: Sue Hyde

Room: Beacon G

Let’s get political! The first gay pride was a riot and we are grateful for those brave few who drove cops out of the Stonewall Inn. Some may ask what the political purpose of Pride is now when we have achieved so much, but political progress is at best a patchwork of both pro-LGBT law and social policy and anti-LGBT law, policy and sentiments. Pride is our annual traditional gathering. Bringing politics into your programming can power our movement forward. Let’s talk about how, when, what and why.

 

LD1 – Art Of The Schmooze

Presenter: Robbie Samuels

Room: Beacon D

Forming and cultivating relationships is at the heart of any successful fundraising campaign, volunteer drive, committee effort or community building activity. This workshop will benefit both introverts and extroverts by sharing practical tips on ways to engage someone in a conversation, keep it rolling, exchange information and wrap up. We’ll discuss body language along with many other important -techniques to cultivate and grow new networks.

 

 

CB2 – Intersex 101: Similarities And Differences Between Intersex And Transgender People

Presenter: Elder A. Vickie Boisseau

Room: Beacon H

This workshop will explore the social, legal, and medical issues faced by many intersex people, as well as the similarities, and differences between intersex and trans people. Attendees will learn the basic terms and definitions. This is a well-rounded workshop for anyone interested in learning about intersex people.

 

CM2 – How Top Brands Make Big Impressions Through Experiential

Marketing

Presenter: John Raftery

Room: Beacon A

Festivals are a great way for big brands to reach target communities. To give festival organizers insight on how to best approach new sponsors, this workshop will highlights some of Arnold’s award-wining experiential campaigns featuring Carnival Cruise Lines, Ocean spray, New Balance and Panasonic. The workshop will also show breakthrough diversity campaigns from Progressive Insurance, VW and Vertex.

 

DF2 – Getting Past The Fear Of Asking

Presenter: Robbie Samuels

Room: Beacon F

This engaging coaching session focuses on getting past the fear of asking and how to avoid some common mistakes. Learn an easy way to sort through contact lists and build a strong prospect list based on the three Cs of fundraising: capacity, connection and commitment. Learn specific language for how to make a strong ask, based on the relationship-building tips shared in Art of the Schmooze, and ten tips that will make your next fundraising plan a success.

 

EP2 – Building A World-Class Organization – The Business Of Pride

Presenter: John Verlinden

Room: Beacon E

Whether you are just starting-up or your organization has been around for years and you’re ready to move to the next level, you will benefit from this planning workshop. Organizations that strive for excellence by always seek continuous improvement will be the most successful in the 21st century. But, just as you won’t reach a destination you have never been to before without a roadmap or GPS, your organization needs a plan if it is to reach its goals. While everyone talks about the benefits of planning or wished they’d done more when something unforeseen occurs, few organizations actually invest the time and energy required. Strategic Planning is a well-established, information and analysis intense, highly disciplined approach to long-range planning. In this discussion-focused workshop, we’ll explore the basics of the process, as well as its benefits, limitations and pitfalls. We’ll also discuss the people behind the plan and the people who’ll help you implement it – recruiting good leaders and reliable volunteers, identifying stakeholders and strategic partners and attracting sponsors.

 

GO2 – Julio of Jackson Heights (Sneak Preview)

Presenter: Richard Shpuntoff

Room: Beacon G

Julio Rivera was murdered on July 2, 1990 in the P.S. 69 schoolyard by three young men who went out that night armed with a claw hammer, a plumber’s wrench and a kitchen knife, hunting for “a gay guy to stretch out.” The next day, the press didn’t report on the homicide, the police were looking to write the murder off as a drug deal gone bad, and the community wasn’t going to do anything about it: business as usual in Jackson Heights where during the 70s and 80s over a dozen murders of gay men had never been solved. Julio of Jackson Heights is the story of how all this changed. It is the story of how a handful of people – Julio’s friends and family – decided that they would not accept the official police report, and learned how to organize, ultimately bringing their case to the attention of then Mayor Dinkins. And it is the story of how their actions sparked a movement that founded the Queens Pride Parade, supported the creation of over a dozen LGBT organizations and ultimately served as the platform that elected two openly gay candidates to the New York City Council. Twenty years later, the Rivera family, Julio’s friends, community leaders and the police speak of the decisions they made and reflect upon the changes they set in motion. http://julioofjacksonheights.com

 

LD2 – Changing Minds One Story At A Time

Presenters: Scott Grady, Alex Lucchesi, Bill Barnet

Room: Beacon D

This workshop is a shortened version of SpeakOUT’s two-day speaker training. Participants will learn the power of their real-life experiences as a tool for making change. Techniques for formatting stories effectively, creating interest in the story and handling difficult questions will be discussed and modeled. This session will provide an overview of skills and techniques necessary for individuals with a variety of speaking experience to put a face on LGBT issues. At the conclusion of the session, participants will be better able to present the case for LGBT rights and freedoms when talking with friends, families, elected officials or other groups of various sizes and demographics. Each of the presenters has years of experience facilitating discussions on LGBT issues and training others to do the same. In existence since 1972, SpeakOUT speakers have been facilitating discussions and training new volunteer speakers for over forty years.

 

 

CB3 – Old And Bold: Including LGBT Seniors In Pride

Presenters: Jim Campbell, Lisa Krinsky, John Morrel, Edward Ford, Alice Fisher, Gordon Burns

Room: Beacon H

This panel discussion will offer proven community building strategies that bring together local LGBTQ organizations and aging organizations that represent both gay and straight people. Panelists will share their experiences with facilitating group collaborations. They will discuss ways to build on existing community relationships, and educate attendees on possible ways to reengage older members of the community. After all, many of these people first launched their Pride celebrations over 40 years ago!

 

CM3 – Effective Use Of Social Media

Presenters: Gricel Martinez Ocasio, Nicole Lashomb

Room: Beacon A

This basic to intermediate social media workshop discusses how to research effectively your target market and grow your organization and brand through a virtual platform. Social media can help Prides create worldwide synergy to attain and capitalize on their organizational goals and efforts. Networks to be discussed include Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, Pinterest, Issuu and others. The use of status updates, posts, news stories, photos and bilingual content is also discussed as well as scheduling social media suites such as Hootsuite, Tweetdeck and CoTweet.

 

DF3 – From The Ground Up: Building Partnerships Not Sponsorships

Presenter: Pat Baillie

Room: Beacon F

Research shows that corporate philanthropy is ever evolving. Society now expects businesses to take a more active role in social and political issues. The good news is that corporate leaders understand that strategic philanthropy programs can be an effective way to meet those expectations and are assigning greater importance to them. However, the importance of making an effective business case for philanthropic giving presents both challenges and opportunities. It is a different way of doing business and one that requires more focus and planning on the part of both the private and non-profit sectors. This workshop will explore this “Business of Change” by bringing together corporate leaders to talk about what they look for when they want to build partnerships with non-profit organizations. Learn from them the best way to build a business relationship that extends beyond the annual check for your events!

 

EP3 – Online Registration And Administration Tools Demo

Presenter: Richard Kravitz

Room: Beacon E

This workshop will give a full overview of the ForYourEvent online exhibitor and parade registration system and administration tools, including exhibitor and parade reports, online mapping and associated exhibitor and parade tools.

 

GO3 – Gay Pride As A Tool To Build LGBT-Human Rights Campaigns

Presenter: Frank van Dalen

Room: Beacon G

In 2010, scientific research was published and evaluated the political strategies of a set of European LGBTQI-organizations. The strategies implemented by Dutch LGBTQI-movement COC Netherlands were labeled “High Profile Politics.” It was described as a combination of lobbying and visibility through mass-events and media-pressure. The research showed that this strategy worked out to be most successful out of all those studied, and Amsterdam Gay Pride was the main platform that allowed for the objectives included in “High Profile Politics” to be successful. In 2007, the governmental coalition, which included two Christian political parties, included homosexuality in the coalition’s policy papers, for the first time in Dutch history. It was the starting point of major, positive developments within Dutch society regarding homosexuality. Amsterdam Gay Pride addressed not only national themes, but also international themes like Europe, African Pride (an event part of Amsterdam Gay Pride), Iran, anti-gay attacks in Israel and many others were included in Pride programming, not as a small statement regarding LGBTQI-human rights, but with the objective to change society in favor of LGBTQI people, both locally and internationally. This year, Russian artist Roma Kenga took a stand against anti-gay laws in Russia while performing at Amsterdam and later on at Antwerp Pride. In this workshop, we will discuss ways of including LGBTQI-human rights in Pride events. We will explore how change can be provoked in society, how more politically-driven groups in the community can become part of Pride events, how social responsibility can be afford value, and who Pride events can serve as a means to connect society as a whole.

 

LD3 – Authenticity: The Art Of Marketing To The LGBT Community

Presenter: Jenn Tracz Grace,Dan Weaver

Room: Beacon D

This workshop will teach participants how to position their Prides and themselves as community leaders, through examples illustrating how companies can effectively market to the LGBT community. In order to do so, they must be authentic, transparent and actively engaged in the community. In this workshop, we will tie together human resources (internal), marketing (external) and community relations under one roof. Companies must show their commitment to the community by getting involved in local, regional or national non-profits and events that align with their diversity mission. We will talk about how this impacts the company’s bottom line while gaining respect and consumer loyalty from the LGBT community.

 

 

CB4 – Crossing The Middle Ground: From Bystanders To Allies

Presenter: John Boiano

Room: Beacon H

This highly interactive workshop is geared towards community organizers, activists, students and teachers. We will be focusing on how communities evolve and on building supportive relationships beyond our fears and doubts. The content shared in this workshop is a culmination of groundbreaking work against bias and judgment by changing “ingrained bystander mentality” that society at-large condones, to sustainable practices in supporting ally behaviors and mindsets. We will be engaging in dialogue on proven community-evolution techniques by exploring compassionate and dynamic ways of creating a positive and sustainable culture in your organization, school or business. Gain a deeper understanding of motivating groups to become allies, past their fears and doubts, all while discovering successes in transforming communities towards renewed hope. This workshop allows us to look deeply towards greater equity and social justice and presents creative ways to implement sustainable community-changing opportunities in your advocacy against bias and judgment. Oftentimes, we are just one question away!

 

CM4 – Ask People For Money Face To Face

Presenter: Russell Roybal

Room: Beacon A

Whether you are just starting-up or your organization has been around for years and you’re ready to move to the next level, you will benefit from this planning workshop. Organizations that strive for excellence by always seek continuous improvement will be the most successful in the 21st century. But, just as you won’t reach a destination you have never been to before without a roadmap or GPS, your organization needs a plan if it is to reach its goals. While everyone talks about the benefits of planning or wished they’d done more when something unforeseen occurs, few organizations actually invest the time and energy required. Strategic Planning is a well-established, information and analysis intense, highly disciplined approach to long-range planning. In this discussion-focused workshop, we’ll explore the basics of the process, as well as its benefits, limitations and pitfalls. We’ll also discuss the people behind the plan and the people who’ll help you implement it – recruiting good leaders and reliable volunteers, identifying stakeholders and strategic partners and attracting sponsors.

 

DF4 – Getting Grants For Cultural Activism

Presenter: Abe Rybeck

Room: Beacon F

Current trends in foundation support present both challenges and opportunities for Prides and other cultural organizations. How can you attract substantial, multi-year support focused on your mission and core activities? Can the process help you serve your diverse community better? Over the past several years, The Theater Offensive: OUT in Your Neighborhood, based in Boston, has gained some traction in gaining this kind of support from individuals and foundations. What kinds of relationships, research, planning and tough choices can add up to success in this area? Let’s analyze our success stories and steer ourselves towards models that bring our communities the support they deserve.

 

EP4 – PRIDE 5.0 – Evolving And Engaging For The Future – Part 2

Presenters: Jeff Consoletti, Sam Borelli

Room: Beacon E

In this session, we will conduct an in-depth review of the successes of LA Pride and analyze case studies highlighting how organizations can incorporate new ideas, venues and entertainers into their event.

 

GO4 – Grassroots Organizing And Community Mobilization

Presenters: Daniel Heller, Carly Burton, Julian Cyr

Room: Beacon G

 

LD4 – Presidents and Executive Directors Roundtable

Presenter: Linda J. DeMarco

Room: Beacon D

This session will consist in an open discussion among Presidents and Executive Directors of Pride organizations: let’s exchange ideas and helpful tips, let’s talk about why we dedicate so much of our time and energy to Pride!

 

 

CB5 – How Diverse Are You?

Presenter: Marie-Eve Baron

Room: Beacon H

Based on my experience, I will give a definition of “diversity” and present tools and new ways of thinking when talking about diversity. These tools will help participants learn how to be more open minded and behave in an inclusive way when facing a diverse crowd. We will learn to detect patterns and dogma as a means to avoid discrimination and promote equality.

 

CM5 – Getting Started – How To Get Your Pride Program And Message To The Media

Presenters: Ann Murphy, Krista Robinson, Samantha Bell

Room: Beacon A

This is a beginner level workshop aimed at helping you get started on a public relations plan. We’ll go over the basics of developing a PR plan: how to draft a press release, how to develop a media list, and how to create relationships with members of the media. In addition, we’ll talk about social media and give you tips on the creative ways you can issue your news through the “new media.”

 

DF5 – From The Get-Go To The Glitter: Basic Fundraising Event Planning

Presenter: Stephanie Lowitt

Room: Beacon F

Are you interested in planning your first fundraising event for your non-profit or community group? Not sure where to start or what basic planning tools would be helpful? Wondering what special considerations might go into planning a fundraiser for a LGBTQ group? Want to know how to turn event attendees into long-term donors? This workshop will provide you with the basic building blocks, tools, and ‘food for thought’ to get started.

 

EP5 – InterPride Theme Workshop

Presenter: PJ Sedillo

Room: Beacon E

At this workshop, suggestions that have been submitted for InterPride 2014 themes will be brought forth. Themes will be narrowed down to the top three selected choices. They will be translated into every language spoken by AGM delegates. Voting will take place during a plenary session. Only attending credentialed member organizations will be able to vote. InterPride’s 2012 theme is “Pride Links Us Together.” Come attend the Theme Workshop and help select the theme for 2014!

 

GO5 – The State Of LGBT Human Rights In The World: “Have Rainbow, Will

Travel: The International Experience Of The LGBTQ community”

Presenters: Sarah Bender, Kristen Devoucoux, Zoe Armstrong, Liz Fuller-Wright, John Prybot

Room Beacon G

This session will include a brief lecture and a panel presentation. The presenters will provide an overview of the experiences and lives of LGBTQ communities abroad. Maps and visuals will be provided to illustrate the current rights of LGBTQ self-identified individuals in developing countries across the world. This factual presentation will be presented alongside a panel presentation of personal stories of LGBTQ individuals who have lived overseas as Peace Corps Volunteers.

 

LD5 – Leadership Training Part A: Communication And Working Types Overview

Presenters: Sue Doster, Sherri Rase

Room: Beacon D

While it is true there are born leaders, people whose innate proficiencies and environment have given them the skills to be great leaders, these skills and tools may also be mastered by anyone aspiring to be a more effective leader. This is the first workshop in a series of five. This session begins with an in depth examination of the four primary communication and working types. Attendees will learn about their own type as well as the characteristics of different types and the “default behaviors” of each one. The skills and knowledge learned here will serve as the foundation for the remainder of the workshop series.

 

 

CB6 – ‘-Isms’ And Discriminations In Our Communities: What Should We Do About It?

Presenter: Louis-George Tin

Room: Beacon H

This workshop will be an interactive discussion of the intersection of “-isms” in the fight for equality and diversity: (hetero)sexism, racism, homophobia, ageism, handicap / able-status, culturalism, ethnicity, etc. Human rights activists and community organizers must recognize that fighting against one “-ism” is a fight against all others. During the discussion, practical tips and innovative ideas will be proposed as examples of actions that Pride organizers can take to make our communities more welcoming and inclusive.

 

CM6 – Beyond The “Press Release” – Using Public Relations To Advance Your Pride Organization

Presenter: Suzanne Morse, Hugh Drummond, Melissa Simas Tyler

Room Beacon A

This workshop will help Pride organizers who have some experience with the media develop a more advanced communications and public relations strategy. Even though parades and parties are critical to the Pride experience, Pride organizations are about more than those celebrations – they have the opportunity to become thought leaders on a variety of issues such as human rights, and education. This workshop will help you define your public relations goals and give you the tools to set in motion a strategic communications plan.

 

DF6 – From The Ground Up: Building Partnerships Not Sponsorships

Presenter: Pat Baillie

Room: Beacon F

Research shows that corporate philanthropy is ever evolving. Society now expects businesses to take a more active role in social and political issues. The good news is that corporate leaders understand that strategic philanthropy programs can be an effective way to meet those expectations and are assigning greater importance to them. However, the importance of making an effective business case for philanthropic giving presents both challenges and opportunities. It is a different way of doing business and one that requires more focus and planning on the part of both the private and non-profit sectors. This workshop will explore this “Business of Change” by bringing together corporate leaders to talk about what they look for when they want to build partnerships with non-profit organizations. Learn from them the best way to build a business relationship that extends beyond the annual check for your events!

 

EP6 – Exhibitor Relations – Best Practices – Prior to the Festival

Presenter: Richard Kravitz

Room: Beacon E

This nuts-and-bolts workshop will discuss ways to organize successful exhibitor relations management on the day of your outdoor event. This includes street marketing, mapping and event layout. Ways to improve exhibitor success and satisfaction will also be discussed.

 

GO6 – The LGBT Movement In Cuba Today

Presenter: Wilfred W. Labiosa

Room: Beacon G

Cuba’s socialist political structure has included people from all walks of life since its beginnings, but at what cost? LGBT Cubans support each other and can teach so much about mobilization and organizing to those viewing from the outside. In this interactive workshop, audience members will be able to learn about Cuba’s history from an LGBT perspective, hear about the last five years of the LGBT movement against homophobia, and preview results from a research study currently been conducted in Cuba with the LGBT community. A discussion on how we can learn from this movement will follow, and time will be allotted for questions and answers.

 

LD6 – Leadership Training Part B: Communication And Working Types Advanced

Presenters: Sue Doster, Sherri Rase

Room: Beacon D

Part B continues on the theme of communication and working styles by discussing techniques for advanced “people watching,” and tips for behavior “sighting” that can help you identify the working and communication types of anybody. We will look at how we can use that knowledge to increase our effectiveness as leaders.

**Note: “Leadership Training Part A: Communication and Working Types Overview” is a prerequisite for this session**

 

 

CB7 – Responsible, Relevant And Ready: Creating Smoke-Free Pride Policy

Presenters: Malcolm Ahlo, Gustavo Torrez, Daniella Matthews-Trigg

Room: Beacon H

With smoking rates in the LGBT communities being significantly higher than in the general population, ranging from 35-200%, prides across the globe have begun implementing smoke-free policies in an effort to protect and empower our communities. This presentation focuses on three main points: first, implementation of a smoke-free policy as the responsible thing to do in protecting the health of our community; second, the relevance of smoke-free policies as a marketable strategy for prides; and finally, the evidence showing that our communities are ready for smoke free community spaces.

 

CM7 – Effective Use Of Social Media

Presenters: Gricel Martinez Ocasio, Nicole Lashomb

Room: Beacon A

This basic to intermediate social media workshop discusses how to research effectively your target market and grow your organization and brand through a virtual platform. Social media can help Prides create worldwide synergy to attain and capitalize on their organizational goals and efforts. Networks to be discussed include Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, Pinterest, Issuu and others. The use of status updates, posts, news stories, photos and bilingual content is also discussed as well as scheduling social media suites such as Hootsuite, Tweetdeck and CoTweet.

 

DF7 – Creative Fundraising For (Not Just) Small Organizations

Presenter: Andrea Gilbert

Room: Beacon F

Athens Pride, now eight years old, is a grassroots, all-volunteer non-profit organization operating in a traditional society where homophobia is deeply entrenched. With little support from the LGBT community at large and being spurned by the government, typical sponsors and funding sources (including grants from international foundations) have been out of reach. Athens Pride has been forced to come up with creative alternatives in order to bring in money, products and services, but also to promote itself and elevate its image and attendance. Athens Pride has been remarkably successful at both. This workshop will demonstrate how Athens Pride was able to become successful, and will provide information that benefits attendees’ own organizations and their -fundraising efforts.

 

EP7 – Web Technologies For Pride Events

Presenters: Sylvain Bruni, Rod Ferguson

Room: Beacon E

This workshop will consist in a review of web technologies that have proven useful for the planning, production and execution of events. From online registration systems to collaborative virtual spaces, from social networking to newsletters and mailing lists, web-based event planning has allowed many organizations to streamline internal processes, to accelerate their operations, and to improve the delivery of professional-grade events. Come join the proud MIT geeks and discover how your organization can benefit from web technologies. These tools are only a click away!

 

GO7 – The State Of LGBT Human Rights In The World: “Have Rainbow, Will Travel: The International Experience Of The LGBTQ community”

Presenters: Sarah Bender, Kristen Devoucoux, Zoe Armstrong, Liz Fuller-Wright, John Prybot

Room Beacon G

This session will include a brief lecture and a panel presentation. The presenters will provide an overview of the experiences and lives of LGBTQ communities abroad. Maps and visuals will be provided to illustrate the current rights of LGBTQ self-identified individuals in developing countries across the world. This factual presentation will be presented alongside a panel presentation of personal stories of LGBTQ individuals who have lived overseas as Peace Corps Volunteers.

 

LD7 – Leadership Training Part C: Core Leadership Skills

Presenters: Sue Doster, Sherri Rase

Room: Beacon D

Building on the previous two workshops, we focus on a number of core skills that strong leaders possess. One of them is the ability to run effective meetings: we will review guidelines and proper preparation for meetings, and we will address how to handle “hecklers” or unproductive attendees. Additional core leadership skills to be discussed are: team building, effective email communication, volunteer management and effectively setting the “tone” in your organization.

**Note: “Leadership Training Parts A and B” are prerequisites for this session**

 

YM7 – Building Youth Support

Presenters: CoCo Alinsug, Alishia Ouellette, and NAGLY

Room: Gardner

This presentation and panel discussion will focus on building youth support in a safe environment using a youth-led, adult-supervised peer program. Attendees will learn how to hone skills in promoting individual and community pride, education, leadership and self-worth as well as teaching the skills and lessons needed to live in today’s society with innovative programs, speakers, political interaction and community involvement.

 

 

CB8 – Involving The Trans Community In Pride Organizations

Presenter: Marie-Eve Baron

Room: Beacon H

This workshop will deal with the position of trans folks and the challenges they face when dealing with the gay community. It will be set in a round table format to brainstorm solutions to potential adverse situations that arise relating to transgender people in our community. The goal of this session will be to produce a strategy to include more transgender people on the boards of Pride organizations and acquire a sense of better inclusivity.

 

EP8 – The Future Of Modern Gay Prides: Turning Your Pride Into A Ten-Day Multi-Disciplinary Event

Presenter: Frank van Dalen

Room: Beacon E

Over the years, Gay Prides have transformed into massive party events in an increasing number of cities. What started as a protest against anti-LGBT forces is more and more a tool for cities to demonstrate themselves as tolerant, and to attract LGBT-tourists, oftentimes with a sole focus on the “G.” These developments are not without adverse consequences: more competition between cities with large Gay Prides induces more pressure on organizing committees, commercial and party-focused events can weaken support from within the LGBT-community as well as from society as a whole, and without innovation, the life cycle of a massive party-focused Pride can be shortened. Amsterdam Gay Pride suffered all three. In 2007, our organization’s strategy was fundamentally changed. Amsterdam Gay Pride transformed itself into a ten-day, multi-disciplinary LGBTQ event, and the organization refocused on new guiding principles. The change resulted in a drastic increase of visitors and participants (including from outside the Netherlands), an explosion of media-awareness and free-publicity attention, an increase in cultural, sportive and emancipation activities, a drastic growth of funds, an overall increase in the quality of our open-air events, and, above all, growing support within the community and society as a whole. In this workshop, the strategy behind the change will be exposed as well as the guiding principles that where put in place to make the change happen. The leadership role of the organizing committee will be discussed.

 

GO8 – Impact Stories History Project: Tales Of California’s Early Parades

Presenter: Glenne McElhinney

Room: Beacon G

This session will present Impact Stories’ history project. Workshop attendees will experience a sense of the joys and celebrations, triumphs and tribulations of the first years of the California parades/celebrations, and will leave with a renewed sense of our history, and ideas on how to start their own Pride history projects.

 

LD8 – Leadership Training Part D: Public Speaking

Presenters: Sue Doster, Sherri Rase

Room: Beacon D

Leaders are often required to speak publicly. Public speaking improves with experience, but the knowledge of a few essentials can get you started. This session will help you convey your message clearly and effectively, by imparting some of the secrets of skilled public speakers, from preparation to specifics about delivery, which will enhance your confidence whenever you find yourself speaking publicly.

**Note: This Leadership Session is open to all. No prerequisite required**

 

YM8 – He Continues To Make A Difference: The Story Of Matthew Shepard

Presenter: Lesléa Newman

Room: Gardner

This presentation uses poetry, photography, and creative visualization to tell the story of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student who, in 1998, was kidnapped, beaten, and murdered in Laramie, WY. The presenter was the keynote speaker for the University of Wyoming’s Gay Awareness Week that year, and flew to Laramie the day that Matthew Shepard died to find a devastated campus and community. In this presentation, she reads from her book, “October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard,” a cycle of 68 poems that explores the impact of Matt’s murder in fictitious monologues from various points of view, including the fence he was tied to, the stars that watched over him, and the deer that kept him company all through the night. By telling Matthew Shepard’s story in the voices of these silent witnesses, audience members are invited to experience the crime and its aftermath in an emotionally compelling way. The presentation will conclude with a discussion about bullying, hate crimes, and how to make the world a safer place for all.

 

 

CB9 – How Same-Sex Partner Dancing Helps Us Get Along

Presenters: J Michael Winwood, Kalin Mitov

Room: Back Bay D

This workshop is designed to introduce principles of partner dancing to people of all levels and abilities. We will explore how a working knowledge of such socially useful dances as the Foxtrot, Rumba, and Swing can not only impress on a social dance floor but also build valuable life skills. Learning any form of dance heightens one’s awareness of how the body moves, and partner dance develops an awareness of how two bodies can move harmoniously as one. Peppered with anecdotes from their year competing on the North American Same-Sex Ballroom and Latin Dance circuit, Mike and Kalin teach with great affection for the form and its ability to transform lives.

 

CM9 – Photographs And Memories: Reasons And Ways To Document Your Pride

Presenter: Richard Shpuntoff

Room: Beacon A

Every Pride Parade has its story, its particular meaning to its community. Filmmaker and photographer Richard Shpuntoff, who has documented all 20 editions of the Queens Pride Parade, will present some of his work and discuss how it evolved over two decades from a personal documentary photographic project into a feature film. The presentation will also include brainstorming and discussion with participants to come up with ideas for building or furthering their own documentary and storytelling, as well as how this kind of work may be used as a tool for public relations and development.

 

EP9 – madFemmePride Magic: Recipe For Hands-On Femme-Centric Community

Presenter: Maggie Cee, Janie, Ebonié Smith

Room: Beacon E

MadFemmePride is Boston’s 3,000-member community of queer+ (bi, queer, poly, lesbian, gay, questioning, ally) femmes, feminine folks, and our femininity-supportive friends. We work collaboratively to create real, friendly, diverse community, fem(me)inist action, and events. We are proud to have sustained MFP for over eight years with a changing group of co-organizers and ongoing involvement by active members. This interactive workshop shares our recipe for femme-centric community building, with hands-on tools for friendly events, insight on leadership practices, and tips on sustainability.

 

GO9 – Sex And Struggle: History Of The Queer Movement In The United States

Presenter: Michael Bronski

Room Beacon G

This session will consist in a lecture presentation on select US historical developments and how they have shaped both the queer movement and the mainstream response to political change. Activists interested in learning about the history of LGBTQ movements and how they intersect with cultural events are encourage to attend. A questions and answers session will follow.

 

LD9 – Leadership And Effective Meeting Management

Presenter: Lisa Alfieri

Room: Beacon D

Participants in this workshop will learn and discuss the principles that make for strong, effective leaders. The course will leverage the skills and traits associated with leadership to demonstrate how to organize and hold effective meetings. Attendees will break into smaller groups to review and present based on case studies that will be handed out.

 

 

LD10 – Leadership Training Part E: The “Un-Workshop” And Team Dynamics

Presenters: Sue Doster, Sherri Rase

Room: Beacon D

We complete our Leadership Training series with an unconventional look at group dynamics through play. This will be an opportunity for participants to examine closely team dynamics and learn how to avoid global thermonuclear war in their organization.

**Note: This Leadership Session is open to all. No prerequisite required**

 

YM10 – Queering The Dialogue In The 21st Century: Creating Positive Cross Cultural Relationships

Presenters: Athena Deltano, Akane Kominami, Ayden Merino, Crystal Rizzo

Room: Gardner

This panel explores strategies for effective cross-cultural communication and community building for LGBTQ youth activists. The inclusion and understanding of youth from diverse backgrounds are imperative for creating sustainable, cohesive, and safe LGBTQ communities. As agents of social change, LGBTQ youth activists must be committed to fostering, creating, and nurturing difficult, yet imperative, dialogues among members from diverse backgrounds. As four individuals from different sexual orientation, racial, ethnic, gender, and socio-economic backgrounds, our panel will discuss how our own unique experiences have shaped our commitment to creating loving, safe, and embracing LGBTQ communities.