#lgbtsouth

April 17 & 18, 2015

Asheville, North Carolina
lgbtinthesouth.com

#lgbtsouth
Youre here at the 2015 LGBT* in the South conference, joined by hundreds of organizers
and practitioners working for equality in every Southern state. Youve checked into
your hotel, youve gotten your morning coffee and youre ready to exchange ideas in our
collective effort to advance LGBT* rights! But the conversations wont end after Saturday.
The Southern LGBT* rights movement lives online with the hashtag #lgbtsouth. We
encourage you to use the hashtag both during the conference and beyond.

contents
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18-29
30-31
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Welcome from Advisory Committee

Welcome from Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer
Conference Sponsors
Keynote & Plenaries
About Keynote Speaker Mandy Carter
Conference Access
Venue Locations
Schedule
Campaign Lab and Workshop Descriptions

LGBT*-welcoming spaces in Asheville

Next Steps

welcome to the conference

Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara
Executive Director, Campaign for Southern Equality

Welcome to Asheville
and to the second
annual LGBT* in the
South conference.

Our hope is that these

next two days will be
a time for learning,
connecting, sharing
ideas and strategies and, together, shaping
the movement for equality in the South.
This is a dynamic moment in the South related
to LGBT* equality, racial justice and economic
justice issues which cannot be separated
and which also each have distinct contours.
Through workshops on topics like LGBT*
history and a structural analysis of injustice,
this years conference will focus on the
intersections and divergences between these
issues.

Organizers across the South are working with

great courage and resilience. But we also face
the realities of limited financial resources,
urgent needs in our community, robust
opposition and isolation. This conference is
meant to be a place where people and groups
can connect and also explore effective models
of collaboration.
With so much at stake, this is a time to act.
Thats why were hosting two Campaign Labs
focused on developing campaign skills and
specific tactics you can implement in your
hometown immediately.
I am more convinced than ever that the most
vital work to be done in the South will be
done by Southern leaders working in their
hometowns to move the conversation and
change policy in order to help transform our
region. We are grateful for the work you
do each day and grateful to be with you in
Asheville for these next two days.

building our movement

Conference Advisory Committee

Wed like to welcome each of you to the

2015 LGBT* in the South conference. Its

an exciting time for the Southern LGBT*
movement: As we witness huge strides in
our communities, we also live with sobering
tragedies. Its important in these moments
that we stand together and work across our
lines of difference to make the change that we
wish to see.
Our committee, diverse in experience,
geography, scope of work, race, ethnicity,
gender identity and background, has had the
privilege of working over the past year to
build what we believe is a valuable and unique

Jos Alegra
El Centro
Hispano
Durham, NC

Michael Crawford
Freedom to
Marry
New York, NY

resource for the Southern LGBT* community.

Our vision was to create an experience
that focuses on intersectional organizing
and collaborative work, provide a space for
connections and relationship-building, and to
educate and empower Southern practitioners
and service providers to better serve the
LGBT* community.
Wed like to thank you for attending and for
bringing your knowledge, skills and passion
to this gathering. We hope you all will take
advantage of the next two days to learn and
grow together and that you will look to each
other for ongoing support in the movement
toward building a better South.

Mae Craedick
Hart Law Group
Asheville, NC

Ivy Hill
Gender Benders
Greenville, SC

Maya Rupert
National Center
for Lesbian Rights
Washington, DC

conference sponsors

PMS 653

Center for Gender

and Relationships

Meet the sponsors at the exhibit in Tuton at Trinity Episcopal Church.

Keynote Address: Our LGBT* Movement at a Crossroads?

plenaries

Speaker: Mandy Carter, National Black Justice Coalition

The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to deliver a historic ruling in June
granting the constitutional right for same-sex couples to marry in all
50 states. In 2013, the Supreme Court ruled favorably for the LGBT*
community on the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA) and Proposition 8 in California, while at the same time
all but gutting the 1965 Voting Rights Act and giving unfavorable rulings on immigration and affirmative
action. By 2050 this country will be majority people of color, and the state of California already is. Will our
LGBT* movement and LGBT* organizations reflect this ever-changing demographic not only in how it looks
but the issues that we will be actively engaged in? Are we about justice or are we about just us? The keynote
will address how to move forward together during a dynamic, charged time in our movement and the South.
9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Friday | Diana Wortham Theatre

Transgender Advocacy, Justice & Leadership in the South

Panelists: Allister Styan, Western North Carolina Health Systems; Andrea Zekis, Human Rights Campaign;
Kelly Durden, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont; Holiday Simmons, Lambda Legal
Moderator: Meghann Burke, Campaign for Southern Equality
This panel will focus on advocacy, legal, health and safety issues within the trans* community in the South.
The panel will highlight organizing, leadership and service delivery models that are working effectively in
the South. Federal legal protections for trans* Southerners as well as pressing needs within the community
related to poverty, unemployment and bias-related violent crime will also be addressed.
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Friday | Diana Wortham Theatre

Religious Freedom, Faith & LGBT* Issues in the South

Panelists: Bishop Tonyia Rawls, Freedom Center for Social Justice; Rabbi Joshua Lesser, Congregation Bet
Haverim; Alex McNeill, More Light Presbyterians; Alba Onofro, SoulForce
Moderator: Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Campaign for Southern Equality
This panel will focus on the complex intersection of religious freedom, faith and the push for LGBT* equality
in the South. Panelists will talk about the role of faith in advocacy efforts as well as spiritual issues and needs
within the LGBT community. Panelists will also discuss religious freedom issues including the flood of religious
exemption bills being introduced across the region.
8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Saturday | Diana Wortham Theatre

Next Steps

Campaign for Southern Equality staff

Join us for a closing session where well say goodbye (for now!), talk next steps in our shared work, and
announce the first grant recipients of the Southern Equality Fund.
3:30 - 4:00 p.m. Saturday | Diana Wortham Theatre

about mandy carter

Mandy Carter is a

Southern activist who

has organized for social,
racial and LGBT* justice
for the past 47 years.
Carter was influenced
at an early age by
Quaker service and
anti-war activism, and
she attributes the 1968
Poor Peoples Campaign, organized by the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference, with inspiring her
commitment to nonviolence.
Recently, Carter helped organize diverse broadbased participation in this years 50th Anniversary
Selma-To-Montgomery Voting Rights March,
commemorating the events that moved Congress to
pass the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Carter is the coordinator of the Bayard Rustin
Commemoration Project of the National Black
Justice Coalition, an effort to acknowledge, honor
and celebrate black gay civil rights activist Bayard
Rustin.
Carter helped co-found two groundbreaking
organizations: Southerners On New Ground (SONG)
and the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC).
Founded in 1993, SONG organizes for progressive
policies across the South, connecting supporters

across race, class, culture, gender, sexual orientation

and gender identity. SONG integrates work against
homophobia into freedom struggles in the South. She
served as its Executive Director from 2003-2005.
NBJC, founded in 2003, is a national civil rights
organization dedicated to empowering Black
LGBT* people. NBJCs mission is to end racism
and homophobia. NBJC provides leadership at the
intersection of national civil rights organizations and
LGBT* organizations. Advocating for the unique
challenges and needs of the African-American LGBT*
community that are often relegated to the sidelines.
History was made at the 100th Anniversary
Convention of the NAACP in 2009 when they rolled
out their NAACP LGBT Equality Task Force, a new
partnership of the NAACP and NBJC.
Carter was one of the five national co-chairs
of Obama LGBT Pride, the national LGBT*
infrastructure for Barack Obamas historic 2008
presidential campaign. She is also a former member
of the Democratic National Committees Black
Caucus and LGBT Caucus.
In 2005, Carter was nominated for the Nobel Peace
Prize as part of the 1000 Women for the Nobel
Peace Prize in order to recognize, make visible and
celebrate the important, yet often invisible peace
work of women around the world.
Carter lives in Durham, North Carolina.

10

accessibility

If you have any questions about conference access, please ask a member of the conference team.

what the asterisk means

Identities within the trans* community are as diverse as each unique person. Because the term trans* is
an umbrella term that describes multiple gender identities, we use the asterisk behind the T in LGBT*
to acknowledge and respect each persons gender identity. The asterisk delineates identities such as
transgender, genderqueer, agender, non-binary, gender nonconforming, two-spirit, gender fluid, bi-gender
and many more.

respecting pronouns

Pronoun pins are provided for each participant at check-in. Everyone will have the opportunity to choose
the pin that corresponds with their pronouns. We ask that all conference participants be intentional about
respecting the pronouns of other participants.

all gender restrooms

Select restrooms at Pack Place and all of the restrooms at Trinity Episcopal Church are designated for use
by people of any or no gender, and are marked with all gender restroom signs. See the venue map or talk to a
volunteer to locate the all gender restrooms.

language access

We are happy to offer Spanish and English simultaneous interpretation throughout the conference, as well
as provide bilingual conference materials. All plenaries and select workshops will be offering simultaneous
interpretation. Please refer to the conference schedule or visit the interpretation table in the Pack Place
lobby to see which workshops will have English/Spanish interpretation. Attendees can find bilingual
assistance from interpreters, staff and volunteers wearing green ribbons.

accessing conference locations

To locate accessible entrances and elevators, please refer to the maps provided at conference check-in or ask
a volunteer for assistance. Pack Place is wheelchair accessible via all entrances and from the adjacent parking
garage. All floors have elevator access. Trinity Episcopal Church is wheelchair accessible from the Church
Street entrance and the courtyard entrance on Aston Street. All rooms are on one level, with the exception of
the mini chapel, which has a ramp. Transport between venues via shuttle will be offered at all times during the
conference. See the map on page 12 for shuttle locations.

The 2015 US Trans Survey is the new name of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, which is
the largest survey ever devoted to the lives and experiences of trans people. As the communitys survey,
it will reflect all trans identities and be used to educate the public about who we are.
The Survey launches in Summer 2015. Sign up and spread the word at USTransSurvey.org

12

venue locations
Patton Ave.
t.
S. Market S

nce
confere
shuttle
ve.
Biltmore A

n Ave.
S. Lexingto

Church St.

Eagle St.
5 min
walk

Colburn Earth
Science Museum

Aston St.

parking

nce
confere
shuttle

Trinity
Episcopal
Church

parking

Aloft
Hotel

Asheville Art
Museum
Diana Wortham
Theatre

Growing Leaders to Build Change.

Become a Tzedek Social Justice Resident.
The Tzedek Social Justice Residency joins people
of different backgrounds to work in common cause
toward equality for all people. This yearlong residency
was created to capture and uplift rising talent by
developing essential organizing and leadership skills
through social justice and community work. Each year
beginning in August, a group of young adults selected
as Tzedek Residents are paid to engage in full-time
meaningful work within Asheville area non-profit
organizations. Committed to developing strong and
diverse future leaders, the Residency equips young
adults with multiple transferable skills.
Residents participate together in meetings,
trainings, and conferences to explore and better
understand the intersectionality of class, gender,
sexuality, faith traditions, and ethnicity. The program
provides residents and supervisors with orientation,
trainings, and access to an outreach coordinator
designed to strengthen the mentor-resident experience.

Contact TzedekResidency@gmail.com for

information. Applications accepted beginning
March 23 for the following host organizations:

Center for Diversity Education at UNCA

Center for Gender and Relationships at WWC
Campaign for Southern Equality
Spirit In Action
Asheville Jewish Community Center
Green Opportunities

2014-15 Residents

14

friday schedule
8:00 (all day)
9:00 - 10:00
10:00 - 10:30
10:30- 11:30

11:30 - 1:00

Check in
Welcome & Keynote Address
Break
Workshop Session 1
Community Law Workshops:
How Advocates Can Equip and Empower
the LGBT* Community
Criminalization of the Trans* Community
and Get Yer Rights!
Earned Media 101
How to Get Funding in the South
LGBT Rights in the Workplace: Are We
Protected from Employment Discrimination?
Love Has No Borders...Finally: Perspectives
on Equality and Immigration Law
The Other 50 Shades: Gay and Gray in the
South, LGBT Aging and Inclusion
Lunch

See page 18 for full descriptions of the workshops.

Diana Wortham Theatre Lobby

Diana Wortham Theatre

Diana Wortham Theatre

Undercroft
(Trinity Episcopal)
Conference Room
(Trinity Episcopal)
Forum (D. Wortham Theatre)
Film Screening Room (Art Mus.)
Mini Chapel (Trinity Episcopal)
Science Classroom
(Colburn Museum)
Box lunch pickup in Tuton

1:00 - 3:00

Workshop Session 2A
Hashtagging a New Story of the South
Roots and Connections: Getting at the
Structure of Justice and Injustice
The Spirituality of Sexuality

1:00 - 2:00

2:15 - 3:15

3:00 - 3:30
3:30 - 4:30
5:00
5:30 - 7:30

Workshop Session 2B
Effective Advocacy for LGBT Clients
First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage
Then What?
Juntos: Collaborating to Create
a Digital Health Intervention
Trans* Intersectionality: Revealing the Layers
Workshop Session 2C
Black and Gay in the South: Navigating Intersectionality
and Identities within
the African American LGBTQ Community
Ethically Engaging Youth
in LGBTQ Activism in the South
Fireside Chat: The Human Side of Impact Litigation
Lifeline: The Status of Social Securitys Basic
Protections for Families and Individuals
Break
Plenary: Transgender Leadership and Advocacy in
the South
Pack Place closes
Campaign Lab: Organizing to Live
Free from Fear in the South

Film Screening Room

(Art Museum)
Undercroft
(Trinity Episcopal)
Mini Chapel
(Trinity Episcopal)
Forum (D. Wortham Theatre)
Diana Wortham Theatre
Conference Room
(Trinity Episcopal)
Science Classroom
(Colburn Museum)
Conference Room
(Trinity Episcopal)
Forum (D. Wortham Theatre)
Diana Wortham Theatre
Science Classroom
(Colburn Museum)
Diana Wortham Theatre

Tuton (Trinity Episcopal)

16

8:00
8:30 - 9:30
9:30 - 10:00
10:00 - 12:00

10:00 - 11:00

saturday schedule
Check in
Plenary: Religious Freedom, Faith
and LGBT Issues in the South
Break
Workshop Session 1A
Campaign Lab: Marriage Equality in the South
Fighting for Equality in K-12 Schools
Love & Support: Preventing Suicide Among Gender
& Sexually Diverse Community Members
Proud Shoes: Activating LGBTQ History
for Social Change
Workshop Session 1B
HIV/AIDS Advocacy in the South
Listening Session: National LGBT* Organizations
Connecting with Communities in the South
LGBTQ Benchmarks for Inclusion in Higher Ed

11:15 - 12:15

12:00 - 1:30

Workshop Session 1C
Day One: How General Synod Brought Marriage
Equality to North Carolina
Trans* Advocacy in Health Care
& the Need to be Counted
Moral Freedom Summer: NAACP and
LGBT* Engagement in North Carolina
Lunch

Diana Wortham Theatre Lobby

Diana Wortham Theatre

Film Screening Room (Art Mus.)

Undercroft
(Trinity Episcopal)
Forum (D. Wortham Theatre)
Mini Chapel
(Trinity Episcopal)
Conference Room
(Trinity Episcopal)
Diana Wortham Theatre
Science Classroom
(Colburn Museum)
Diana Wortham Theatre
Conference Room
(Trinity Episcopal)
Science Classroom
(Colburn Museum)
Box lunch pickup in Tuton

1:30 - 3:00

Workshop Session 2
Advocating for Trans* Inclusion in Schools
At the Intersection of Race, Poverty,
LGBT Identities and the Law
Language, Identity and Culture: A Deep Listening
Session
LGBT* Youth Resiliency in the South
Making Space: Adding the Q to POC Spaces

3:00 - 3:30
3:30 - 4:00
5:00

The Art of the Ask: Surefire Strategies

for Effective Fundraising
The Past, Present, and Future of LGBTQ
Safe Spaces In Southern Schools
Unlikely Alliances: Strategies for Engaging
Social Service Organizations
Break
Plenary: Next Steps
Pack Place Closes

Conference Room
(Trinity Episcopal)
Diana Wortham Theatre
Art Classroom
(Art Museum)
Film Screening Room (Art Mus.)
Mini Chapel
(Trinity Episcopal)
Forum (D. Wortham Theatre)
Undercroft
(Trinity Episcopal)
Science Classroom
(Colburn Mus.)
Diana Wortham Theatre

18

campaign labs
These highly interactive labs are designed to help organizers build
skills and networks as they engage in real-time campaigns.

Organizing to Live Free from Fear in the

South

Caitlin Breedlove, Kate Shapiro & Serena Sebring,

Southerners on New Ground (SONG)
SONGs long background in building membership,
connecting and organizing LGBTQ people in the
South across race, class, culture, gender and sexuality
has led to our recent launching of #freefromfear
campaigns. These are local campaigns that work
with communities to create and win demands that
make LGBTQ people and people of color safer
where they live. These campaigns seek to answer
the question: What could change in our home towns
if LGBTQ people and people of color felt safe? Our
first campaign, in Durham, NC, seeks to pass an allinclusive anti-profiling ordinance. The Community
Safety Act bans profiling based on race, immigration
status, gender, gender identity, sexuality, and
disability. Two more SONG campaigns are to follow
in different cities this year. Join us for a hands-on
discussion on the following: 1) How do we build a
strong intersectional analysis and working teams
across race, class, culture, gender and sexuality
among LGBTQ people in the South? 2) How do we
craft campaigns based on that analysis and those
relationships? 3) What are the nuts and bolts of
the frame and design of Free from Fear? How does

a multi-racial LGBTQ-led campaign team make it

happen? 4) What is the transformative potential of
LGBTQ organizing in our time?
TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
5:30 - 7:30 FRIDAY

Marriage Equality in the South

Lindsey Simerly & Aaron Sarver, Campaign for

Southern Equality; Adam Polaski & Amanda Snipes,
Freedom to Marry; Ivy Hill, Gender Benders
From small towns to big cities, we need to keep
building support for marriage equality across the
South as we prepare for a June ruling from the US
Supreme Court. This high energy and interactive
campaign lab will help organizers develop plans
and skills to lead marriage equality events in their
hometowns during this historic period in the push
for marriage equality in all 50 states. Youll also get
to meet and connect with organizers from across
the region to help build stronger networks. Specific
topics will include: organizing vigils, planning for the
first day of marriage in your community, using social
media to organize more effectively, and learning how
to get positive and strong local media coverage.
FILM SCREENING ROOM (ART MUSEUM)
10:00 - 12:00 SATURDAY

workshops

Advocating for Trans Inclusion in Schools

Asaf Orr, National Center for Lesbian Rights &

Andrea Graber-Bird, Transforming Family
Schools are starting to realize that it is important, and
their legal obligation, to affirm transgender youth.
However, making this a reality on the ground requires
local organizers and advocates who work with the
schools to understand the needs of transgender
youth and implement policies that appropriately
address those needs. Drawing on the presenters
experiences, this workshop will cover federal laws
protecting transgender youth, best practices for
trans-inclusive policies, responding to concerns from
administrators and the community, and coordinating
a campaign to support/object to a school policy
affecting transgender students. This workshop
is geared towards organizers and advocates who
work, or want to work, with transgender youth
around issues in school. Recognizing the expertise
of workshop participants, the majority of the time
will be used for an interactive discussion about this
topic and an opportunity for skill sharing among all
participants and presenters.
CONFERENCE ROOM (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
1:30 - 3:00 SATURDAY

At the Intersection of Race, Poverty, LGBT

Identities and the Law (1.5 CLE credits)

Beth Littrell & Holiday Simmons, Lambda Legal;

Mandy Carter, National Black Justice Coalition
A presentation about the ways in which LGBT
advocates and advocacy organizations should and

19
can address the legal needs of LGBT people of color
and LGBT people living in or near poverty. This
workshop will seek to explore the ways in which
race and religion influence politics in the South and
to develop strategies to transform our historical
and cultural knowledge into power. Advocates will
learn how to identify the needs of members of the
community who also face hurdles with respect to
racial disparity and income disparity, and how to
address those needs within the framework of legal
advocacy.
DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE
1:30 - 3:00 SATURDAY

Black and Gay in the South: Navigating

Intersectionality of Identities within the African
American LGBTQ Community

Anthony Beckett, South Carolina Black Pride

This session is an interactive approach to
understanding the intersectionality which African
Americans in the LGBTQ community experience as it
relates to the black church, family, culture/traditions,
geographical location, sexuality and gender
expression. The session will also address the stigmas
and myths that contribute to the coming out process
and struggle of African American LGBTQ individuals.
Resources and support systems will also be provided.
In addition we seek to assist peers and professionals
in becoming more effective in identifying racially
specific stigmas and myths that affect the African
American LGBTQ community as well as gaining
a greater knowledge of the intersectionality that

20

workshops, cont.

accompanies this particular population. Facilitators

will provide a proposed plan of action to assist in
addressing the needs of this community.
CONFERENCE ROOM (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
2:15 - 3:15 FRIDAY

Community Law Workshops: How Advocates

Can Equip and Empower the LGBT Community
(1 CLE credit)

Denise Brogan-Kator, Family Equality Council;

Meghann Burke, Diane Walton & Liz Vennum,
Campaign for Southern Equality
One way that lawyers can serve the LGBT
community is by providing legal information and
limited free legal services through Community Law
Workshops. The Campaign for Southern Equality
began holding Community Law Workshops in 2011,
providing free health care powers of attorney at Blue
Ridge Pride. Since then, we have expanded to holding
these workshops at Pride festivals around the state,
and have offered Community Law Workshops on
estate planning and name changes as well as health
care powers of attorney. Meghann Burke, Diane
Walton, and Liz Vennum lead the legal team at the
Campaign for Southern Equality, and together with
Denise Brogan-Kator from the Family Equality
Council, they will explain their model of Community
Law Workshops and share their experience with
organizing these workshops, coordinating with
volunteer attorneys, promoting the events, and
serving the community by providing free legal

information and legal services.

DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE
10:30 - 11:30 FRIDAY

Criminalization of the Trans* Community

and Get Yer Rights! (1 CLE credit)

Che Long, Solutions Not Punishment Coalition &

Holiday Simmons, Lambda Legal
Get Yer Rights is an interactive Know your Rights
training designed by and for LGBT people of color
and centers the experiences of transgender people of
color. The training provides an introduction to state
violence and utilizes role play, activities, and dynamic
games to introduce tools for interacting with police
in the streets or in a car. Through hands on practice,
participants will try on strategies for encounters such
as: warrants, stop/question/frisk including unlawful
searches, profiling for prostitution-related offenses,
and profiling for low level drug-related offenses.
UNDERCROFT (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
10:30 - 11:30 FRIDAY

Day One in North Carolina: How General Synod

Brought Marriage Equality to North Carolina
(1 CLE credit)

Jake Sussman & Luke Largess, Tin Fulton Walker &

Owen
The past year has brought a landslide of victories
in marriage equality litigation, with each case
bringing the South closer to full marriage equality.
Each of the lawsuits had its own legal strategies

and legal arguments, but General Synod of the

UCC v. Reisinger, the case that brought marriage
equality to North Carolina, was the only case to
argue that discriminatory marriage laws violated the
First Amendment. Jake Sussman and Luke Largess
represented the plaintiffs in General Synod and were
responsible for its groundbreaking legal strategy.
Jake and Luke will discuss their legal strategy and
how the case progressed, as well as discuss the
marriage case before the Supreme Court this term
and Campaign for Southern Equalitys contribution
to the legal arguments in that case.
DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE
11:15 - 12:15 SATURDAY

Earned Media 101

Casey Blake, Asheville Citizen-Times &

Aaron Sarver, Campaign for Southern Equality
Local media coverage of your event, action or
press conference is critical to engaging your
existing supporters and growing your base of
advocates. This workshop will offer the perspective
of a communications director for an advocacy
organization and a reporter bringing a newsroom
approach to advocacy organizations. Well get into
the nuts and bolts of press releases, pitching, and
efforts to drive your story national, so that you can
walk away from this session with best practices for
earned media. Significant time for a Q & A is included.
CONFERENCE ROOM (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
10:30 - 11:30 FRIDAY

Effective Advocacy for LGBT* Clients

(1 CLE credit)

Beth Littrell, Lambda Legal

Providing professionals with the cultural competency
needed to understand the unique needs of LGBT*

individuals and to treat them how they wish to be

treated. Through this competency learning process,
professionals will be better equipped to approach
LGBT* clients issues with sensitivity and be able to
effectively advocate for their clients.
FORUM (DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE)
1:00 - 2:00 FRIDAY

Ethically Engaging Youth in LGBTQ Activism

in the South

Whitney Kelbaugh & Nick Buchser,

LGBT Center of Raleigh
This workshop provides an example of an innovative
multi-tiered approach to LGBT youth leadership
development and programming in the south.
The intended audience for this workshop is adult
leaders with a desire to more effectively engage
youth in activism efforts in their own communities.
Topics covered include: ethically engaging youth in
activism efforts, best practices in developing youth
programs that work, and addressing challenges and
struggles in program development. The workshop
will engage participants in interactive learning. Upon
completion of this workshop participants will have
the knowledge and skills necessary to assist youth
in becoming the driving force in developing and
sustaining effective LGBT serving programs in your
community.
FORUM (DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE)
2:15 - 3:15 FRIDAY

Fighting for Equality in K-12 Schools

Dr. Todd Rosendahl, Time Out Youth; Chris Brook,

ACLU; Carol Williams-Swoope, PFLAG Salisbury/
Rowan
This workshop examines a multifaceted approach
to school organizing, including creating student-

22

workshops, cont.

led clubs known as GSAs (gay-straight alliances, or

gender and sexuality alliances), connecting GSAs
through regional and statewide club networks,
educating teachers, staff, and administrators on
LGBTQ issues through trainings or workshops,
and providing support for school boards and
administrations on LGBTQ-inclusive policy writing.
The diverse panel of adults and youth from North
Carolina will offer their expertise on legal issues,
K-12 school outreach initiatives, community
organizing, and youth GSA organizing. Following
the know your rights/school organizing discussion,
attendees will work together to create action plans
based on real life scenarios for LGBTQ youth in the
South.
UNDERCROFT (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
10:00 - 12:00 SATURDAY

Fireside Chat: The Human Side of Impact Litigation

(1 CLE credit)

Meghann Burke & Diane Walton, Campaign for

Southern Equality; Alexia Koritz, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind,
Wharton & Garrison LLP
In the flurry of marriage equality litigation,
sometimes we forget that behind each landmark case
is a brave group of plaintiffs who were willing to put
themselves on the line to take a stand for equality.
As attorneys, especially those who take civil rights
cases, it is important to remember the humanity of
these plaintiffs and the needs and perspectives that
they bring to litigation. Each case has a story, and
we believe these are some of the most compelling.

Meghann Burke and Diane Dizy Walton, who were

involved in General Synod, the case that brought
marriage equality to North Carolina, and Campaign
for Southern Equality v. Bryant, the case that brought
marriage equality to Mississippi, together with Alexia
Koritz, who worked on Windsor share about their
experiences working with civil rights plaintiffs and
share their insights.
DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE
2:15 - 3:15 FRIDAY

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage

Then What? (1 CLE credit)

Connie Vetter, Attorney at Law; Cathy Sakimura,

National Center for Lesbian Rights; Kelly Durden,
Legal Services of Southern Piedmont; Dr. Nancy Teaff,
Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte
Now that many states in the South have marriage
equality, family law attorneys will be faced with
a host of new and confusing legal issues. What
assisted reproduction options are available to LGBT
prospective parents? How can both married and
unmarried parents protect their parental rights?
What issues will arise around surrogacy and
adoption? How will divorce, equitable distribution,
and alimony look? What kind of litigation and other
advocacy strategies can best advance families rights?
DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE
1:00 - 2:00 FRIDAY

Hashtagging a New Story of the South

Michael Crawford, Freedom to Marry &

Jen Jones, Equality NC

This workshop will provide tips on using social
media to tell and amplify the stories of Southerners
taking strong stands in favor of LGBT equality. The
presenters will use case studies of local and national
social media campaigns including North Carolinas
fight against Amendment One and Southerners for
the Freedom to Marry to equip you with the tools
you need to reframe the narrative of LGBT activism
in the South. We will include a practice session in
which participants can brainstorm ideas for social
media campaigns and get feedback. This session is
intended organizers at all levels who want to gain
fluency in using social and digital media in their work.
FILM SCREENING ROOM (ART MUSEUM)
1:00 - 3:00 FRIDAY

HIV/AIDS Advocacy in the South

Lee Storrow, NC AIDS Action Network &

Peggy Weil, Western NC AIDS Project
This workshop will explore current trends in HIV/
AIDS, including a focus on racial disparities in the
South. We will discuss the importance of expanding
Medicaid to the HIV+ community. We will then
use this information to practice real world skills in
communicating with elected officials through skits
and role plays. The intended audience is participants
who would like to know more about the HIV/AIDS
epidemic in the south and would like to use this
information to communicate with policy makers
about the needs of those living with HIV and AIDS.
CONFERENCE ROOM (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
10:00 - 11:00 SATURDAY

How to Get Funding in the South: Sharing

Ideas, Experiences & Strategies

Ivy Hill, Gender Benders; Joey Lopez & Jasmine

Beach-Ferrara, Campaign for Southern Equality
With less than 4 percent of national LGBT funding
going to the South, and even less funding directed
to small towns, funding LGBT advocacy can be a
major challenge. This interactive workshop will
explore funding strategies that are actually working
for grassroots groups across the South. Participants
are encouraged to share lessons learned about the
real-world challenges of funding their work, and offer
both outside-the-box and traditional fundraising
strategies that work. Presenters will answer
questions about the Southern Equality Fund, CSEs
new funding initiative. All are welcome whether you
are a grassroots group, a 501(c)3 or launching a new
initiative.
FORUM (DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE)
10:30 - 11:30 FRIDAY

Juntos: Collaborating to Create a Digital Health

Intervention

Carla Mena, Emma Zhao, Jemi Galani & Morgan

Barlow, Duke University; Jos Alegra & Alex Cordova,
El Centro Hispano
Juntos (together) was a one-year research project
(2014), in which we conducted and analyzed a
series of interviews and developed a basic online
intervention. The program aims to leverage healthy
behaviors, self-efficacy and a sense of belonging
among Latino men who have sex with men (MSM)
and transgender women (TW) by connecting
people to local resources, accurate and relevant
health information, community organizations and
each other. This workshop is designed to engage a
diverse audience. Those who may find it most helpful
include: health care providers, Latino- and LGBTQserving organizations, researchers. We will present

24

workshops, cont.

our research findings and process (including the use

of interviews, mTurk and Qualtrics to collect data).
The format will include a presentation, dialogue and
an interactive exploration of the digital program.
The workshop structure will be informed by
empowerment education principles.
CONFERENCE ROOM (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
1:00 - 2:00 FRIDAY

Language, Identity and Culture: A Deep

Listening Session

Claudia Montesinos, Ekua Adisa, Ada Volkmer &

Andrea Golden, Center for Participatory Change
Language justice is not just about creating the bare
minimum for communication through interpretation
and translation, its about people bringing their
full selves to the table. Some of us speak the
same languages as our ancestors, others have
had our languages stolen from us by migration,
imperialism, colonialism, and slavery. This workshop
holds as a central value that there is strength in
communities preserving, reclaiming, and using their
languages. Through storytelling and ceremony, well
explore how language is connected to our culture
and identity and is vital to the resilience of our
community. We also want to reflect on how language
has been used against us and how weve created new
language to express ourselves and tell our stories.
This workshop is intended for queer and trans
people of color.
ART CLASSROOM (ART MUSEUM)
1:30 - 3:00 SATURDAY

LGBT Rights in the Workplace: Are We

Protected from Employment Discrimination?
(1 CLE credit)

Malissa Burnette, Callison Tighe; Rachel Blunk,

Sharpless Stavola; Don Davis, The Noble Law Firm;
Moderated by Ryan Wilson, Human Rights Campaign
In North Carolina and other Southern states, you can
legally marry a partner of the same sex, but be legally
fired from your job for doing so. This panel discussion
will cover topics ranging from recent employment
discrimination litigation to EEOC policies and how to
identify discrimination in the workplace.
FILM SCREENING ROOM (ART MUSEUM)
10:30 - 11:30 FRIDAY

LGBT* Youth Resiliency in the South

Dr. Todd Rosendahl, Time Out Youth; Samantha

Ames, National Center for Lesbian Rights; Maliek
Powell, Greater Than AIDS; Hannah Barker, WV Gay
& Lesbian Community Center
Southern LGBT* youth exhibit significant resiliency
and also live with real risks. This workshop will
highlight effective strategies and approaches for
working with LGBT* youth and will also re-focus the
conversation from struggle to resiliency. The panel
will include direct service providers, advocates, and
youth activists. Panelists will discuss their work,
offer resources to implement throughout local
communities and answer question related to the
shifting conversation.
FILM SCREENING ROOM (ART MUSEUM)

1:30 - 3:00 SATURDAY

LGBTQ Benchmarks for Inclusion in Higher

Education

Shane Windmeyer & Rebby Kern, Campus Pride;

Warren Radebe, Johnson C. Smith University
Southern organizing at colleges and universities has
long been a fertile ground for activism and culture
change. However, there are still many Southern,
rural campuses, HBCUs and religious-affiliated
campuses who have been left behind and, or have
limited resources to change the LGBTQ climate
on campus. This workshop teaches organizers key
LGBTQ campus benchmarks for policy, program
and practice and shares the tools to change campus
climate from the CampusPrideIndex.org and the
new CampusPrideSportsIndex.org. Participants will
leave with strategies to engage in an intersectional
dialogue around recruitment and retention for
LGBTQ youth and having the tools to be effective in
furthering LGBTQ outreach to campuses who are
not visible and present in Southern organizing.
SCIENCE CLASSROOM (COLBURN MUSEUM)
10:00 - 11:00 SATURDAY

Lifeline: The Status of Social Securitys Basic

Protections for Families and Individuals
(1 CLE credit)

Holly Fairbairn, Chitwood and Fairbairn, PA

Social Security touches the lives of all Americans
and highlights the confusion between conflicting
state and federal policies about same-sex marriage.
This CLE will explain government benefits and how
advocates can best navigate the system to protect
their clients right to social security in the context of
disability, retirement, survivor benefits, and more.

SCIENCE CLASSROOM (COLBURN MUSEUM)

2:15 - 3:15 FRIDAY

Listening Session: National LGBT Organizations

Connecting with Communities in the South
(1 CLE credit)

Cathy Sakimura, National Center for Lesbian Rights;

Sarah Reece, The LGBTQ Task Force; Beth Littrell,
Lambda Legal; Ria Tabacco Mar, American Civil
Liberties Union; Facilitated by Ali Gorczynski, Texas
Freedom Network
We invite activists and organizers in the South to
share with national organizations what work has had
and will have positive impacts in the South, and what
will be useful to local and regional work. Advocates
can also ask questions and share ideas and
knowledge about legislative and legal strategies, and
how to promote accountability to our communities
as we advocate for LGBT-inclusive policies at the
federal, state, and local levels.
DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE
10:00 - 11:00 SATURDAY

Love and Support: Preventing Suicide Among

Gender & Sexually Diverse Community Members

Rebecca Stapel-Wax & Robbie Medwed, SOJOURN

(Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender &
Sexual Diversity)
The statistics surrounding GSD suicide and selfharm are both scary and shocking. Using elements of
the award winning Sources of Strength curriculum
and SOJOURNs own expertise, participants will
learn how to combat the challenges GSD people
face every day. The purpose of this session is not
crisis intervention, rather, it is prevention. This
session focuses on the steps communities, schools,

26

workshops, cont.

synagogues, and camps can take to ensure that they

create a welcoming space wherein all people feel
comfortable sharing their true feelings even those
that are challenging or difficult to discuss.
FORUM (DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE)
10:00 - 12:00 SATURDAY

Love Has No BordersFinally: Perspectives on

Equality and Immigration Law (1 CLE credit)

Natalie Teague, Teague Immigration Law

Immigration attorneys used to predict that
comprehensive reform would assuredly come before
equality in the immigration field. Whereas same-sex
couples and the LGBT community were previously
and essentially left out by US immigration law, the
US Supreme Court changed everything on June 26,
2013 with its Windsor decision. Immigration agencies
were among the first federal agencies to implement
the decision, which has led to complete and total
equality for same sex couples seeking immigration
benefits. This presentation will discuss the opening
of US immigration law to same-sex couples and
provide a glimpse into asylum issues for the LGBT
community. Executive action and its place with
equality will also be discussed.
MINI CHAPEL (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
10:30 - 11:30 FRIDAY

Making Space: Adding the Q to POC Spaces

Ciera Williams & Kristina Agbebiyi,
Georgia Southern University

This workshop will be in the form of presentation

and discussion. We will explain the need for
intersectionality and explain different ways to build
movements across issues. We also want participants
to offer their own suggestions. The intended
audience is queer people of color (POC) and POC,
as well as anyone interested in learning how to make
groups and movements more diverse.
MINI CHAPEL (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
1:30 - 3:00 SATURDAY

Moral Freedom Summer: NAACP and LGBT

Engagement in North Carolina

Crystal Richardson, Equality NC; Bishop Tonyia

Rawls, Freedom Center for Social Justice; Laurel
Ashton, NAACP NC; Serena Sebring, Southerners on
New Ground
Through this workshop attendees will be introduced
to a unique collaboration in North Carolina between
LGBT partner organizations and the NAACP.
Attendees will get a behind the scenes look at the
challenges of this intersectional work and hear about
the rewards and successes of the project. Through a
participatory discussion of lessons learned in North
Carolina, attendees and panelists will develop a road
map for how to replicate similar collaborations in
their own states.
SCIENCE CLASSROOM (COLBURN MUSEUM)
11:15-12:15 SATURDAY

Proud Shoes: Activating LGBTQ History for Social

Change

Barbara Lau, Pauli Murray Project

We have always been here and we have a right to
our history, our ancestors and leaders. We owe it to
ourselves to bring back those that history has tried
to erase and to prevent ourselves from being erased.
We have to tell our own stories because if we dont,
someone else will. And theyll tell it wrong. Join us
and find yourself in our history.
MINI CHAPEL (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
10:00 - 12:00 SATURDAY

Roots and Connections: Getting at the

Structure of Justice and Injustice

Craig White, Craig White Consulting & TShana

McClain, Campaign for Southern Equality
This workshop is intended for volunteers, staff and
board members of LGBT* and other social justice
organizations. How do we see our organizations
work as a part of the larger LGBT* movement?
Are we addressing root causes of injustice, or just
chipping away at symptoms? How does our work
intersect with worker justice, racial equity, immigrant
rights, and other justice movements? While most of
us have experienced some form of discrimination
from biased individuals, we know the deeper truth
is that privilege and oppression are built into the
structure of our society. This hands-on workshop
will present a clear and flexible model for a structural
analysis of injustice, which participants can use to
understand their own work better, strategize and
collaborate more effectively, and determine how
they want to fit into larger justice movements.
UNDERCROFT (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
1:00 - 3:00 FRIDAY

The Art of the Ask: Surefire Strategies for

Effective Fundraising

Ian Palmquist, Equality Federation

This workshop is for anyone who wants to help
bring in more money for their organizations. The
presentation will include: Individual Fundraising
Overview (why go for individual dollars). Overcoming
Our Fear of Asking. Who to Ask. Making Your Case.
Asking Face-to-Face. Making a Pitch at an Event. An
interactive activity will help participants craft their
own case statements, and, time allowing, to role-play
a solicitation. Participants will work on their own
skills and role play.
FORUM (DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE)
1:30 - 3:00 SATURDAY

The Other 50 Shades: Gay and Gray in the

South, LGBT Aging and Inclusion

Bob Tomasulo & Rowan Lischerelli,

LGBT Elder Advocates of WNC
This workshop will engage you in a conversation
about the journey of aging as an LGBT Elder and
how providers, agencies, health care workers and
community structures can include and support
the LGBT Elders in their area. We will share the
challenges we see our elders facing, many of whom
feel that their only option is to go back in the closet,
discuss why LGBT elders experience increased
incidence of isolation and fear of aging, explore our
curriculum that weve created to educate the public
and discuss how you can work with development
and programming in the South to include the unique
needs of our Elders. The intended audience for this
workshop will be all service providers and people
who work within the field of active aging, as well as
all people who are aging thats YOU! Participants

28

workshops, cont.

will be given the knowledge and skills necessary to

engage the LGBT Elders of their community, create
a local LGBT Elders Organization, How to reach the
elders in your area and what service providers and
health care organizations need to include in their
practices to be Elder-Kind.
SCIENCE CLASSROOM (COLBURN MUSEUM)
10:30 - 11:30 FRIDAY

The Past, Present, and Future of LGBTQ Safe

Spaces In Southern Schools

Marcos de R. Antuna, Dr. Roxanne Henkin & Dr. Zaid

Haddad, University of Texas at San Antonio;
Meg Goodhand & Omar Currie, Safe Schools NC
This blended presentation is intended for a diverse
audience of practitioners, activists, teachers or
anyone interested in creating safe positive school
cultures for all students. The hour-and-a-half
workshop will incorporate both research findings and
related practical activities meant to elicit audience
participation.
The first component will reveal issues of hope,
happiness, and leadership within LGBTQ youth. We
will address the institutions and historical events
which have led to the present-day LGBTQ academic
experience. We will then present on the impact of
narrativity in supporting positive LGBTQ identity and
self-concept in students. Last but never least, we will
highlight the ways in which schools and organizations
affect the authenticity of gay teachers and their
straight allies.

The second component will help participants identify

and define terminology associated with the LGBTQ
community. We will explore the manifestations of
homophobia within the schools, share and reflect
upon the barriers to disrupting heterosexism, and
collaborate on ways school leaders and
teachers can confront homophobic language/actions/
curricula within the schools. This component will
share resources and statewide counterpublics that
support LGBTQ youth and teachers.
UNDERCROFT (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
1:30 - 3:00 SATURDAY

The Spirituality of Sexuality

Bishop Donagrant L. McCluney, Affirming Pentecostal

Church International & Rev. Joe Hoffman, First
Congregational UCC in Asheville
The workshop is important to LGBTQ Christian
believers who think about and/or struggle
with the resolution of their sexual and spiritual
identities, especially for the children of the religious
South. This workshop will engage participants to
connect the two identities of their spirituality and
sexuality through two different methodologies
used by faith leaders today. Attendees will: 1)
Learn from affirmative faith leaders about the
struggle to resolve queer sexuality with Christian
spirituality; 2) Discuss some of the real struggles
of being LGBTQ identified in a Christian context;
3) Experience a personal demonstration of the
Wesleyan Quadrilateral, a theological tool using
scripture, tradition, reason and experience; 4)

Explore an alternative process that relies on the

teachings from our own life experiences, outside of
the frameworks provided in scripture; and 5) Leave
this workshop knowing how to utilize both tools for
personal examination and discernmentempowered
to continue connecting and reconciling the two
identities of spirituality and sexuality.
MINI CHAPEL (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
1:00 - 3:00 FRIDAY

Trans* Advocacy in Health Care and the

Need to be Counted

Andrea Zekis, Human Rights Campaign &

Tommy Luckett, Arkansas HIV Planning Group
Learn from the experiences of two transgender
persons working on issues related to health care and
the importance of having transgender representation
at the table. Presenters will discuss the many layers
of health care work in Arkansas including working
with providers and the transgender community
in building a health care provider database, the
development of a hospital safe zone program and
conducting a health care assessment of the states
transgender population. The workshop will show
data of HIV across the board in all races and illustrate
how transgender people are not counted, and also
illustrate the stigmatizing language associated with
HIV. The discussion will touch on the intersection
of health care issues and the other issues that
transgender people face in relation to violence,
poverty, etc.
CONFERENCE ROOM (TRINITY EPISCOPAL)
11:15 - 12:15 SATURDAY

Trans* Intersectionality: Revealing the Layers

Li Hooper, Gender Re-visioning and Sexuality
Pathways (Grasp); Z. Shane Zaldivar, TAG

(transgender allies group); HP Page Gender Benders

This workshop will discuss the layers of socio-cultural
and socio-political factors which affect psycho-social
political dynamics and daily living for transgender,
transsexual, and gender-fluid/gender-variant persons
for the purposes of advocacy, activism, support,
and empowerment. From psycho-dynamic issues
of depression, coping, and suicidality to immigrant
rights, health care, systemic racism and workers
rights, we will give attention to identifying and giving
voice to the concerns facing trans-identified persons
(and, really, for all of us as LGBT persons and allies).
We will offer general information in a soft-lecture
format, then utilize small group and whole-group
discussion to process reactions and name possible
ways forward for creating positive change.
SCIENCE CLASSROOM (COLBURN MUSEUM)
1:00 - 2:00 FRIDAY

Unlikely Alliances: Strategies for engaging

social service organizations in meeting the needs
of LGBTQ clients in the South

Dafina Ward & Daroneshia Duncan, AIDS Alabama;

Frank Matthews, One Roof
AIDS Alabama staff will lead a workshop that
explores strategies for working with mainstream
social service organizations seeking to better
serve LGBTQ clients. AIDS Alabama has worked
collaboratively with housing, domestic violence
and substance use providers to improve their
competency to serve LGBTQ clients. The workshop
will also include lessons learned and best practices
from AIDS Alabamas own experiences, as well as
strategies for assessing an organizations readiness to
serve LGBTQ clients.
SCIENCE CLASSROOM (COLBURN MUSEUM)
1:30 - 3:00 SATURDAY

30

around town

LGBT*-affirming places of worship

St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church
(Congregational Catholic)
768 Asbury Rd.
Candler, NC 28715

Congregation Beth Israel

(Conservative)
229 Murdock Ave.
Asheville, NC 28804

athedral of All Souls (Episcopal)

C
9 Swan St. Biltmore Village
Asheville, NC 28803

Abiding Savior Lutheran Church

801 Charlotte Hwy.
Fairview, NC 28730

St. Georges (Episcopal)

One School Rd.
Asheville, NC 28806

Haywood Street Congregation

(United Methodist)
297 Haywood St.
Asheville, NC 28801
(worship is on Wednesdays)

St. Johns Episcopal Church

290 Old Haw Creek Rd.
Asheville, NC 28805
St. Marys Episcopal Church
337 Charlotte St.
Asheville, NC 28801
St. Matthias Episcopal Church
1 Dundee St.
Asheville, NC 28801
Congregation Beth Ha Tephila
(Reform)
43 N Liberty St.
Asheville, NC 28801

Urban Dharma NC (Buddhist)

29 Page Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801
Kadampa Buddhism
574 Haywood Rd.
Asheville, NC 28806
New Creation Church
In Abiding Savior Lutheran Church
801 Charlotte Hwy.
Fairview, NC 28730

Bahai Center
5 Ravenscroft Dr
Asheville, NC 28801
Center for Spiritual Living
2 Science of Mind Way
Asheville NC 28806
Circle of Mercy Congregation
(American Baptist, UCC)
1 School Rd.
Asheville, NC 28806
Jesus People Church
at Scandals Nightclub
11 Grove St.
Asheville, NC 28801
Jubilee
46 Wall St.
Asheville, NC 28801
Unitarian Universalist Church of
Asheville
1 Edwin Pl.
Asheville, NC 28801
Unitarian Universalist
Congregation of the Swannanoa
Valley
500 Montreat Rd.
Black Mountain, NC 28711

First Congregational United

Church of Christ
20 Oak St.
Asheville, NC 28801
First Congregational UCC Hendersonville
1735 5th Ave. W.
Hendersonville, NC 28739
The Table UCC
980 Rabbit Skin Rd.
Waynesville, NC
Land of the Sky UCC
Meets at Kenilworth Presbyterian
123 Kenilworth Rd.
Asheville, NC 28803
First Presbyterian Church
40 Church St.
Asheville, NC 28801
Grace Covenant Presbyterian
Church
789 Merrimon Ave.
Asheville, NC 28804
Kenilworth Presbyterian Church
123 Kenilworth Rd.
Asheville, NC 28803
Montreat Presbyterian Church
396 Geneva Pl.
Montreat, NC 28757

New Hope Presbyterian Church

3070 Sweeten Creek Rd.
Asheville, NC 28803
Warren Wilson Presbyterian
Church
701 Warren Wilson Rd.
Swannanoa, NC 28778
Westminster Presbyterian
Church
15 Overbrook Pl.
Asheville, NC 28805
Asheville Friends (Quaker)
227 Edgewood Rd.
Asheville, NC 28804
Swannanoa Valley Friends
(Quaker)
137 Center Ave.
Black Mountain, NC

MCC Sacred Journey

at 1st Congregational Church
Felix Building
1735 5th Ave. W.
Hendersonville, NC 28793

LGBT*-focused nightlife
O.Henrys/ The Underground
237 Haywood St.
Asheville, NC 28801
Scandals Nightclub
11 Grove St.
Asheville, NC 28801
mokeys Tavern
S
18 Broadway St.
Asheville, NC 28801

All information courtesy of

GayAshevilleNC.com

The rainbow-colored pride flag

symbolizing LGBT* equality was
draped above the entrance of City
Hall in Asheville on October 9,
2014, in anticipation of a ruling in
favor of marriage equality.

Get state-by-state guides to

knowing and protecting your rights.

A project of the Campaign for Southern Equality

lgbtrightstoolkit.org

33

next steps

from the Campaign for Southern Equality

We want to thank you for joining with us and sharing

yourself, your work and your passion for equality.

We are at a critical stage in the long journey to full

legal and lived equality. With a Supreme Court ruling
about marriage equality on the horizon in June, its
vital to keep calling publicly for full recognition of our
families and to continue sharing our stories.
Our shared work doesnt stop there. We look
ahead to a landscape in which there are immediate
needs in our community: improvements in access
to LGBT* health and legal services; programs that

The CSE Legal Team. From left to right:

Dizy Walton, Meghann Burke, Liz Vennum

affirm and support youth and help them envision

and live into a future of authenticity and fulfillment;
fuller engagement in the political process as voters,
advocates for inclusive policy and candidates
for office; and standing as leaders and allies in
movements for racial and economic justice. Our
movement requires a broad array of strategies and
tactics that far exceeds this list.
As you move forward, we hope that these past two
days will help fuel you, and that connections made
here yield new work and new ideas. We cant wait to
see what you do next.

CSE Staff. Back row from left to right: Jasmine Beach-Ferrara,

Lindsey Simerly, Aaron Sarver, Joey Lopez, Craig White;
Front: Jarod Keith, Chloe Stuber, Shana McClain