(Baton Rouge, LA, January 15, 2015)—The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will host the next #RuralPride summit in Baton Rouge, LA on Friday, January 23rd. The event, co-hosted by PFLAG and the True Colors Fund, focuses on addressing the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people living in rural communities across the country.
USDA Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Dr. Joe Leonard will be giving remarks during the summit.
The event will take place at Southern University School of Law, Moot Court Room, 2 Roosevelt Steptoe Dr., Baton Rouge, from 10am to 4:30pm CT.
The summit series is the centerpiece of the #RuralPride campaign, a partnership between NCLR and USDA that challenges the stereotype that LGBTQ people only live in metropolitan areas by raising awareness of the particular issues faced by LGBTQ rural communities. The summits are being organized across the country to elevate the voices of LGBTQ people and families in rural communities, explore how these communities are particularly vulnerable, and discuss proposed and enacted federal policy changes that can increase equality and access for rural LGBTQ people and their families. The #RuralPride summits center on LGBTQ experiences in rural America, including increased rates of economic insecurity, lack of family and nondiscrimination protections, the relationship between LGBTQ and faith communities, and the heightened challenges facing rural LGBTQ youth and rural LGBTQ people of color.
This event is free and open to the public.
Lunch will be served.
Please register here:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/lgbt-rural-summit-series-baton-rouge-la-tickets-12354415389