One Buchanan and the OutCenter are planning a forum on the state of civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community.
The OutCenter’s Mary Jo Schnell tells us with this being an election year, and an important election, there will be plenty to talk about at the April forum. She says she hears from people in the community concerned about making schools safe, representation in libraries, and local government issues.
“Folks want to know, what can we do? And so one of the things is get involved, get educated. What’s happening at your local school district? What’s happening at your public library? Are you concerned about making sure that the institutions across our three-county area are equitable?”
One Buchanan’s Adam Burck says the group holds two forums each year, with past events covering topics like Black history and Native American issues. They decided to look at LGBTQ issues this year and reached out to the OutCenter. He says they want to discuss concerns, but also recent wins.
“We’re going to do just a level set on what current rights are, because a lot has changed over the last few years. People should know that in housing, public accommodation, and employment, you cannot be discriminated against any longer for being in the LGBTQ plus community.”
The guest speakers will be ACLU civil rights attorney Jay Kaplan and Equality Michigan Advocacy Director Emme Zanotti. Schnell says the event will be conversational, so attendees can ask questions of the speakers.
The forum will be at the Buchanan Senior Center on Saturday, April 6, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration is required for those who wish to take part.
