PSL 2017 Forum on Race Relations & Inclusion
Public invited to participate in panel discussion on LGBTQ+ issues
PORT ST. LUCIE – The City of Port St. Lucie’s award-winning Forum on Race Relations & Inclusion will continue with a panel discussion focusing on issues surrounding the LGBTQ+ community.
The event titled “LGBTQ+: Valuing and Respecting Our Differences” will be Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2017 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center, 9221 SE Civic Center Place. Those who wish to attend are asked to RSVP at www.cityofpsl.com/frri. The event is free. Refreshments will be served.
This will be a discussion for all ages, with a focus on issues facing LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and queer (or questioning). The plus refers to other labels that have been identified, such as asexual, intersex or intergender.
A daylong event was held at the Civic Center.
In November 2016, a daylong event was held at the Civic Center. There is a variety of breakout sessions on topics including, race and ethnicity, fair and impartial policing and LGBTQ+. The City decided to pursue another panel discussion on LGBTQ+ issues as a result of conversations that began at the Forum last year.
“There is a significant, but hidden, LGBTQ+ community in St. Lucie County that continues to be the target of harassment and discrimination,” said Jerome Post, Port St. Lucie’s Human Resources Director, who leads the City’s Diversity Committee. “The LGBTQ+ youth face particular hardships with lack of resources and family rejection that result in poverty, substance abuse and homelessness. There are resources and allies in the community that can assist, but residents need to know how to access them.”
The event’s panel is scheduled to include students from Indian River State College, Nathan Bruemmer, Executive Director of ALSO Youth, and Presenter for Equality Florida, and Cassandra Novalien, Minority AIDS Coordinator at the Florida Department of Health. ALSO, which stands for Advocacy, Leadership, Support and Outreach, is a community center focusing on outreach and education programs for LGBTQ youth.
The Port St. Lucie Council agreed to move forward with the Forum on Race Relations & Inclusion last year in response to acts of violence in the United States stemming from racial tension, terrorism, hate and a lack of understanding. The Forum’s Mission is to bring the people of Port St. Lucie together to listen, share concerns, learn, plan, act and report on our progress in maintaining and enhancing our promise of being a City for ALL people.
