Seat at the Table: Promoting LGBT Leaders Around the World

1. Seat at the Table: Promoting LGBT Leaders Around the World Presented by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute

2. Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund works to elect LGBT leaders to public office for one simple reason.  They change America's politics.Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender office holders are our clearest and most convincing champions for true equality.  As leaders in government, they become the face and voice of a community.  The Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute works to achieve full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people by building, supporting, and advancing a diverse network of LGBT public leaders.

3. Speakers Robin Brand is the deputy executive director at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, the nation's leading organization that identifies, trains and helps elect openly LGBT leaders to public office.  As deputy executive director, Brand develops strategies and oversees programs for the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender political action committee. George Walkeris currently the Vice President of Leadership Initiatives at the Victory Fund and Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute. George is responsible for program work that supports the pipeline and training of openly LGBT elected and appointed officials and those who are considering public service. He was selected to serve as a German Marshall Memorial Fellow for the spring of 2010 where he traveled to five countries in Europe.He is an alum of the U.S. Peace Corps in Guayaquil, Ecuador from 1994 to 1996.

4. What we are talking about • We want to learn about the types of tactics and trainings that have been successful outside of the US to promote LGBT civic engagement and leadership. 4 Categories to guide our discussion… LGBT Politics Party Politics Communications & Media Transnational Partnerships

5. LGBT Politics In what ways do LGBT people have a role in local politics and national politics and elections?  Are they engaged as openly LGBT people?

6. LGBT Politics (cont.) What are some of the challenges you imagine or have seen when LGBT candidates seek office? What are the three challenges you would say are prevalent in LGBT political organizing efforts?

7. LGBT Politics (Cont.) • What programs or trainings are you aware of that attempt to address those challenges? • In what ways do you see the programs that address political rights and participation from being different from human rights advocacy and programs?

8. Party Politics In what ways do party politics either advance or retard LGBT rights within the party and within your country? How do LGBT people and issues fare within parties and when there are coalitions between parties?

9. Communication/Media How have local and national groups attempted to influence the portrayal of LGBT people? What are the biggest challenges you observe when LGBT leaders are put in front of the media?

10. Communication/Media (cont.) Are there ways you could imagine the mainstream media being hurtful to an LGBT candidate? How has the media been helpful in disseminating pro-LGBT attitudes and perceptions?

11. Transnational Partnerships • In regard to networking and the sharing of knowledge and best practices to advance LGBT rights, how do you assess the value of transnational networks in making gains toward these rights? • What are your thoughts on partnering with a U.S. NGO? • To your knowledge, what are the largest constraints imposed by your political system and laws that may prevent non-national or national organizations from being involved in campaigns and elections?