Money for the Midwest: LGBTQ Assets and Opportunities in the Midwest

Money for the Midwest: LGBTQ Assets and Opportunities in the Midwest

Thursday, March 31st · 9:30am — 11:00am

DOWNLOAD: Money for the Midwest: LGBTQ Assets and Opportunities in the Midwest (PPT)

One in five LGBT adults lives in the U.S Midwest. Laws, policies and protections for LGBTQ people vary widely here. The region is home to states with full legal protections (relationship, housing, employment, bullying) and states where you can get married today, fired tomorrow and arrested for using a public restroom the next. So what are the lived experiences of LGBTQ people living in this region right now?

The Midwest is home to dense urban centers that wrestle with gentrification and movement apathy, as well as wide open prairies home to small yet mighty pockets of activists working to build community. The Midwest is home to states that received national attention and resources for historic wins and losses, as well as states that face political attacks and can only respond with volunteer energy. The Midwest is both racially diverse and consistently segregated, with deep roots in Indigenous, immigrant, refugee experiences. The Midwest of today may look different than folkloric tales of the heartland you may have grown up hearing.

The story of Midwest LGBTQ funding and movement building is one of resilience, creativity, innovation and determination. Without sustainable umbrella groups for protection, local networks in the Midwest are often called upon to fill critical gaps for communities in deep need.

The Money for the Midwest plenary will paint a picture of the landscape of LGBTQ philanthropy past and present coupled with stories from activists and organizers to illuminate the lived-experience of the LGBTQ and progressive movements in this place. We will talk about how philanthropic dollars have (and have not) contributed to our fights, victories and vision for full freedom and justice in our hometowns.