Hundreds of progressive-minded people will converge in Philadelphia later this month for an annual meeting of the minds that will include attention to LGBT issues.
The Pennsylvania Progressive Summit, organized by Keystone Progress, will be held from Feb. 10-12 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, marking the first time in the event’s three-year history that it will be held in the City of Brotherly Love.
Included among the more than 60 workshops is “Winning LGBT Equality, One City at a Time,” at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 11.
The panel will feature Equality Pennsylvania executive director Ted Martin and board member and Doylestown Borough Council member Marlene Pray.
Martin said the panel will center on the successful effort undertaken by Equality Pennsylvania and other organizations to bring about local-level LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances.
“We’ll be talking about creating equality locally,” he said. “There’s inactivity in Harrisburg, and in Washington as well, on LGBT issues, so we’re going to talk about how we’ve been able to move our issues forward through grassroots efforts and how that can apply to other progressive issues as well.”
In addition to the LGBT-focused workshop, other topics that will be explored include urban poverty, environmental issues, nonprofit operations, best practices in protesting, immigration, health care, redistricting and scores of others.
State Sen. Daylin Leach (D-17th Dist.), who is spearheading Pennsylvania’s marriage-equality bill, will participate in a number of panels and events, including as emcee and stand-up participant in a comedy show that will feature political-themed humor.
At 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10 at Arch Street United Methodist Church, candidates for Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane and Patrick Murphy, the former Pennsylvania Congressman who led the fight to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” will square off in a debate. Afterward, there will be a reception for the candidates at the Hampton Inn Convention Center at 8:30 p.m., with proceeds from the $100 admission price going to support Keystone Progress.
In addition to the sea of workshops Saturday, participants can also hear from Democracy for America chair Jim Dean and Wisconsin state Sen. Jon Erpenbach, and take part in a march and rally in support of oil workers.
The conference wraps up Sunday with morning panels followed by a closing session that will feature a debate with Auditor General candidates Eugene DePasquale and Devon Cade.
Registration for the summit, including the comedy show, is $100, or $75 for Saturday’s sessions only and $50 for Sunday’s sessions only. Admission to the comedy show without summit registration is $50.
For more information or to register, visit www.paprogressivesummit.org.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].
