OutServe-SLDN and San Diego Pride have announced a partnership for Outserve-SLDN’s 4th Annual leadership conference that will be held in San Diego from March 26 – March 28.
“We are delighted to partner with San Diego Pride” said Matt Thorn, interim executive director. “This partnership will help to continue our annual conference as a global forum on creating an environment of respect in the military with regards to sexual orientation and gender identity. We couldn’t ask for a more collaborative partner in our host city.”
Thorn added: “Having San Diego Pride as a partner enhances our attendance that consists of an honor roll of actively serving and retired service members, advocates, supporters and experts whose efforts have fundamentally changed experiences for LGBT military personnel. With collaborations such as this, our work for the LGBT community advances far more rapidly.”
The Outserve-SLDN conference was created to bring together individuals over the course of three days to have discussions on current issues, examine existing concerns, participate in professional networking, share best practices, formulate strategies and future plan for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender military community.
The conference will also feature Brett Jones, author of Pride: the Story of the First Openly Gay Seal; Steve Snyder-Hill, author of Soldier of Change from the Closet to the Forefront of the Gay Rights Movement; Kristen Beck, author of Warrior Princess: A US Navy Seals Journey to Coming Out Transgender and Joan Walsh, MSNBC Political Analyst and Salon.com Editor-At-Large.
San Diego Pride’s Executive Director Stephen Whitburn, stated, “In San Diego, the LGBT community and movement have had strong ties to our nation’s service members and Pride is no exception to that history. It is in that tradition that we’re proud to partner in the Outserve-SDLN Conference and many other efforts that forward liberty and justice for our LGBTQ service members, veterans, and spouses.”
For more information, visit www.outserve-sldn.org.
