BRATTLEBORO, Vt.—On October 27-29th, an expected 75 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people living in small towns and rural communities from around the Northeast will gather for the third annual Out in the Open Summit for rural & small town LGBTQ folks.
The Summit is convened by Green Mountain Crossroads (GMC), a Brattleboro, Vermont based organization connecting rural LGBTQ people to build community, visibility, knowledge, and power. Out in the Open is open to any LGBTQ-identified person of rural and/or small town experience.
“GMC is thrilled to build on the success of last year’s event, in collaboration with our planning committee, on a two-day Summit this year” said HB Lozito, Executive Director of GMC. “All too often, LGBTQ spaces have a focus on urban communities. Likewise, during rural gatherings LGBTQ topics are usually noticeably absent. It is a rare and powerful opportunity to gather with this many rural & small town LGBTQ people who can nod in that knowing way when someone talks about their experience of being queer in the country.
“This is a participatory day with no presenters or ‘experts’, rather we convene this gathering with the understanding that our daily experiences living, working, and organizing as rural and small town LGBTQ people make each of us an expert. This year the whole Summit will explore three themes through different discussion-based and hands-on sessions at the same time: Living on the Land, Art & Expression, and Organizing for Justice. These sessions will be facilitated but it’s up to the participants in those rooms to discuss and strategize about how each issue comes up in their lives and intersects with their LGBTQ identities.”
This year’s Summit is made possible, in part, with support from the Samara Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, Borealis Philanthropy’s Fund for Trans Generations, Funding Queerly, and many individuals who support our work with their time and dollars throughout the year.
A full schedule of events, much more info, and registration (required) is available at greenmountaincrossroads.org/out-in-the-open-2017.
Green Mountain Crossroads (GMC) connects rural LGBTQ people to build community, visibility, knowledge, and power through social events, support groups, political education workshops, and multi-media outreach projects. GMC lifts up and centers the voices and experiences of rural LGBTQ people at popular events like Played Out! LGBTQ Game Night, Trans Day of Remembrance & Resistance, Out in the Open Summit, and Friday Night Group. We believe that collective liberation for all people is possible and that rural LGBTQ people play a critical role in the movement toward justice. More information at: greenmountaincrossroads.org.
[From a News Release]
