KGLRC Hosts Town Hall Meeting in Kalamazoo

BY BTL STAFF
KALAMAZOO – Family, friends and the LGBTQ community gathered for a community town hall on Dec. 7. The Kalamazoo Gay and Lesbian Resource Center said they've been getting a lot of questions since the election. So, they wanted to talk about ways to support the community, and advocate for the rights of LGTBTQ members, women, religious and racial minorities, and immigrants. The town hall was from 4 to 7 p.m., at The Metro nightclub in downtown Kalamazoo.
"We had over 40 people in attendance and they got to hear from Jay Kaplan about the legal obstacles we might face in 2017 under a Trump administration that looks to be very anti-LGBTQ," said Jay Maddock, executive director of KGLRC.
"He spoke about the executive orders President Obama had signed and that those might be taken away, as well as the Religious Freedom Acts that might come into play – allowing people to discriminate based on a religious belief. We also heard from Dr. Michelle Johnson who spoke about direct action and what we can gain from looking to past movements and our history. And how to make our advocacy multi-sectional."
Stay tuned for further updates as KGLRC plans for further engagement workshops and events to look at public policy, "allyship," and advocacy methods.