(Black PR Wire) NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center) is partnering with Native Son and Gilead Sciences to present a special edition of Native Son’s town hall series Black, Queer, & Here: A Community Forum on the 2024 Election. The event will explore what’s at stake for the Black LGBTQ+ community on a national and local level. The event is free and open to the public and will be held at The Center on Friday, October 25th at 6:00 p.m. The Center, Native Son, and Queerty will also live stream the event on Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook.

Co-hosted by content creator Herby Revolus and B. Hawk Snipes of BTFA, the event will include two panel discussions and a networking mixer. The panels, The Big Picture: Interrogating the 2024 National Debate for the LGBTQ+ Community and The State of the Stakes for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, will examine the rollback of LGBTQ+ rights, rising anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, and the impact of the New York State Equal Rights Amendment and state elections on Black LGBTQ+ people.

Participants include: Alphonso David, President & CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum; Imara Jones, Founder & CEO of TransLash Media; Tylik McMillian, Youth Coalitions Director for the Democratic Party; Dr. Carla Smith, CEO of The Center; Gabrielle Souza, Executive Director of The Okra Project; Kei Williams of New Pride Agenda; and Emil Wilbekin, Founder of Native Son. Rashad Robinson, President of Color of Change will issue a virtual call to action.

“We are thrilled to partner with The Center and Gilead Sciences, to create a safe space for open and honest dialogue about what is at stake for the LGBTQ+ community in this election,” said Wilbekin. As the national conversation continues to rage on, it is more important than ever that we are unified.”

Registration required. For additional information, visit gaycenter.org/lgbtqforum.

ABOUT NATIVE SON

Native Son is a movement that exemplifies the duality of being Black and gay in a society that often shuns and belittles their unique experiences. We aim to connect and celebrate the members of this influential, yet long ignored community in the realms of arts, business, media, fashion, politics and healthcare.

About The Center

Established in 1983 as a result of the AIDS crisis, New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center has grown and evolved over the last four decades, creating and delivering services that empower people to lead healthy, successful lives. For more information, please visit gaycenter.org.

Source: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center