State Sen. Mark Spreitzer speaks at an LGBTQ+ Educational Summit Monday at Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville in June 2024.
KATIE GARCIA/KATLYN.GARCIA@APG-SW.COM
JANESVILLE — State Sen. Mark Spreitzer was one of the speakers at an LGBTQ+ Educational Summit Monday at Blackhawk Technical College.
The keynote topic was BIPOC and intersectionality with the LGBTQ+ community. Afterward, there was more discussions about education, parenting, being a business owner and an ally and Rock County resources.
“Every year we try to make it better and change things up. There’s a QR code for guests to provide feedback and we also encourage the community to reach out to us if they have extensive knowledge about a subject,” said Stephanie Hormig, LGBTQ+ survivor advocate for Family Services of Southern Wisconsin and Illinois and organizer of the event.
Spreitzer highlighted the legislative landscape for the LGBTQ+ community on the federal, state and local level and discussed how to get involved in that.
“LGBTQ+ issues are something that I spent a lot of time working on as chair of the LGBTQ caucus and as a gay man. I’ve been working on some of these bills for 10 years now,” Spreitzer said.
“Everything has a political agenda. There are things that are going to be on the ballot in terms of constitution amendments in August and November. People are not necessarily going to know what it is. They’re going to see one sentence with no explanation of what they’re voting on and make a snap judgment, whether it’s good or bad.”
He encouraged voters to do their research and understand what will be on the ballots, touching on a variety of policies including the Respect for Marriage Act and a bill that failed in the state Senate, that would have banned transgendered athletes from competing for the Universities of Wisconsin and at state technical colleges.
He emphasized the importance of engaging with and contacting elected officials to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
“It’s important to connect with the folks and understand all of the levels of government that represent you and whether they support your values. Whether they do or don’t, reach out to them and let them know what your values are,” Spreitzer said.
A list of federal, state and local officials and their contact information was provided.
Spreitzer also encouraged attendees to visit to ensure they’re registered to vote and know their polling place location.
