Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), a rising star and national voice in the Democratic Party, will provide the national keynote address at the Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus Winter Conference. Castro, a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, will discuss the Russia investigation and the 2018 election season. The LGBTA Democratic Caucus winter membership meeting is in Fort Myers March 9 though 11.
Castro will provide remarks at the Leadership Dinner on Saturday, March 10. State Representative David Richardson, the first openly-gay member of the Florida Legislature, will provide the Florida keynote address at the Leadership Dinner, wrapping up the 2018 legislative session.
Gubernatorial candidate Chris King will address the lunch session. King spoke openly for the first time about his relationship with his late gay brother at the Caucus’ Summer Conference in Tallahassee last August.
All Conference events will take place at the Holiday Inn Fort Myers Airport @ Town Center, 9931 Interstate Commerce Drive, Fort Myers. All events are OPEN PRESS unless otherwise noted.
Additional updates will be provided as necessary.
Friday, March 9
630pm – 930pm
Welcome Reception
Hosted by LGBTQA Democratic Caucus of Lee County
Special Guests: Mayor Andrew Gillum, Mayor Philip Levine
Saturday, March 10
Conference and Membership Meeting
830am – 930am: Registration and Continental Breakfast
900am: Welcoming Remarks & Morning Business
Terry Fleming, president, Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus
Shawn Williams, president, LGBTQA Democratic Caucus of Lee County
Yoseph Tedros, Lee County Democratic Executive Committee Chair
930am: Workshop: Media Training
Caroline Rowland, Communications Director, Florida Democratic Party
1030am: Speaker Session
David Holden, candidate for FL-19
April Freeman, candidate for FL-17
1100am: Workshop: Activist Training
Ella Coffee, Community Engagement Director – West Central Florida, FDP
1200pm: Lunch Presentation
The Message of the Cake: The First Amendment & Anti-Discrimination Laws
David Millstein, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Address by Gubernatorial Candidate Chris King
130pm: Speaker Block/Candidates and Issues
Jonathan Lovitz, Senior Vice President, and Phil Giorgianni, Certified LGBTBE, National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)
Neil Volz, Political Director, Florida Rights Restoration Commission
Todd Truax, candidate for FL-19
3pm: Membership Meeting
4pm: Adjourn
6pm: Cocktail Hour
7pm: Leadership Dinner
National Keynote Speaker Rep. Joaquin Castro
Florida Keynote Speaker State Rep. David Richardson
Sunday, March 11
10am: Farewell Brunch and Drag Queen Karaoke
The Standard
1520 Broadway, Fort Myers FL 33901
CLOSED PRESS
Noon: Adjourn
Conference registration is $20
Leadership Dinner tickets are $80
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The Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus represents the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to the Florida Democratic Party. We are a statewide organization, with more than a dozen local chapters around the state, from Tallahassee to Jacksonville to Miami-Dade — and most major metropolitan areas in between. Our strength lies in the size of our organization and the ability of our local chapters and their individual members to stand up for equal rights, support candidates who support our community, and lobby for legislation and policies that recognize and strengthen our community. The Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus is chartered by the Florida Democratic Party and many of our members currently serve on Democratic Executive Committees across the state.
