Earlier this month, Victory Institute, Diversidad Dominicana, and Caribe Afirmativo hosted a two-day conference in Santo Domingo with LGBTI elected leaders and activists from across Latin American and the Caribbean. Over the course of two days, more than 350 participants engaged in discussions about their experience, and worked to develop critical leadership skills. Additionally, 140 Dominican LGBTI leaders met the day prior to the conference for a discussion of challenges and opportunities in the Dominican Republic.
The weekend conference was filled with workshops and panel discussions on a variety of issues pertaining to the democratic process. Some of the topics discussed at panels were mobilization, indigenous and afro-descendent LGBTI leadership, and trans leadership in politics. The conference also included workshops on building LGBTI power within political parties and creating alliances with the media. After the conference, one participant said “I loved everything and I learned a lot to better serve the LGBTI community.”
This conference is a part of Victory Institute’s work to increase LGBTI participation in the political process in Latin America and the rest of the world. Victory Institute hosted similar conferences in 2014 and 2015 with partner organizations in Peru and Honduras. Victory Institute partners with local LGBTI organizations in the Balkans, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, India, Peru and South Africa — providing LGBTI leaders with the tools necessary to fight for their communities.
