This summer Chicago will welcome the 14th Annual International LGBT Conference for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Professionals. Hosted by The Lesbian and Gay Police Association /Gay Officers Action League of Chicago ( LGPA/GOAL Chicago ) , "A Bridge to Unity" will take place June 22 -27 at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel, 17 E. Monroe.
The conference is being planned and organized by Jamie Richardson, executive conference coordinator and president of LGPA/GOAL Chicago, and Kathryn Caldwell, assistant conference coordinator and LGPA/GOAL treasurer. They are working in collaboration with a committee of LGPA-GOAL Chicago member officers from the Chicago Police Department ( CPD ) and several suburban departments. "A Bridge to Unity" will include numerous educational workshops and presentations on criminal justice as well as presentations by LGBT officials and activists including Alderman Tom Tunney ( 44th ) ; state Rep. Greg Harris ( 13th ) ; Bill Greaves, Chicago Commission on Human Relations LGBT liaison; Vernita Gray, LGBT liaison at the Cook County States Attorney's Office; and Art Johnson and Rick Garcia of Equality Illinois. An awards banquet with a silent auction and entertainment is on the agenda, as are a number of networking and social events. The conference culminates with participation in the 41st Annual Chicago Pride Parade.
"I am extremely excited to welcome attendees from all over the world to this conference which will be a celebration of unity and diversity and a wonderful learning experience," said Richardson, who expressed the hope that the conference will help to create an all-out effort for change.
"It's easy to forget why these types of events are so important, especially when we have a close knit group such as our [ Chicago LGBT police organization ] ," Richardson continued. "However, everyday there is something in our lives that remind us of the inequalities, discrimination and hatred that still exist among us. We as LGBT law enforcement officers are not immune to these things. I truly believe that this conference will promote change… [ and ] improve the relationship between officers and enhance the relationship between the department and the entire community we serve. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collaborate, network, learn and lend a hand in building a Bridge to Unity. Oh, and did I mention, to have the opportunity to ride on a float amidst 500,000 affectionate LGBT spectators?"
In addition to the officers' shared hope that the conference will improve relations between the community and the CPD, Caldwell looks forward to showcasing Chicago and all the city's cultural resources, as the team did for the Gay Games.
"We have a lot of support from the Chicago Police Department, from suburban departments and our LGBT community," said Caldwell. "There have been timeless debates over perspectives of unity and diversity throughout history and we the education we provide at the conference will clear up a lot of these questions... Education is the key to success and during this week of Pride our attendees will have a chance to learn, network and bring new ideas to the table for their Departments. I am quite sure every attendee we take something special away with them; I'm looking forward to a great and fabulous conference."
The history of GOAL goes back to 1982 when the national professional fraternal organization was founded in New York to address the needs, issues and concerns of gay and lesbian public safety officers.
In 1992, four CPD officers—Mary Boyle, Dorothy Knudson, Sue Sasso and Karen Conaway—founded the LGPA in Chicago to provide support for LGBT officers. Three years later, Boyle and a group off officers founded the Illinois Chapter of GOAL and became a member organization of LEGAL-International ( Legal Enforcement Gays and Lesbians ) , Inc.
In 2005, the leadership of the LGPA merged with GOAL, opening the door for expanded membership opportunities, to include firefighters, paramedics and other public safety officers. That year, the current organizations structure was created under the rubric LGPA/GOAL Chicago.
In its current iteration, the Chicago-based chapter serves about 1,000 city and suburban members and affiliate members, as well as the LGBT community at large through programs that include both departmental and community sensitivity training, volunteer and charitable work, equal employment opportunities, career advancement and benefits for LGBT officers and their families and legal advocacy for officers. Members enjoy social events and fundraisers including holiday parties, cookouts, camping trips and celebrations designed to foster fraternalism and friendship among LGBT officers.
Richardson has served as president of LGPA/GOAL Chicago since June 2005. As president, Richardson has emphasized team leadership and decision making and has seen membership increase three fold and community relations and political support improve. Richardson's current priorities for LGPA-GOAL Chicago include: across-the-board LGBT sensitivity training; LGBT liaisons in every district; increased community collaborations, volunteer work and charitable contributions of LGPA-GOAL members; additional events and fundraisers to improve the organizations financial and public status; production of LGBT videos for inclusion in police department, fire department and 911 center training; inclusion of sexual orientation in the Chicago Fire Department contract; advocacy for same-sex pension plan for public safety officers; and increased social activities for members.
Caldwell has been a Chicago police officer for 15 years and is very active in the LGBT community. She holds an associate of science degree with background in technical skills, a bachelor of arts in liberal arts with a minor in sociology from Northeastern Illinois University and is completing her master's degree in education from DePaul University. Caldwell has played a variety of sports including volleyball, softball, bowling, rugby and cycling. Kathy is currently the sports coordinator for the Women's Police Association, captain of the Women's Police volleyball and softball teams, member of the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association and the International Police Mountain Bike Association. Previously, Caldwell held the position of president of the Women's Sport Association Bowling League for seven years.
Caldwell and Richardson were both very involved in making the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago a success. Caldwell served on the Gay Games board of directors and as liaison between the police department, the city and the games. Richardson recruited, scheduled and assigned most of the volunteer security for the duration of the Gay Games events. LGPA-GOAL also sponsored numerous social events, provided community housing out of town officers volunteering for the games, and assisted in marketing the games. Caldwell and Richardson have also taken the lead in organizing a team of LGPA-GOAL members to ride in the AIDS ride for the past five years.
LGPA-GOAL Chicago's history, mission, programs and other information can be found at www.goalchicago.info .
