LGBTQ leaders and advocates are gathering online for Horizons Foundation's State of the Movement discussion, a free virtual forum focused on the community's direction and priorities. With voices from civil rights organisations and cross-partisan bridge-building, the conversation offers a timely chance to consider how solidarity can help protect and advance LGBTQ rights.

Essential Takeaways

  • A free online event: Horizons Foundation's discussion is scheduled for Thursday, November 12, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
  • A broad panel: Speakers include Horizons Foundation CEO Vincent Jones, Transgender Law Center executive director Shelby Chestnut, Equality California executive director Tony Hoang and Together Across America founder Robin McGehee.
  • A forward-looking focus: The forum is set to examine LGBTQ rights, movement strategy, solidarity and partnerships across causes.
  • A history of bridge-building: McGehee previously helped lead Meet in the Middle, formed in California after Proposition 8 passed in 2008.

A post-election conversation with a wider lens

The most useful thing about a movement-wide forum is that it can make room for more than one urgent question. Horizons Foundation's State of the Movement discussion is billed as a candid look at where LGBTQ communities stand and what could come next, with speakers bringing perspectives from advocacy, philanthropy and coalition-building.

The timing is significant: organisers say the conversation follows the midterm elections. Rather than treating the result as the whole story, the panel is designed to consider the practical work of defending, securing and expanding LGBTQ rights. (Sources: [2], [3])

Four speakers, several parts of the movement

Vincent Jones, the newly appointed CEO of San Francisco-based Horizons Foundation, is among the featured speakers. He'll be joined by Shelby Chestnut, executive director of the Oakland-based Transgender Law Center, and Tony Hoang, executive director of statewide LGBTQ rights group Equality California.

Robin McGehee brings another strand of experience to the conversation. A founder of Together Across America, she works on building a national network intended to bridge political divisions. The mix matters: rights work takes specialist organisations, but it also depends on people finding ways to act together beyond their usual circles. (Sources: [2], [4], [5], [6])

Why solidarity is more than a slogan

The forum's agenda puts solidarity and partnerships alongside policy and strategy. That's a practical pairing. When communities face multiple challenges at once, connections between organisations can help share expertise, build public support and keep advocacy from becoming siloed.

McGehee's earlier work offers a local example. She helped lead Meet in the Middle, which emerged in California after voters approved Proposition 8, the state's 2008 ban on same-sex marriage. The measure was later ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court, and the US Supreme Court upheld that decision in 2013, before its 2015 ruling legalised same-sex marriage nationwide. (Sources: [2], [6], [7])

What attendees can expect from the virtual forum

The stated focus is on challenges and opportunities ahead, along with strategies to protect and advance LGBTQ rights. It also asks how the community can strengthen partnerships across movements to pursue shared goals. That should make the session relevant not only to people working in advocacy, but also to anyone trying to understand how national political currents affect local communities.

The discussion is free to attend and takes place on Zoom. Anyone interested should check the event listing for registration details and confirm the date and time before joining. (Sources: [2], [3])

A chance to listen, connect and look ahead

A panel can't settle every debate, of course. But bringing leaders with different roles and experiences into one conversation can help clarify where cooperation is possible, and what work still needs doing.

For a movement shaped by both legal milestones and ongoing organising, that exchange is worth making time for. (Sources: [2], [3])

A little more connection can make the next step clearer.

Source Reference Map

Story idea inspired by: [1]

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