February 7 Meeting Agenda

February 7, 2017 Action Team Meeting Agenda

The purpose of our group is to mobilize a well organized, visible group of people to act responsively and proactively on issues that matter most to the vulnerable members of our community .  We want to maintain a long term task force that can act and respond to issues threatening the safety or rights of our community members as needed.

General Group:

1. Do we want yard signs?
   1. Existing group or make our own?
2. What additional resources do we need?
3. Comments on the website
4. Call party w/ Andrea Levine

Latino Community Notes:

Chair: Maria Dominguez mdom1977@gmail.com

1. Drivers Card Updates
2. Sanctuary City Organizing
   1. Publicize where current sanctuaries exist on our Facebook group and Website
3. Hold meeting of Latino Issues groups to work together on Drivers Cards and Sanctuary City
4. Spanish version of Website

LGBTQ Notes:

Chair: (temp) John McMahon  mcmahonja@beloit.edu

Immediate next steps:

1. Select permanent committee chair
2. Get in touch with Kelly Wells-Hernandez to hear about what GSA at the high school is doing (Jessica)
3. Connect with SAGA and possibly SIC at the college (John)
4. Do some research on state, county, and city laws/ordinances to see if there are any protections for LGBTQ folks (John)

Short-/medium-term goal:

1. Connect queer students at the high school with queer students at the college in a kind of mentoring program (although perhaps a cooler/less corny term!) with one another

Longer-term possible goals:

1. Visibility: Beloit is a diverse place, but sexuality is a less obvious/visible form of diversity. Are there events that could change that…marches, rallies, candlelight vigils, etc.? Should we have a Beloit/Rock County Pride next summer?
2. Police training: Is it possible to build on the work that Paul and Ron are doing with the Beloit PD to also work on police training when it comes to issues of gender and sexuality, especially since queer and trans of color are especially likely to be targeted/oppressed?
3. Beloit Health System: what kind of training do physicians, nurses, staff receive? Are they able to support LGBTQ (especially T) people in the community? Can talk to college Health and Wellness Clinic as a starting point
4. Beloit Public Library: visible display of LGBT books/authors/etc? Possibly rotating – LGBT history one month, LGBT novels the next, LGBT graphic novels, etc.
5. Bullying issues and mental health resources specific for LGBTQ folks

 

Interfaith Notes:

Chair: Bill Conover conoverw@beloit.edu

1. Have Interfaith taskforce meet with Muslim partners to gather perspective.
2. Plan adult-student community Interfaith discussion groups.
3. Plan a larger community event based on conversation with Muslim partners.

 

People with Disabilities Notes:

Chair: Sherry Blakely shblakeley@gmail.com

1. Sherry and Megan will create a list of Rock County disability services contacts.
2. We will call and gather information: (a) What are current concerns exist for services for people with disabilities, particularly in the specter of losing parts of the Affordable Care Act? (b) What advocacy or fundraising would best benefit these services?