LGBTQ Panel Discussion Saturday In Naperville

NAPERVILLE, IL — Congressman Bill Foster (D-11) will host a panel discussion exploring LGBTQ issues at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 15, at Alive Center, 500 W. Fifth Ave. in Naperville. The event will take a look at "issues the LGBTQ community faces in the 11th Congressional District and across the country and to raise awareness about what can be done to fight discrimination in our community," Foster said in a news release.

Along with Foster, featured speakers include Youth Outlook Executive Director Nancy Mullen, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory physicist Erica Snider and 360 Youth Services Housing Director Carolyn Wahlskog.

"We have made a lot of progress for equality in recent years, but we have a lot of work still to do," Foster said in an email to constituents. "Currently, 29 states lack laws that prohibit discrimination based on gender or sexual identity, and there is no federal law to prohibit discrimination in housing, employment, or public accommodations. We need to continue to move our nation forward - to celebrate the diversity that makes us stronger and to protect the right of every individual to live free from discrimination."

Participants can register to attend on Foster's website.

Alive is a teen center that offers local youth "a unique place to connect, discover and come alive," according to the website.

Image via Patch file