LGBTQ people who are current or future political candidates along with their staff are learning how to run a winning campaign in Orlando this weekend.
The four-day training will be put on by three LGBTQ advocacy groups, the LGBTQ + Victory Institute, Equality Florida and SAVE.
It will focus on giving LGBTQ political candidates, campaign staff and community leaders the skills they need to run for office in Florida and win.
Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan, is the first openly gay elected official in Central Florida. She’ll be at the training this weekend as a mentor and coach.
“Well, I think now more than ever, it's important for LGBTQ plus people to have a seat at the table," said Sheehan. "There's so many anti-gay regulations being passed at the state level. And there's so much national rhetoric against the LGBTQ community.”
Sheehan said these laws are contributing to a wave of homophobia and transphobia.
“So the way that I look at it, is anything I can do to encourage folks to run for office the better," said Sheehan. "It's great to have allies. But it's even better to have people who understand our issues.”
The training is held in rotating cities throughout the country. Houston Mayor Annise Parker and Virginia State Delegate Danica Roem are just a handful of program alumni.
Learn more about Victory Institute's training programs. You can search for LGBTQ candidates by state using the Victory Fund's online database.
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