2025 World LGBTQ+ LEO Conference

Welcome To Austin

On behalf of the board of directors of Out to Protect, thank you for having us as a participant in the 4th World Conference of LGBTQ+ Law Enforcement Professionals. We are thrilled to be here with you in Austin, Texas, to consider how we can all “bridge the gap.” These are particularly challenging times for LGBTQ+ members of law enforcement and for the LGBTQ+ people we serve. It feels like “the gap” is growing wider as conservative legislators and religious leaders push for oppressive laws that remove what many have come to view as essential and basic civil rights. But I continue to be impressed and amazed by how local law enforcement agencies are defying political rhetoric and standing firm with their mission to protect and serve our community.

My hope this week is that you will be inspired by the speakers and leave the conference feeling empowered and confident. I look forward to sharing this experience with you.

Greg Miraglia, founder and president

Out to Protect

Flag In The Map Exhibit

Out to Protect is proud to bring the Flag in the Map exhibit to this international gathering. The rainbow Pride flag created by Gilbert Baker in 1978 has become the 8th most recognized symbol in the world. It has become such a powerful image of community and identity that it has been banned in many countries. Even here in the United States, state governments and local municipalities have sought to ban the display of the Pride flag in public spaces and classrooms.

The Flag in the Map exhibit is a collection of pictures taken by people showing how the Pride flag is being used for activism, celebration, pride, and allyship around the world. I think you will see examples of fear, resilience, beauty, and happiness in the images. Take some time over the course of the conference to read the stories of those you will see on the panels.

On Thursday, Greg Miraglia will present the history of the Pride flag and introduce you to its creator, Gilbert Baker. You will learn about where and when the idea of a flag came from and what its creator intended the flag to represent and mean.

Greg Miraglia is a professor of LGBT Studies at City College of San Francisco and Napa Valley College in California. He is an ambassador for the Gilbert Baker Foundation.

How We Are Working To Bridge The Gap

If you are not familiar with Out to Protect and our work, please take some time this week to get to know us. Our flagship program includes an LGBT Law Enforcement Liaison Academy that helps agencies build, from the ground up, a successful and sustainable LGBT community liaison program. We offer training online and in-person that is open to all members of law enforcement. We also provide the only national LGBT Liaison Network with a secure website and quarterly meetings.

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