Vote for SXSW "Future of LGBTQ+ Leaders Panel"

Dear Readers,

#SXSW 2025 just released its panel picker including our hot topic:

Outing the Truth: The Future of LGBTQ+ Leaders

To make it happen, we need your vote!

Here's the link: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/155074

Thank you for your support!

Best,

Mark

P.S. Please find the full details of the panel below.

Panel Description:

Controversy continues to stir in our schools around queer students - from what books they can read to who determines when they're outed. Everyone thinks they know what's right for our kids, but who's actually preparing them to live in the world and boldly grow into the next generation of queer leaders? New York nonprofit Live Out Loud is among those leading the charge, and in this session, its founder, one of its students, a drag politician and an LGBTQ+ PR expert go beyond the headlines and get real about in-school programs providing queer youth with agency, courage and purpose.

Takeaways

1. Live Out Loud, and entities like it, are not just providing safe spaces; they're helping queer youth step into their power as leaders, not victims.
2. A young queer alum will share how their in-school experience changed the trajectory of their life, and kick-started a vibrant professional path.
3. How to reclaim the messaging and the narrative around queer student experiences, and how the media is culpable for not spotlighting enough successes.

Speakers:

• Mark Pasetsky, Founder and CEO, Mark Allen & Co.
• Leo Preziosi Jr. Founder, Executive Director, Live Out Loud
• M. Gabriel Torres Educator, Los Angeles LGBT Center
• Marti Cummings , Drag Artist, Politician, Self-employed