September 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 36

INCLUSIV I TY
deputy director of recreation, texted
MRPA's executive director, Stephen
Allen, and said, " We clearly
need an in-depth training. " And
from that, MRPA's 2SLGBTQIA+
Summit was born.
Providing a full day of training
for park and recreation professionals
about the 2SLGBTQIA+ community
would be very beneficial. It
would help staff learn how to create
a welcoming and inclusive environment
for everyone, leading to a
better understanding of the unique
needs and challenges that patrons
in the community might face. The
training would also teach staff how
to use respectful language and handle
any issues that might arise. The
hope was that all visitors would feel
safe and comfortable as a result of
the summit, thus making park and
recreation spaces more enjoyable
for the whole community.
Intentional Progress
A call to action was made, and the
committee was formed. The committee
met monthly and was very
intentional throughout the entire
process. They selected a location
that was centrally located in the
state and ensured there was a wide
range of those in the community
on the committee, as well as various
levels of management. Instead
of using a big chain for the catered
lunch, they chose a caterer who is
queer identified.
The summit began with a life
stories presentation so that the audience
could build familiarity and
trust, as well as allow listeners to
enter the story where they are, making
them more open to learning the
subject matter. The keynote covered
" Gender 101, " which included basic
vocabulary and the importance
of pronouns. This allowed the audience
to begin on the same page by
learning the basics, meeting them
where they were and working from
that base knowledge. The summit
also covered topics, such as:
* Designing spaces so they are already
inclusive even within the
building phases of projects
* Creating safe and welcoming
spaces for the 2SLGBTQIA+
people when creating programming
*
Facilitating an open forum to
identify where organizations are
struggling combined with those
that have taken successful steps
forward
* Discussing local and federal laws
for customers and employees,
and the legal ramifications when
trying to create more inclusive
policies
Carolyn Muller, director of parks,
recreation
of
and
culture
for
Gaithersburg, Maryland,
City
and
summit attendee, says, " Attending
MRPA's inaugural 2SLGBTQIA+
Summit was a profoundly enriching
experience. The event was well organized
and brought together advocates
and experts, providing a wealth of
knowledge and insights. I learned a
lot from the diverse range of sessions,
particularly those focused on creating
inclusive spaces and policies. Overall,
it was an invaluable experience
that has broadened my understanding
and equipped me with practical
tools to better support our diverse
community. " The summit was, at the
time, the most-attended summit that
MRPA had facilitated. It received
overall rave reviews from attendees
and speakers.
Summit participants
could
pick up a pin
that shows their
pronouns at
registration.
Moving Forward
The committee is planning another
summit this fall. The goal of this
year's 2SLGBTQIA+ Summit is to
reaffirm the commitment we have
toward equity and inclusion by
building upon last year's summit.
Another goal of this year's summit
is to elevate ideas on creating safe
spaces, allyship and how to accomplish
that within our organizations.
The committee is working on a
36 Parks & Recreation | SEP T EMBER 2 0 2 4 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN PARKS
September 2024 – Parks & Recreation

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