Chapter 1: Introduction - Detailed Notes

Safety Concerns for Pride Events

  • Open Discussion: The aim is to create an open and honest space for sharing concerns related to Pride events, emphasizing that all concerns, regardless of size, are valid.
  • Continuous Effort: Pride events are viewed as an ongoing effort throughout the year, not just a one-time occurrence.
  • Community Learning: The discussion is for learning and sharing knowledge among participants.

Concerns About Protesters at Events

  • Potential Disruptions: A significant concern involves protesters attempting to disrupt or incite crowds at Pride events.
  • Past Experiences:
    • Past events have faced individuals yelling bible verses.
    • Increased worry due to the current political climate.
  • Drag Show Experience:
    • A drag show in Gillette raised concerns about potential protests.
    • Police presence ensured no negative incidents, but the tension was still present.

Measures for Increased Security

  • Police Presence: Hiring city police for events to ensure security and potentially deter negative elements.
  • Cost Considerations: Acknowledgment of the expense associated with hiring police.
  • Volunteer Opportunities: Police volunteering in Gillette as a positive development.

Alternative Security Options

  • Community-Based Security: Suggestion to consider security personnel trained in first aid and de-escalation, possibly more affordable than police.
  • Law Enforcement Concerns: Cautionary note about some law enforcement officers potentially being sympathetic to groups that may target or intimidate Pride events.
  • Past Experiences with Security:
    • Hiring security from Laramie for UW football games.
    • They proved ineffective in addressing disruptions.

Concerns About Police Presence at Pride

  • Alienation: Concerns about police presence alienating people of color and trans individuals, potentially deterring them from attending Pride events.
  • Focus on Community Security: Emphasis on the need for security teams comprising community members or hired personnel who are LGBTQ+ friendly.
  • Welcoming Environment: Questioning whether a heavy police presence creates a welcoming space for all attendees.

Strategies for Police at Pride

  • Limited Police Presence: Plan to have only two police officers present, aiming not to be overly intimidating.
  • Pride Pins: Suggesting providing officers with pride pins to wear to show support and make them seem less intimidating.
  • Community Members: Inclusion of community members is important to make people of color and trans people safe.
  • Security Badges: Security showing wear security badges combined with a pride symbol to show their support.

Documenting Confrontations

  • Recording Protesters: The question of whether to record confrontations with protesters.
  • Potential Escalation: Concern that recording protesters might escalate the situation.
  • Evidence Collection: Recording as a means of gathering evidence of misbehavior.
  • Legal Right to Record: Emphasizing the legal right to record in public spaces.
  • Phone Security:
    • Using a passcode to secure phones.
    • Regularly cleaning phone screens to prevent pattern exposure.
    • Avoiding thumbprint and facial recognition for phone unlocking.
    • Explanation: If someone is in handcuffs, a finger print or facial recognition can be used to unlock the phone, giving people access without permission.
  • Data Backup: Uploading videos to a secure cloud storage for safekeeping.

Law Enforcement Perspectives

  • Sheriff's Advice: A sheriff discouraged recording, suggesting it might antagonize individuals.
  • De-escalation: Recording could be a way to deescalate situations.

Media Presence at Pride Events

  • Newspaper Interviews: Conducting interviews with newspapers prior to Pride events.
  • On-Site Media: Uncertainty about having actual media present at events.
  • Potential Negatives and Positives: Considering the potential benefits and drawbacks of media coverage.

Permit Issues for Pride Events

  • Past Experiences: No issues with permits in the past.
  • Anticipated Challenges: Wondering if obtaining permits for Pride events might become more difficult.

Safety Concerns as an Individual Attending Pride

  • Small Community Challenges: Feeling nervous due to the small community size in Gillette.
  • Limited Information: People feel that there is not enough information or notice for events.
  • Introversion: Introverted individuals may be hesitant to attend if they don't know anyone.
  • Guest Gratitude: Receiving thanks from guests for creating a safe and inclusive environment.

Organizer's Perspective

  • Lack of Planning: Concern that attendees may not have adequate safety plans.
  • Evacuation and Lockdown Plans: The plan should have evacuation route and lockdown protocols for indoor events.

Parent's Perspective

  • Child's Safety: Fear for a child's safety while attending Pride events, in terms of violence.
  • Reassurance from Planning: Feeling reassured by seeing thorough safety planning and communication ahead of time.
  • Acknowledgment of the current challenging environment and the need to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.

Current Safety Concerns

  • Increased Fear: Heightened fear due to concerning incidents and community observations.
  • Unpredictability: The current environment is unpredictable.

Event Manuals and Safety Plan Templates

  • Laramie Pride's Resources: Laramie Pride has an event manual and safety plan template.
  • Emergency Contacts: Outline emergency contacts/info and what to do in emergency situations.
  • Volunteer Orientation: Conducting volunteer orientations with legal observer training.
  • Plan Refreshers: Providing volunteers with refresher training and printed plans on-site.
  • Non-Police Security: Using community members for security.

Strategic Security Approaches

  • Deterrent vs. Hidden Security: Balancing visible deterrents with less obvious security measures.
  • Volunteer Integration: Integrating volunteers into events to interact with attendees and gather information.

Communication Strategies

  • Group Chats: Creating active group chats for core team members to facilitate communication during events.
  • Rights Training: Training volunteers on legal rights in public and private property.

Prioritizing Individual Safety

  • Strategic Deployment: Strategically placing volunteers based on their strengths and comfort levels.
  • License Plate Tracking: Tracking license plates of suspicious vehicles and reporting them to the police.
  • Community Support: Emphasizing the importance of community support for safety.
  • Community: Thankful for a supportive community to keep pride safe.

Online Security Concerns

  • Digital Presence: Worries about the security of websites, social media, and other communications.
  • Private vs. Public Pages: Utilizing private and public Facebook pages for information dissemination.
  • Security Questions: Using security questions to vet individuals before granting access to information.

Community Engagement

*Advertising Events on Facebook
*Using private and public facebook groups, or a combination of the two.

*Sharing events with the media
*Often share details with the media for them to share as well.

Comment Moderation Strategies

  • Moderation Importance: Highlighting the need to moderate comments on social media posts.
  • Ally Moderators: Suggesting using allies as moderators.
  • Disabling Comments: Considering disabling comments or limiting interaction to prevent hate speech.
  • Word-of-Mouth Advertising: Relying on word-of-mouth and vague allusions on social media for advertising events.

Registration Security Measures

  • Vetting Processes: Carefully vetting individuals joining Facebook groups.
  • Infiltrators: Being aware of potential infiltrators in online spaces.
  • Registration Forms: Using registration forms with address information sent out on the day of the event.

Tracking on Social Media.

*far right groups have begun, actively use facebook, and other social media platforms to track and monitor the attendees interested in attending specific events.

Advertising Venues and Methods

*Flyers vs outreach
*Some places find they are able to put up flyers, others find that they quickly get taken down.

*Social Media Campaigns
*There are constant comments of hate.

Community WhatsApp

*Utilizing WhatsApp or other secured forms of communication

Awareness of Online Tracking

  • Meta Platform Risks: Awareness that far-right groups track individuals interested in events on Meta platforms.
  • Direct Outreach: Relying on direct outreach and physical posters for information dissemination.
  • Online Activity Caution: Advising caution regarding online activity, as it is monitored.

Resources and Support

  • Information Sharing: Willingness to share information and resources among the group.
  • Resource Requests: Identifying needs and offering assistance within the community.

Motivations Behind Tracking

  • Political Agendas: Using collected data for political purposes and targeting individuals.
  • Personal Safety Concerns: Highlighting the impact on personal safety, especially for those not yet out.

Far-Right Extremist Groups in Wyoming

  • Diverse Groups: Existence of various groups with white supremacist ideologies in Wyoming.
  • Targeting Individuals: Targeting individuals, teachers, youth workers, attempting to use information against people.

Knowing the Opposition

  • Understanding Opponents: The importance of understanding the opposition's mindset and actions.
  • De-escalation Benefits: Knowing the opponents can help in de-escalation efforts.

Closing Remarks and Future Plans

  • Event Promotion: Willingness to promote each other's events and share information.

  • Ongoing Safety Meetings: Recommending localized safety meetings within groups.

  • First Aid Kits: Preparing first aid kits for events.
    *Safety plans
    *How much should one share with participants about being responsible for their own safety?

  • Safety Teams: Forming safety teams or committees within organizations.

  • Legal Observer Trainings: Offering legal observer trainings and know your rights training.

Police Interactions

  • Documenting Interactions: Making sure to document police interactions, good or bad.
  • Documenting Business Card: Making sure to document business card information with the police.

Future Meeting Focus

  • Pride Planning and Youth Engagement: The next meeting will focus on pride planning and youth engagement.

Statewide Support

  • Sharing Event Details: Encouraging the sharing of event details to promote statewide support.

Appreciation and Gratitude

  • Thanking Participants: Expressing gratitude to participants for their involvement and support.
  • Checking in regularly with any vendors.
  • Checking in to be sure they are doing well, and not getting harassed.