Milwaukee Pride announces BeOUT Award for LGBTQ Visibility

Milwaukee Pride, Inc. hosts a new autumn event, BeOUT Milwaukee, Tuesday, Oct. 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at South Second, 838 S. 2nd St. in Milwaukee. BeOUT Milwaukee celebrates the impact of LGBTQ visibility on National Coming Out Day and the Walker’s Point neighborhood.

This year, the Milwaukee Pride board of directors will honor the winners of the first-ever BeOUT Awards for LGBTQ Visibility. The award honors an individual or organization who has elevated image, reputation and awareness of LGBTQ people, culture, history and critical community needs within the past calendar year. Georgia Henry of PFLAG Wisconsin will provide the keynote presentation.

This year’s honorees include:

Miltown LGBT Families:  Founded in February 2016, this group has done tremendous work in elevating the voice and visibility of parents within the LGBT community, and connecting individuals into a strong and resilient parenting support network that, in turn, makes the city and its children that much healthier, stronger and whole.

Julie Tarney:  As author of My Son Wears Heels, Huffington Post blogger, and board member of the “It Gets Better Project,” Julie provides support for parents of gender non-conforming, non-binary, trans and queer children.

“When an individual comes out — at any age — it’s not just the individual who comes out, it’s the whole family,” said Karina Willes of the Milwaukee Pride board of directors. “This year, we honor the power of positive parenting — whether it’s parents of LGBTQ children, or same-sex parents who can now achieve their lifelong dream of raising a family of their own. BeOUT celebrates the power of family.”

BeOUT Milwaukee is free, open to the public, and welcoming to all LGBTQ people and their allies. For more information, visit milwaukeepride.org.