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<!-- EDIT BELOW THIS LINE -- = LGBT Technology Partnership & Institute =

Overview
{break} The LGBT Technology Partnership & Institute (LGBT Tech) is a non-partisan LGBTQ+ advocacy organization located in the United States. LGBT Tech provides policy education at the federal and national level on issues including data privacy, encryption, artificial intelligence, and facial recognition. The organization also produces academic research that illustrates the impact of technology access to the LGBTQ+ community.

Policy Education
{break} As a policy organization, LGBT Tech works at the Federal level to educate legislators, policy makers, and private companies on the technological needs of LGBTQ+ communities. The organization has worked with Federal agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as legislators in both the House and the Senate.

Don’t Block LGBTQ Act
{break} In 2016, the organization partnered with then-Representative Mike Honda to introduce the Don’t Block LGBTQ Act of 2016, H.R. 6254, a bill that would prevent elementary schools, high schools, or libraries from blocking access to LGBTQ+ online resources. LGBT Tech joined Representative Brad Schneider in 2020 to reintroduce the bill as the Don’t Block LGBTQ Act of 2020, H.R 7432. {break}

FCC
{break} LGBT Tech has worked extensively with the Federal Communications Commission on issues ranging from broadband connectivity, 5G expansion, bridging the digital divide, and expanding the mental health resources to the LGBTQ+ community. In 2019, then FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced his proposal to change the number of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from a 10 digit number to the 3 digit “988.” LGBT Tech and other LGBTQ+ advocacy groups such as the Trevor Project provided input on the specific mental health needs of LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as the benefit of a 3 digit number. The FCC designated “988” the new National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number on June 23, 2020. {break} In addition to the organization’s work on “988,” three members of LGBT Tech currently serve on FCC committees. Christopher Wood, LGBT Tech Executive Director, currently serves on one of the working groups for the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE) ; Carlos Gutierrez, LGBT Tech Deputy Director and General Counsel, serves on one of the working groups for the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) ; and Ellie Bessette, PowerOn Program Manager, serves on the Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC).

EDUCATION
{break}

Resources
{break} As part of their policy education efforts, LGBT Tech often collaborates with their partner organizations to produce resources for the public on LGBTQ+ issues in tech. In 2019, LGBT Tech worked with the Internet Society to release the “Encryption One Sheet”, a resource detailing the potential benefits of end-to-end (E2E) encryption to the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, LGBT Tech and the National Cyber Security Alliance released a virtual tip sheet titled “What LGBTQ Communities Should Know About Online Safety.” {break}

Research
{break} Additionally, the organization has produced research conducted on the impact of technology access for LGBTQ+ communities. In 2014, LGBT Tech in partnership with the City University of New York released “Vision for Inclusion: An LGBT Broadband,” an academic paper which provided an overview of the available scholarship on LGBTQ+ people and the internet. That same year, the organization released “Connect 4 Life: Program & Research,” a report illustrating the impact of LGBT Tech’s Connect 4 Life (now PowerOn) program on LGBTQ+ homeless youth in Washington, D.C. Research from LGBT Tech and the Future of Privacy Forum on the historic importance of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data and data privacy to the LGBTQ+ community is expected to be released in 2021.

PROGRAMS
{break}

PowerOn
{break} PowerOn is a national program that provides technology grants to LGBTQ+ nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and U.S. territories. Originally named Connect 4 Life, the program was founded in 2014 by LGBT Tech, Straight But Not Narrow, Human IT, and the Trevor Project to provide 25 homeless LGBTQ+ youth in the Washington, D.C. area each with a mobile phone. The program rebranded to PowerOn the following year and expanded to the national level soon after. {break}

Impact Report
{break} In 2019, PowerOn released its inaugural Impact Report, a document detailing the program’s impact across its partner centers. The document includes demographic information on the program’s participants as well as statistics on the amount of tech the program distributed and recycled in 2019. The program expects to release a new Impact Report annually with updates on the program’s growth. {break}

PowerOn Awards Ceremony
{break} The PowerOn Awards Ceremony is an annual gala event hosted by LGBT Tech and PowerOn. In addition to celebrating the program’s accomplishments, the Ceremony awards individuals and partner organizations that have contributed significantly to PowerOn’s growth in the previous year. The award categories are as follows: {break} {break} LGBT Tech and PowerOn hosted the inaugural PowerOn Awards Ceremony on September 27, 2019 at Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C. The second PowerOn Awards Ceremony took place virtually on October 1, 2020. {break}
 * The Visionary Award, which honors an individual or individuals whose work has empowered LGBTQ+ individuals to achieve success through technology and the internet.
 * The Change Agent Award, an individual in public service or social justice whose significant contributions to connectivity have helped support underserved populations, including the LGBTQ+ community.
 * The Superstar Center Award, which recognizes a PowerOn partner center or organization that has made outstanding contributions to the program and to the community the organization serves.
 * The Role Model Award, which honors a youth or young adult who set the bar for themselves and their peers while participating in the PowerOn Program.

PATHS
{break} On November 18, 2020, LGBT Tech announced a new program called PATHS (Powerful Action Through the Help of Storytelling), an annual 10-part video series of LGBTQ+ professionals in STEAM sharing their experiences of being out in their field. Each series is will culminate in a virtual panel of PATHS participants discussing what it means to be LGBTQ+ in STEAM. PATHS is expected to debut in early 2021.

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Overview
{break} The LGBT Technology Partnership & Institute (LGBT Tech) is a non-partisan LGBTQ+ advocacy organization located in the United States. LGBT Tech provides policy education at the federal and national level on issues including data privacy, encryption, artificial intelligence, and facial recognition. The organization also produces academic research that illustrates the impact of technology access to the LGBTQ+ community.

Policy Education
{break} As a policy organization, LGBT Tech works at the Federal level to educate legislators, policy makers, and private companies on the technological needs of LGBTQ+ communities. The organization has worked with Federal agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as legislators in both the House and the Senate.

Don’t Block LGBTQ Act
{break} In 2016, the organization partnered with then-Representative Mike Honda to introduce the Don’t Block LGBTQ Act of 2016, H.R. 6254, a bill that would prevent elementary schools, high schools, or libraries from blocking access to LGBTQ+ online resources. LGBT Tech joined Representative Brad Schneider in 2020 to reintroduce the bill as the Don’t Block LGBTQ Act of 2020, H.R 7432. {break}

FCC
{break} LGBT Tech has worked extensively with the Federal Communications Commission on issues ranging from broadband connectivity, 5G expansion, bridging the digital divide, and expanding the mental health resources to the LGBTQ+ community. In 2019, then FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced his proposal to change the number of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline from a 10 digit number to the 3 digit “988.” LGBT Tech and other LGBTQ+ advocacy groups such as the Trevor Project provided input on the specific mental health needs of LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as the benefit of a 3 digit number. The FCC designated “988” the new National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number on June 23, 2020. {break} In addition to the organization’s work on “988,” three members of LGBT Tech currently serve on FCC committees. Christopher Wood, LGBT Tech Executive Director, currently serves on one of the working groups for the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE) ; Carlos Gutierrez, LGBT Tech Deputy Director and General Counsel, serves on one of the working groups for the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) ; and Ellie Bessette, PowerOn Program Manager, serves on the Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC).

EDUCATION
{break}

Resources
{break} As part of their policy education efforts, LGBT Tech often collaborates with their partner organizations to produce resources for the public on LGBTQ+ issues in tech. In 2019, LGBT Tech worked with the Internet Society to release the “Encryption One Sheet”, a resource detailing the potential benefits of end-to-end (E2E) encryption to the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, LGBT Tech and the National Cyber Security Alliance released a virtual tip sheet titled “What LGBTQ Communities Should Know About Online Safety.” {break}

Research
{break} Additionally, the organization has produced research conducted on the impact of technology access for LGBTQ+ communities. In 2014, LGBT Tech in partnership with the City University of New York released “Vision for Inclusion: An LGBT Broadband,” an academic paper which provided an overview of the available scholarship on LGBTQ+ people and the internet. That same year, the organization released “Connect 4 Life: Program & Research,” a report illustrating the impact of LGBT Tech’s Connect 4 Life (now PowerOn) program on LGBTQ+ homeless youth in Washington, D.C. Research from LGBT Tech and the Future of Privacy Forum on the historic importance of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data and data privacy to the LGBTQ+ community is expected to be released in 2021.

PROGRAMS
{break}

PowerOn
{break} PowerOn is a national program that provides technology grants to LGBTQ+ nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and U.S. territories. Originally named Connect 4 Life, the program was founded in 2014 by LGBT Tech, Straight But Not Narrow, Human IT, and the Trevor Project to provide 25 homeless LGBTQ+ youth in the Washington, D.C. area each with a mobile phone. The program rebranded to PowerOn the following year and expanded to the national level soon after. {break}

Impact Report
{break} In 2019, PowerOn released its inaugural Impact Report, a document detailing the program’s impact across its partner centers. The document includes demographic information on the program’s participants as well as statistics on the amount of tech the program distributed and recycled in 2019. The program expects to release a new Impact Report annually with updates on the program’s growth. {break}

PowerOn Awards Ceremony
{break} The PowerOn Awards Ceremony is an annual gala event hosted by LGBT Tech and PowerOn. In addition to celebrating the program’s accomplishments, the Ceremony awards individuals and partner organizations that have contributed significantly to PowerOn’s growth in the previous year. The award categories are as follows: {break} {break} LGBT Tech and PowerOn hosted the inaugural PowerOn Awards Ceremony on September 27, 2019 at Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C. The second PowerOn Awards Ceremony took place virtually on October 1, 2020. {break}
 * The Visionary Award, which honors an individual or individuals whose work has empowered LGBTQ+ individuals to achieve success through technology and the internet.
 * The Change Agent Award, an individual in public service or social justice whose significant contributions to connectivity have helped support underserved populations, including the LGBTQ+ community.
 * The Superstar Center Award, which recognizes a PowerOn partner center or organization that has made outstanding contributions to the program and to the community the organization serves.
 * The Role Model Award, which honors a youth or young adult who set the bar for themselves and their peers while participating in the PowerOn Program.

PATHS
{break} On November 18, 2020, LGBT Tech announced a new program called PATHS (Powerful Action Through the Help of Storytelling), an annual 10-part video series of LGBTQ+ professionals in STEAM sharing their experiences of being out in their field. Each series is will culminate in a virtual panel of PATHS participants discussing what it means to be LGBTQ+ in STEAM. PATHS is expected to debut in early 2021.