Netroots Nation 2012

Netroots Nation 2012 was held June 7-10 in Providence, Rhode Island at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Prominent featured speakers included Rebuild the Dream co-founder Van Jones, NAACP President Benjamin Jealous, Congressman David Cicilline (RI-01), Nobel Prize-winner Paul Krugman, Carol Shea-Porter, AFL-CIO’s Rich Trumka, the Agenda Project’s Erica Payne, Ai-jen Poo - National Domestic Workers Alliance director, and Rhode Island State Representatives Teresa Tanzi and Chuck Rocha.

LGBT topics discussed

 * Activism in battleground and conservative ("red/purple") states
 * Best practices for online journalists
 * Blogging for transgender equality
 * Driving traffic to online projects
 * HIV & AIDS
 * Immigration
 * LGBT health
 * Marriage equality
 * Military
 * Viability of LGBT blogging in the future

Sponsors
Sponsors of Netroots Nation 2012 and Netroots Connect LGBT 2012

Transgender etiquette statement
"There are many transgender people at Netroots Nation. To be inclusive, please keep in mind the following: Please do not assume anyone’s gender, even people you may have met in the past. A person’s external appearance may not match their internal gender identity. Pay attention to a person’s purposeful gender expression. It’s polite to ask: “What pronoun do you prefer?” or “How do you identify?” before using pronouns or gendered words. Or better yet, ask for their name. One way of acknowledging transgender people’s needs is to designate restrooms as gender neutral. In bathrooms, many transgender people face harassment, so please let everyone pee in peace. We have designated some bathrooms in the Convention Center as “gender neutral.” Anyone is welcome to use them, and they are heavily signed. These restrooms are on the fifth floor, outside ballrooms C and E. Please listen to transgender people’s needs and stories when they are volunteered; yet please respect people’s privacy and boundaries and do not ask unnecessary questions. . Then please join the many hardworking allies who are working to respond appropriately to transphobic situations. Respectful allie who learn from and with transgender people and then educate others are important for successful trans- gender liberation. Thank you for your help and have a great conference!"

- Netroots Nation 2012 program

Media

 * See also: Netroots Connect LGBT 2012 media

Photos

 * Photo credits: Joe Jervis