Report from 4th World LGBTQI+ Conference for Criminal Justice Professionals, Austin, Texas

EGPA Editor
Aug 11
5 min read

Updated: Aug 20

The following is a summary of the conference written by EGPA President, Alain Parmentier.

Delegates at the 4th World LGBTQI+ Conference for Criminal Justice Professionals, Austin, Texas

The event was attended by 200 participants from the USA, Australia, Canada, and Europe, including Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK.

After speeches by the Mayor of Austin, the Chief of Austin Police, and the event organiser, the first workshops commenced:

- Participants took stock of their history, the connections between police officers and LGBTQI citizens, visibility, and the importance of this visibility globally. They also discussed the experiences of liaison officers.

- A panel debate focussed on the situation of LGBTQI people in the USA. The conference had collaborated with the former US federal administration to prepare for this panel, covering topics such as immigration, political positions, particularly regarding transgender citizens.

- Workshops were held on the example of the Vancouver police and its police officers’ association, which conducts prevention and recruitment activities with young people to become police officers. They also discussed inclusion with young citizens to prepare tomorrow’s police officers for the diverse population.

- The following theme focussed on chemsex and its dangers, particularly sexual assaults. It explored the new modus operandi of perpetrators, the undesirable effects, loss of consciousness for several hours, side effects, sedation, metabolic reactions to various substances, the typical profile of perpetrators, and the regularity of their associates and intimate partners. It also highlighted the reasons why victims often hesitate to report incidents due to their private or family environment, particularly young women.

- Social networks and dating applications, particularly gay ones, were discussed. These platforms run prevention campaigns and provide advice to users on risky practices and talking to someone outside their network.

- The next topic focussed on the risks of not coming out to colleagues, including unhappiness at work, in personal and family environments.

- A general overview of the rights situation of LGBT people worldwide, marked by a significant decline in respect for human rights, particularly in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. This decline is evident in various forms of discrimination, including torture, executions, rape, sexual violence, shame for the entire family, rejection by family and friends, and “anal examinations.” There are also concerns about the potential development of these ideas in our societies, such as Hungary and the USA.

- Other workshops presented examples of police associations in Canada, the USA, Europe, and Australia. These workshops focussed on developing ideas to help police services and foster a sense of community among the LGBTI population. These ideas were either initiated by the police services themselves or emerged from reflections by groups of LGBTI and Allied police officers.

- The workshop also highlighted the importance of statistics, surveys, and the feelings of target populations, police services, and the police themselves in understanding the LGBTQI issue. Data was used to identify problems, target them, and develop appropriate solutions. Algorithms, statistics, and the power of images were also discussed as effective tools to convey messages and raise awareness about the LGBTQI community.

- A PowerPoint presentation by Mattia Fiorin from Polis Aperta provided practical advice on how to be safer and better heard by the public using today’s communication tools. The presentation emphasised the importance of responding constructively, positively, and succinctly to LGBTQI-related issues.

- EGPA presented a workshop aimed at educating our colleagues about the importance of training all staff on LGBTQI issues. The workshop aimed to provide them with the necessary tools to work safely in an area that has long been taboo for some, to understand the challenges faced by LGBTQI colleagues, and to be more effective in serving LGBTQI citizens.

- The workshop also provided a historical overview of the LGBTQI protest movement, highlighting its significance and impact on society.

The USA and the first gay prides, the election of Harvey Milk in San Francisco, and his subsequent assassination. The creation of our community’s emblematic rainbow flag also marked a significant milestone.

Debate on the anti-police movement in Pride marches led to the question of the importance of our participation in uniform. We must continually educate the public, especially radical members, political leaders, and sometimes certain police chiefs, about our actions. We are not responsible for past acts; we acknowledge them and fight to prevent them from happening again. Our actions are inherently acts of soft militancy.

Meet Dennis and Judy Shepard, whose gay son Matthew was tragically found dead in 1998. Their powerful testimony highlighted the failures of the police administration in their state, which has yet to arrest the perpetrators of this heinous murder. Their foundation has since dedicated itself to raising awareness of their misfortune, seeking to prevent similar incidents from occurring. Mrs. Shepard’s final words as she left the meeting were a poignant reminder: “Stay safe.”

We also heard from three personal and professional testimonies about the presence of non-binary and trans identity in the police force.

The President of EGPA expressed his sincere gratitude to our transgender colleagues who had come to the conference to share their lives as police officers. He emphasised that they represented 18 organisations from 8 European countries, serving as the voice of transgender police officers in Europe who were unable to attend the conference in person.

A workshop presented a presentation by a Grindr manager, delving into the challenges of enhancing the security of users of this popular dating application. The discussion explored potential digital security measures that could be implemented in cooperation with varying legislation across different countries. The workshop also addressed the issue of ensuring secure connections for users, particularly in countries that criminalise such activities.

Homosexuality and whose police forces use this method to hunt down and find gay people.

- Most of the workshops were attended by our representatives, and reports from the various delegations will be provided where possible.

- At the end of this world conference, the EGPA and its Dutch representatives from Roze In Blauw took the floor to inform all our colleagues that our EGPA Conference will be held in Amsterdam in July 2026. They are cordially invited to contact us if they would like to attend.

We learnt a great deal from our Canadian, Australian, and American colleagues, and our knowledge of training was an undeniable asset. The participants are keen to receive more in-depth training on this very practical subject of the day-to-day lives of our colleagues working with the LGBTQI community in their respective cities.