FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: San Francisco LGBT Community Center
Ken Stram (415) 865-5515 / kens@sfcenter.org
Contact Ken to arrange interviews
SF LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER, WELLS FARGO, AND THE GOLDEN GATE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCE THE FIRST-EVER LGBT ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT DAY FEATURING DR. GARY GATES OF
THE WILLIAMS INSTITUTE
Free Event to Provide Vital Information About Taxes, Estate Planning, Savings, Investing, Homeownership, and More!
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (January 18, 2008) -- The San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center (The Center), Wells Fargo Bank, and the Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA), announce the first-ever LGBT Economic Empowerment Day to be held at The Center on Saturday, January 26 th from 10:00 to 4:00. The all-day conference will include workshops providing financial management information to all age groups within the LGBT community. Registration begins at 9:15 a.m.
LGBT Economic Empowerment Day includes three informational tracks. "First Act" sessions are targeted toward those just beginning to save and invest. "Second Act" sessions will have information for people already saving and investing. "Encore" sessions will give information about seniors to community members preparing for a family member's or one's own retirement. Topics to be addressed include: home ownership, debt and savings, getting and using credit, domestic partnership taxes, the legal framework to protect your assets, finding a financial advisor, legal issues of retirement, senior housing, working with your banker and many others. Lunch will be provided and free child care will be available. Early registration is encouraged as space is limited.
"We are very proud to host the first-ever LGBT Economic Empowerment Day," said. Rebecca Rolfe, The Center's Executive Director. "We have gathered some great experts to share their knowledge with us. They understand how important financial planning is to our community and that, contrary to popular belief, research indicates that gay men make 23% to 30% less their heterosexual counterparts, and lesbian couples make 20% less than similarly situated heterosexual couples. And the income disparity for transgender people is far greater."
A study in the San Francisco Bay Area conducted in 2006 found a 35% unemployment rate within the transgendered population, with 59% earning less than $15,300 annually. "Although California has a state law prohibiting transgender discrimination, most cases can't be proven in a hiring situation," states Katherine Dean, Executive Director of the Golden Gate Business Association. "As the LGBT Chamber of Commerce for San Francisco, providing visibility for these kind of demographics is an important part of our public outreach".
To help bring home the importance of the topic, Dr. Gary Gates of the Williams Institute, at UCLA has agreed to share his expertise as the morning keynote speaker. Dr. Gates is a nationally recognized expert on the geography and demography of LGBT people. His nationally reported research into salaries indicated that gay men are not as affluent as some would have us believe. Dr. Gates is an exciting and informative speaker. Additional keynote speakers include: Saundra Davis of Sage Financial solutions, a financial planner who has been involved in the San Francisco LGBT community for many years; and Theresa Sparks, CEO of Good Vibrations. Despite an extensive and impressive resume as a man, Ms. Sparks came close to homelessness when she could find no one in San Francisco willing to hire her as a woman.
LGBT Economic Empowerment Day is made possible through generous support from Wells Fargo Bank. The event is also being sponsored by Bank of America, Spectrum Federal Credit Union, Katharine Holland of Coldwell Banker, and a variety of LGBT community members and professionals who will participate in a trade show that will take place throughout the day.
"Wells Fargo Bank is proud to support LGBT Economic Empowerment Day," said David Bowik, Regional Private Banking Manager with Wells Fargo Bank. "We are committed to the overall health and financial well being of the community. We believe this forum will serve to help people make real differences to their finances, especially given the exceptional speakers scheduled who will share personal insights, experiences and knowledge. Wells Fargo is committed to helping people in our community become more financially successful and we believe this economic empowerment day can help many."
Registration forms are available on The Center website (www.sfcenter.org) or can be obtained by emailing econdev@sfcenter.org. Space is limited so register early. Lunch will be provided. Child care will also be available but must be reserved in advance. Check-in starts at 9:15 at the Center. Speakers begin promptly at 10:00. We look forward to an exciting and informative day.
About the San Francisco LGBT Community Center (The Center):
The Center is the nexus of the LGBT community in the Bay Area providing a vast array of programs and services for LGBT people, their friends and families. Additionally, The Center is home to a dynamic range of organizations and activities that support individual LGBT people of every race, gender, age and socio-economic status in their efforts to achieve a positive sense of identity, purpose, social support and well-being. E ach month, The Center serves over 9,000 visitors and hosts more than 400 events. The Center is located at 1800 Market Street in San Francisco. Visit The Center at www.sfcenter.org to learn more .
About Wells Fargo :
Headquartered in San Francisco and the City's largest private employer, Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company with $575 billion in assets, providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage and consumer finance through almost 6,000 stores and the internet (wellsfargo.com) across North America and internationally. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. is the only bank in the U.S., and one of only two banks worldwide, to have the highest credit rating from both Moody's Investors Service, "Aaa," and Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, "AAA." across North America and internationally.
About the Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA):
For thirty years, the GGBA has served as a dynamic voice for the Bay Area's LGBT businesses. Specifically, it has built a community of excellent LGBT businesses with significant value for the economy and has provided a strong voice both to the Office of the Mayor and to the members of the Board of Supervisors. The GGBA provides members with networking and mentoring opportunities, informal business advice, business leads and referrals. The organization provides a sense of community for members facing the task of doing business in today's rapidly changing and challenging marketplace. For more information about the GGBA or any of its programs, please call us at 415-865-5545, or visit www.ggba.com.
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