G-Force, the Garda LGBT Employee Support Network, on behalf of the European Gay Police Association, will host the 6th European Gay Police Association Conference on the 28th and 29th June 2012 in Dublin Castle.

At this landmark event over 130 LGBT Police delegates from 18 European countries and the United States will gather to share best practice. They will be joined by employees of An Garda Síochána and a variety of state bodies and non-governmental organisations.

The delegates will work together to develop new networks of police employees, dedicated to providing a better service to the LGBT communities and a better work environment for LGBT police staff.

The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, will mark this historic event by welcoming the European Police Delegates at a reception in Aras An Uachtarain on the evening of the 27th June 2012 at 5PM. The conference itself will be launched at 9.30am on the morning of the 28th June by Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Mr Alan Shatter TD. The Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan will also address the conference.

Dr. Mel Duffy and Dr. Vera Sheridan of Dublin City University will launch the results of their groundbreaking research into the experiences of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Gardaí at the conference. Copies will be available at the launch.

The conference, built around the theme “Supporting Professional Policing”, has been designed around two distinct themed days. Day one concerns Supporting Human Resources; day two deals with the theme of Supporting LGBT Communities. The conference boasts 15 workshops, many of which explore themes never before discussed at EGPA Conferences or similar conferences.

Policing and LGBT young people, practical guidelines for supporting Trans* people (employee and Community Policing perspectives), and an EU standard approach to police training on LGBT issues, are just some of the topics being explored.

The European Gay Police Association Conference delegates will participate in the Dublin Pride parade which will take place on the 30th June.

What? 6th European Gay Police Association Conference
Where? Dublin Castle
When? Thursday and Friday, the 28th and 29th June

• Full details of the programme, speakers and workshops are available on the conference website egpa2012.com.

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