Who We Are LGBTQ and Planning
The LGBTQ and Planning Division of APA is a forum for the exchange of ideas and information of interest to people in the planning profession who identify as part of the LGBTQ community and anyone who is interested in LGBTQ community issues.
The division addresses planning topics and issues that relate to the LGBTQ community by providing a forum for exchanging ideas and information. It provides a professional network for planners who are division members and a mechanism that allows friends of the division and the LGBTQ community to collaborate and support the division's mission.
The LGBTQ and Planning Division evolved in 2016 from the Gays and Lesbians in Planning (GALIP) Division that was created as a formal APA division in 1998 at the APA National Planning Conference in Boston. We've been an informal network since 1992 when we met for the first time at the national conference in Washington, D.C.
Great to Connect at NPC25
Thanks for all who connected at NPC25! Below are some of the key division activities. Please consider volunteering to help with next year and in between!
Friday, March 28th:
- Executive Committee members will embark on an AARP audio tour of LGBTQ Denver. Depending on interest, the date may change.
Saturday, March 29th:
- Planners Day of Service (9:00 am - 12:00 pm). Details below.
- Mobile Workshop: The Mile High Migration: Denver's Response to Growth (10:30 am - 1:30 pm).
- Workshop: Elevate and Envision: A BIPOC Affinity Workshop (1:30 pm - 3:00 pm).
- Mobile Workshop: Forgotten Spaces of Queer Denver (2 pm - 5 pm).
Sunday, March 30th:
- Mobile Workshop: Culture and Design in Denver's Golden Triangle (1:00 pm - 4:00 pm).
- Joint Division Reception: Coohills (6:30 pm - 8:30 pm).
Monday, March 31st:
- Mobile Workshop: Mall Crawl: Pedestrian Malls Evolving With Downtown (10:30 am - 3:30 pm).
- Session: Planning for Our Eldest in America's Aging Metropolises (11:30 am - 12:15 pm).
- Discussion: Women & Planning Untold Stories Sprint (1:00 pm - 2:00 pm).
- Division Business Meeting: CAVEA Theater (6:00 pm - 7:30 pm).
- Division Dinner: Revival Public House (8:00 pm - 10:00 pm).
LGBTQ and Planning Annual Business Meeting
We had a great discussion at the business meeting. More follow ups are coming soon! Below is the agenda with links to discussion items for those who missed the meeting.
EVENT: Shame on You by Melissa Petro (in Collaboration with Women & Planning)
Generative Writing Session
Date: June 11, 2025
Time: 8:00pm Eastern
Join us on June 11th for a powerful generative writing workshop with Melissa Petro, author of our June pick, Shame on You: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification — an Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Nonfiction Book of the Month.
During this session, we’ll cover Chapter 1 of the book and dive into a guided writing experience designed for all levels. The workshop will explore the connection between storytelling and shame resilience, a core theme in Melissa’s deeply moving memoir.
Melissa brings a unique and courageous voice as a former sex worker and survivor of sexual exploitation and media humiliation. She has helped hundreds of women push through fear and reclaim their stories — many of which have been published in The New York Times, The Guardian, Salon, The Washington Post, and more.
No writing experience needed — just bring yourself, your curiosity, and a willingness to explore.
Live Q&A with the Author
Melissa will join us again for a live Q&A as we finish the book together. It’s a special opportunity to connect with the author and reflect on everything we’ve read.
EVENT: Coffee & Conversations with Dr. Petra Doan (in Collaboration with Women & Planning)
Planning without Shame: How to Talk About Topics That Are No Longer Safe to Talk About
Date: June 25
Time: 3:00 PM Eastern
We’re honored to welcome long time LGBTQ and Planning division member Dr. Petra Doan, a leading scholar on gender, space, and culture, as she guides us through the hard conversations planners often avoid.
Together, we’ll explore:
Why LGBTQ+ landmarks and women’s shelters are missing from community plans? How shame has shaped planning practices, from red-light districts to LGBTQ+ enclaves? What it means to be a planner in a time when talking about certain topics feels unsafe
Dr. Doan will share stories from her research and challenge us to reflect on how personal and institutional shame affects how we plan, think, and advocate.
Plus, a special appearance by Melissa Petro, author of Shame on You, who will join us to connect the themes of the book to our work as planners.