Recap of the 2026 PATHS Forward Summit: Community IRL
- Samantha Sygier Cayax
- Jul 10
- 4 min read
The 2026 PATHS Forward Summit: Community IRL brought together more than 200 LGBTQ+ advocates, community organizations, researchers, and technology leaders for a day of learning and collaboration focused on building safer, more inclusive digital spaces. Through expert presentations, practical resources, and community discussion, attendees explored how technology can better support LGBTQ+ individuals and organizations in an increasingly connected world.
The event kicked off on Thursday, June 25th at 12pm ET. Throughout the day, there was strong emphasis around the importance of safe online community building for the LGBTQ+ community in an ever evolving digital world. Everyone who attended the event was a testament to the commitment to making these spaces a better place, from the speakers, to the exhibitors, to LGBTQ+ center staff, to LGBTQ+ community members, to our allies.
Following the opening statements, session 1 began with a presentation from LGBT Tech’s Kristen Kelley, Director of Programs and Christopher Wood, Executive Director on “10 Tips for Cyber Resilience for LGBTQ+ Organizations”, highlighting the recently announced guidebook “Navigating Cyber Safety: Introduction to Digital Best Practices for LGBTQ+ Organizations” and the PowerUp Resource Hub. Kristen shared some best practices for community computer labs including to secure shared computers, secure wi-fi for public access, and ensure physical safety of devices. Chris also shared some best practices for staff devices such as to keep devices and software updated and to use reputable antivirus and anti-malware software. These practical recommendations provided organizations with simple, actionable steps they can implement immediately to strengthen cybersecurity and better protect both staff and community members.
Cielo Sunsarae, Executive Director and Founder of The Queer Trans Project, presented “Digital Access Is a Lifeline: Using Tech to Reduce Barriers for Queer and Trans Communities”. Cielo emphasized the importance of access to gender affirming care that is available online for LGBTQ+ community members that may live in rural areas, that don’t have an LGBTQ+ center near them, and that need discreet shipping to be able to feel like themselves and be empowered in their identities. To date, The Queer Trans Project has donated over $1.2M worth of gender affirming care for free, nationwide.
“Technology is far more than just a phone, it’s a car, it’s innovation.” - Cielo Sunsarae
Zaria Hallager, an AI Engineer, led the session “Fine-Tuning Fairness: Curating Datasets to Eliminate Gender Bias in Technical LLMs.” Zaria talked through bias and fairness in LLMs saying “The model didn’t invent the bias, your data did… If the model is fair, ‘he is the scientist’ and ‘she is the scientist’ should have equal outcomes.” She followed the conversation with some recommendations to builders, “Before you ship: Does it still work? Is it fair? Is it resilient?”
Shae Gardner, the Director of Policy and Research at LGBT Tech, presented the results of the most recent research release with“ctrl+alt+lgbt: Exploring National Polling on LGBTQ + Digital Usage, Access, and Experience”. In her session, Shae discussed how the LGBTQ+ community is using and accessing digital spaces and resources, while highlighting the importance of online spaces: “Our polling found that online spaces make a big impact on LGBTQ+ identity formation.”
Building on the day's focus on inclusion, the next session explored how organizations can foster environments where LGBTQ+ employees feel safe, respected, and able to thrive. Adelyn Emter presented “Fostering LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in the Workplace Using Identity Safety Cues.”Adelyn is a PhD Candidate in General Experimental Psychology at the University of North Dakota. This session discussed Identity Safety Cues and how to make a workplace feel safe for the LGBTQ+ community, including tips and recommendations for employees and employers. Adelyn provided tangible steps to work toward creating safer and diverse workplaces:
“Be explicit in inclusion statements - be clear about commitments, name expected behaviors and how you plan to address harm… Build in LGBTQ+ perspectives in training, hiring and messaging… Treat LGBTQ+ people as normal part of everyday workplace culture” - Adelyn Emter, PhD Candidate
Finally, we welcomed Alyssa Azál, Founder of Queer Latines to share her knowledge on “Digital Organizing for Intersectional Queer Communities.” Alyssa engaged attendees with interactive conversations based on life experiences. Alyssa covered multiple facets of digital organizing, intersectionality, how to translate digital organizing into offline organizing, and how digital organizing is used to uplift inclusivity.
Throughout the day, attendees also had the opportunity to connect with organizations advancing digital inclusion, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and community support. We are grateful to our exhibitors for sharing their expertise and resources and helping make the Summit a collaborative experience. We’re so proud of what we have accomplished together and can’t wait to keep the momentum going.
The conversations throughout Community IRL reinforced a common theme: technology has the power to connect, protect, and empower LGBTQ+ communities when it is designed and used intentionally. We're grateful to every speaker, exhibitor, partner, and attendee who helped make this year's Summit a success.
Event Recordings Now Available on YouTube! Catch up on your favorite sessions, revisit inspiring moments, or check out anything you might have missed.
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