Each year, Kitsap County takes time to acknowledge the challenges it faces to maintain an equitable community, and in turn works toward achieving that goal.

Kitsap’s 23rd annual Human Rights Conference is Dec. 6, 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., in the Kitsap Conference Center. The theme this year is “The Ally is You,” focusing on issues around the LGBTQI community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questions, intersex).

“An ‘ally,’ is a straight person who supports their LGBTQI friends and family, and advocates for them. Someone who helps the cause,” said Andrea Hendricks, cochair of the conference.

The conference will host two speakers, Suzanne Engelberg, PhD, and Anthony Gipe.

Engelberg is a clinical psychologist and faculty member of the Doctor of Psychology program at Antioch University. Gipe is president-elect of the Washington Bar Association and its first openly gay president.

“We will also have a panel of four different religious leaders from around the county talking about being open and affirming and their challenges,” Hendricks said.

“We will have the Q Youth Center with a student-run panel that will talk about issues they face in school and what service they find useful and the support they still feel they need.”