TechCrunch coming to Charlotte July 11, wants to highlight local LGBT founders & startups

These will be social networking events, in the truest sense. Sure, Jordan, Matt and I would love to hear your pitches (and we will), but these meetups extend far beyond that.

Maybe you’re a developer looking for work, or maybe you’re an investor with some cash to throw around, or maybe you just want to learn about the tech scene in your area. And you may just be in the idea phase, but we’d love to give you some feedback, as would just about any of the attendees. In any case, these meetups are can’t-miss.

We’re in the early planning phases, which means we’re still looking for sponsors and spaces, but we have at least nailed down some dates with links to Plancast pages (where you can RSVP).

We would like to focus our North Carolina and Georgia events on LGBT founders, start-ups, and employees and would, in fact, welcome speakers to say a few words. Please contact us with recommendations. We obviously welcome any and all folks who would like to attend or say a few words, although we’re keeping the speechifying to a minimum.

Although I often feel politics has no place in what we do, this is far too big to be kept out of a technology discussion. We would be remiss not to address the problems associated with anti-gay legislation in places like North Carolina (and, arguably, 29 other states in our union) and the effect legislated homophobia has on the startup community and entrepreneurship.

Savannah, GA: July 6, 6pm-10pm
Atlanta, GA: July 9, 6pm-10pm
Raleigh, NC: July 10, 6pm-10pm
Charlotte, NC: July 11, 6pm-10pm