Creating Change Conference



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So exactly what is The National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change?
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force sponsors and organizes The National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change. 2014 marks the 26th gathering of this unique national conference. Creating Change (as it's affectionately known) is the nation's pre-eminent political, leadership and skills-building conference for the LGBT social justice movement. Since 1988, Creating Change has been the opportunity for thousands of committed people to develop and hone their skills, celebrate victories, build community, and to be inspired by visionaries of our LGBT movement and allied movements for justice and equality.

What's the goal of the Conference?
The primary goal of the Creating Change Conference is to build our movement's power from the ground up to secure our overarching goal of full equality, social justice and dignity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the United States.

At the 26th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, we'll celebrate 26 years of building the grassroots power of our people and families. Over 40,000 people have attended Creating Change to learn, grow and expand their skills and confidence to create change in their communities, their states, this country and the world. For each Creating Change attendee, our annual skills-building and training event is a life-changing experience.

Where is this year's Creating Change Conference going to be held? And when?
The 26th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change will be held at the Hilton Americas-Houston in beautiful downtown Houston Texas, January 29–February 2, 2014. At the 2014 Creating Change Conference, we'll reflect on the outcomes of many contemporary issues facing us, including our recent string of marriage equality victories, our federal agenda for equality, our community organizing efforts to create safer schools, legal equality for all including our trans sisters and brothers, and building alliances with pro-LGBT allies and religious organizations. We'll create enduring change at the 2014 Creating Change Conference in Houston!

Who goes to Creating Change?
You, we hope! Over 3,400 people attended the 2013 Creating Change Conference in Atlanta from all over the United States, with a few attendees from other countries. Our 2013 Creating Change Conference broke attendance records with 3436 folks in house. Let's beat that in Houston!

Attendees represent all sectors and demographic groups in our movement, including young and old activists, organizers and activists of color, paid and volunteer staff people at LGBT political and community organizations, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex advocates and straight allies, elected officials, safer school advocates, anti-violence activists, faith community organizers and leaders of campus communities and local community centers. In short, Creating Change is an annual gathering of organizers and activists working to create a world in which our sexual orientations and gender expressions will be welcomed and celebrated.

Great! When can I register?
Registration for the Creating Change Conference will open on/about September 1, 2013. You can book a hotel room now! Check under "Where To Stay" on the Web site main menu bar.

So, what is the Houston LGBT community doing?
Our LGBT sisters and brothers in Houston are thrilled to host Creating Change 2014, welcoming Creating Change to their great community and city. Houston's Mayor Annise Parker is an out and proud lesbian, who came up through LGBT political organizing. As Mayor of Houston, Annise Parker leads the country's fifth largest city and is the only Mayor in the United States who has led a workshop session at the Creating Change Conference, in Dallas in 1994.

Our Houston friends have built impressively effective community groups and a vast array of organizations serving LGBT communities and organizing LGBT people. Some organizations and projects that we look forward to working with on Creating Change 2014 include: The Montrose Center; Queer Voices, a weekly program on Pacifica's Houston affiliate KPFT; Epsilon Xi Gamma, Inc.; Transgender Foundation of America/Transgender Center, the world's only community center serving transgender people; Houston Transgender Unity Committee; Out & Equal Houston; University of Houston's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center; Kellett Foundation; Lambda Center Houston, the 12 Step/Recovery organization; Hollyfield Foundation; GLSEN Houston; The Empire of The Royal, Sovereign, Imperial Court of the Single Star of Houston Incorporated (ERSICSS); LGBT Resource Center at University of Houston; AIDS Foundation Houston, Inc.; Legacy Community Health Services; Lesbian Health Initiative of Houston, Inc.; Keshet Houston; National Leather Association-Houston; Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church; Pride Houston; PFLAG Houston; and the Houston GLBT Political Caucus.

What's the history of the Task Force's work in Houston?
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force forged on-the-ground working relationships with Houston's activist leaders and community, beginning in March 1977 when 14 community leaders met with Midge Costanza, then-adviser to President Jimmy Carter. Among those attending this historic first-ever White House meeting was Houston's Pokey Anderson, co-founder of the Houston Gay/Lesbian Political Caucus. In 1992, the Task Force took the lead to organize demonstrations at the Republican National Convention in Houston, where Pat Buchanan infamously declared a culture war on LGBT people. In 2001, the Task Force worked with Progressive Voters in Action to mount an unsuccessful campaign to defeat City Proposition 2, an amendment to the City Charter prohibiting domestic partner benefits for city workers. In 2005, the Task Force sponsored the Vote Against the Amendment Committee to organize to defeat Texas Proposition 2, passed by voters to ban legal recognition of same-sex relationships in Texas. Vote Against the Amendment produced and aired seven television commercials opposing Proposition 2, the first-ever ads in the nation to spotlight same-sex couples discussing what marriage equality means to them.

What happens during the Conference?
Over the five days of the Creating Change Conference, our program presents over 15 day-long institutes, two dozen sophisticated trainings in the Academy for Leadership and Action, a special programming segment called Practice Spirit, Do Justice for faith leaders and organizers, approximately 250 workshops and caucus sessions, four keynote plenary sessions, worshipful gatherings, film screenings, meetings, receptions, social events, and a multitude of opportunities for attendees to meet and learn from each other.

How much does it cost to attend The 26th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change?

When budgeting for the Creating Change Conference, attendees should include the conference registration fee, travel costs, accommodations, and food costs.
Registration fees range from $395 to $0, depending on an attendee's age, when one chooses to register, and whether an attendee seeks financial support to attend. Conference registration, with rates and scholarship information, will be posted here on the Creating Change Web site in early September.
Travel costs vary greatly depending on how far one must travel to get to Houston and the travel option chosen. Air travel is probably most expensive, followed by Amtrak; auto or bus travel is probably least expensive.
The Hilton of the Americas — Houston offers rooms at a conference rate of $139 for singles, doubles, triples or quads. Sharing a room is a great way to reduce the cost of a hotel stay. Also, the Creating Change Host Committee will set up a community housing network so that attendees can be housed at no charge by community members.
We suggest that attendees budget at least $55/day for food while at the conference. This will allow for three nutritious but modestly priced meals a day. There are several lower priced food outlets within walking distance of the Hilton of the Americas — Houston.