The nation’s largest annual skills-building conference for the LGBT community is coming to Kansas City, bringing more than 2,500 activists and leaders from across the nation to our community in November. The Creating Change Conference, sponsored by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, is building a program to educate, challenge, and support LGBT activists with a special focus on helping community organizations to build a more racially representative movement.
Registration for proposed presentations and workshops for the conference is now open, with the deadline just around the corner on July 14th. Creating Change ’06 is relying on our community to educate others and represent ourselves at the conference. If you are chosen to give a workshop, there is the added bonus of a discounted registration fee for the conference as well! Go to www.creatingchange.org for more information and to download the RFP form for submission.
Why wait until the conference in November? The Kansas City Host Committee urges everyone interested to attend its meetings. Meetings are always held at the Westin Crown Center at 7pm. The next meeting is on June 21, followed by July 19 and August 16. Escape the humidity this summer and join in. There are multiple local subcommittees looking for members, including: local promotion & outreach, volunteers, programming, hospitality support for youth, elder, people of color and spirituality.
Interested in joining or more details? Contact Co-Chair Mitch Levine at mitchmkt@aol.com.
The KC Host Committee will be visible throughout the area to keep people informed and stimulate energy for the upcoming conference. Curious? Approach them at some of these events:
• June 15: NetworQ Picnic in Lawrence
• June 15: HRC’s Third Thursday Hospitality gathering
• June 28: Hear Me Out Toastmasters
You can ask us questions at events throughout the summer, so keep your eyes peeled for us and join in the fun. Information about local events and more details are available at the Creating Change website: www.creatingchange.org.
With such a large influx of visitors coming to attend the conference, we need people to offer local housing opportunities. Activism does not come cheap and there are multiple groups coming, young and old, who have few resources. They are going to need our help in providing them somewhere to sleep. It’s a great way to make exciting connections and get to know others on a personal level.
To learn more about Creating Change, visit www.creatingchange.org.
