Non-binary writer, performer, and public speaker ALOK will be the keynote speaker at the 34th annual Creating Change Conference, where scores of LGBTQ advocates, activists, leaders, and allies will gather in person in New Orleans, Louisiana, from January 12-16, 2022 at the Hilton Riverside. 

ALOK is a mixed-media artist, writer, poet, and advocate for LGBTQ equality and gender inclusivity. ALOK’s dynamic, interdisciplinary approach to their work has led to being featured in HBO’s “The Trans List” (2016) and “Random Acts of Flyness” (2018), as well as publishing the poetry collection Femme in Public (2017) and the handbook Beyond the Gender Binary (2020). ALOK has been honored as one of HuffPo’s Culture Shifters, NBC’s Pride 50, and Business Insider’s Doers and is the creator of the #DeGenderFashion movement, which calls for the degendering of the fashion and beauty industries. 

“At the core of my art and work is the belief that moving beyond gender norms and binary understandings of gender, is the key to a better world for everyone. And so I’m honored to be the keynote speaker at Creating Change — bringing so many incredible activists, community leaders, and changemakers together is an amazing feat that I feel so lucky to be a part of. Our communities cannot sustain themselves without organizing around the challenges we face. Change begins when we come together, share our experiences, and work towards something better,” said ALOK. 

The Creating Change Conference, organized by the National LGBTQ Task Force, is the foremost political, leadership, and skills-building conference for the LGBTQ social justice movement. Since 1988, Creating Change has created opportunities for tens of thousands of committed people to develop and hone their activist skills, build community, and inspire. This year, in addition to the political focus of the work, the Conference will be focusing on the upcoming Midterm Elections, Queering the Vote, and, for the first time in nearly 2 years, gathering in person.

This will be the first Creating Change Conference managed by Danny Linden, who was recently appointed conference director, following the promotion of prior conference director Andy Garcia as Director of the Task Force’s new Advocacy and Action department.

Linden said, “It is clear that 2022 will be a critical year for all of us, including LGBTQ communities. We face a historic midterm election year, ongoing attacks on our rights and our very democracy and a continuing epidemic of violence targeting trans and non-binary people. Creating Change is our family reunion, one that is even more meaningful this year - where LGBTQ advocates, activists, leaders, and allies come together  as we safely emerge from the pandemic to learn, connect with each other and create a welcoming space for queer and people. We need that now more than ever.”

ALOK will kick off this year’s conference at the opening plenary on Thursday, January 13, 2022 at 7 PM. Arrangements for the appearance of ALOK made through Greater Talent Network, LLC, New York, NY.

ABOUT THE TASK FORCE

The National LGBTQ Task Force advances full freedom, justice and equality for LGBTQ people. We are building a future where everyone can be free to be their entire selves in every aspect of their lives. Today, despite all the progress we’ve made to end discrimination, millions of LGBTQ people face barriers in every aspect of their lives: in housing, employment, healthcare, retirement, and basic human rights. These barriers must go. That’s why the Task Force is training and mobilizing millions of activists across our nation to deliver a world where you can be you. For more general information go to https://www.thetaskforce.org

ACCESSIBILITY

The Creating Change Conference is committed to radical accessibility. Everyone benefits when everyone participates fully and equitably in every aspect of the conference. When you register online for Creating Change, you can request:

• ASL interpretation
• Spanish translation
• Programs in large print
• Electric scooters and wheelchairs
• Assisted Listening Devices
• Magnifiers, readers, and step stools

There will be a staffed Accessibility Table set up near registration, where attendees can ask questions, meet up with an interpreter, and pick up the items listed above.

There will also be an ASL “Hub” where our team of ASL interpreters meet and plan their day. Last year we had over 40 ASL interpreters.

COVID PRECAUTIONS/SAFETY MEASURES

While we are eager to be back together in New Orleans, we recognize that this year being together will mean something different. As such, according to guidance set forth by the Centers for Disease Control as well as state and local public health ordinances, the National LGBTQ Task Force will enforce critical policies as they concern the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

• Conference attendees will always wear a mask in all shared conference spaces, except when actively eating or drinking;
• All attendees, media and other participants will  provide valid proof of Covid-19 vaccination upon arrival and check-in;
• All of the above will complete a screening for Covid-19 symptoms upon arrival and check-in;
• Due to Creating Change public health policies, childcare will not be provided at the conference in New Orleans;
• Between the time of attendees and participants’ arrival in and departure from New Orleans, they will release and hold harmless Creating Change and the National LGBTQ Task Force from all liability related to Covid-19 and arising from participation at Creating Change 2022.