The Vanderbilt University Office of LGBTQI Life is hosting its 8th annual OUT in Front Conference, an opportunity for LGBT college-level youth to develop skills in leadership, share resources, and build community. The conference will be held at the Sarratt Student Center on the Vanderbilt campus on Saturday February 18 from 8am through 5pm.

The theme of the 2017 OUT in Front Conference is sh(OUT): resistance through existence. The goal is to explore ways in which survival and solidarity among intersectional queer+ communities remains vital. According to the organizers, "Our existence is a powerful presence against the oppressive forces that surround us everyday. We want to boldly shout that we are ready to not only survive, but thrive, and demand that our voices be recognized and centered."

OUT in Front is open to any currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate student at a two- or four- year institution and folks enrolled in both traditional and trade school programs.The conference is free to attend and allows you to meet peers from across the state to share resources, develop leadership skills, and foster a strong community of LGBTQQIA+ and allied student leaders.

The mission of OUT in Front is to engage students, faculty, and staff from across the region in issues relevant to the LGBTQI community and society at large. Each year, the conference strives to connect both individuals and communities with resources that will help to enrich lives in the area and to enhance leadership development for LGBTQI and allied students. 

Kit Yan, a New York based spoken word artist from Hawaii, will keynote. Kit performs theatrical slam poetry pieces about his life as a queer, transgender, and Asian American through stories about family, love, and social justice. Kit will facilitate a slam poetry workshop and close the conference by performing his slam poetry piece "Queer Heartache." 

Register for the conference online.

For more information, including the entire workshop schedule of events for the day, see the website.