by Tim Wilson (PFLAG Denver)
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force will convene its 21st annual Creating Change Conference in Denver Jan. 28–Feb. 1, 2009. This is the GLBT movement’s most important gathering, and it will draw together around 2,500 queer activists and their allies for networking, strategizing, grassroots organizing, skills building, leadership development, policy debates, inspirational speakers, and so much more. Day-long institutes, 90-minute and 3-hour workshops (over 200 to choose from!), plenary sessions, issue/identity-specific caucuses, receptions, entertainment, and parties will fill the calendar each day, from early morning until late night.
Having attended 12 or 13 prior Creating Change conferences, I can assure you that to experience all of this in a totally GLBT-positive environment with 2,000+ like-minded activists is empowering, energizing, educational, exhausting, inspiring, and absolutely wonderful! This is where activists go to “recharge their batteries.” I strongly encourage you to attend this movement-building conference while the opportunity is right at our door step, in the Grand Hyatt downtown, 17th & Welton Streets. If you would like more information, take a look at their website, www.creatingchange.org, or contact me at tkwdco@comcast.net.
One of the most important financial factors which has allowed me to attend Creating Change in the past is the availability of “community housing,” which is provided for those unable to afford the rates in a fancy hotel. (The accommodations at a major conference often cost more than either the registration fee or a person’s transportation costs.) Because I have benefited from this offering on numerous occasions, this year I am working on the Denver Host Committee’s Community Housing Subcommittee as a way to give back.
So, if you are close to downtown, live near a major bus line or light rail station, or plan to attend the conference yourself, then I invite you to offer a spare sofa or an extra bedroom to the conference in order for an activist to attend who might not be able to do so without this type of support. By the way, it’s also a great way to make a new friend or two. NGLTF’s national office in DC does the necessary screening and the matching of hosts to visitors.
To sign up as a host for community housing: please email Marta (in DC office) at creatingchange@thetaskforce.org, with a ‘cc’ to me at tkwdco@comcast.net so I can help with any follow-up that might be needed.
