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WASHINGTON
- October 26 - A panel of progressive leaders examining terrorism, war, democracy and the effect of current events on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) organizing will convene at the 14th annual Creating Change conference Nov. 7-11 in Milwaukee. Creating Change, sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Foundation, is the pre-eminent grassroots, skills-building conference of the GLBT movement.
Creating Change consists of eight day-long pre-conference institutes, four plenary sessions, more than 150 workshops, seminars, caucuses and networking sessions. Nearly 2,500 people -- activists, organizers, students, elected and appointed officials, leaders of GLBT groups and GLBT allies -- are expected to attend.
PLENARY SESSIONS
The newly scheduled presentation for Saturday, Nov. 10, "Terrorism, War, and Democracy: What Does It Mean For GLBT People" will feature:
- Faisal Alam, executive director, Al-Fatiha, the international GLBT Muslim organization
- Richard Goldstein, executive editor of the Village Voice
- Surina Khan, executive director, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
- Robert Raben, former US Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs
- Katherine Acey (panel moderator), executive director, Astraea Lesbian Action Fund
The plenary session will also include remarks by newly appointed NGLTF executive director Lorri L. Jean.
The plenary session on Friday, Nov. 9, features two presentations. The featured keynote speaker is US Rep. Tammy Baldwin, the first open lesbian elected to Congress, who will address conference attendees in her home state of Wisconsin. Baldwin's remarks will be followed by a conference-wide Speak-Out, where attendees will participate in a discussion of "How Can Our Movement Be More Powerful."
The closing session on Sunday morning, Nov. 11, features keynote speaker Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. Also taking place on Sunday will be the presentation of the annual NGLTF Community Service Awards.
A complete listing of plenary participants and session descriptions is available on the Creating Change web site, www.creatingchange.org.
PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
Eight pre-conference institutes will begin the work of the conference on Wednesday, Nov 7, and Thursday, Nov 8. Topics this year include: People of Color Organizing (parts I and II), Dismantling Racism, Dismantling Institutional Racism, Gender Splendor, Community Centers, Outing Age, and Assessing Leadership Practices.
Now in its third year, NGLTF will highlight the Body Politic Workout, five day-long skills building training sessions on selected topics. This year the areas of study include: grassroots organizing, movement building, organizational development, gender theory, and electoral organizing. These sessions run concurrently with workshop offerings on Friday and Saturday, and require no separate registration fee.
More than 140 workshops will take place over the course of the conference. A complete program listing with workshop descriptions is available on the Creating Change web site at www.creatingchange.org.
ENTERTAINMENT
There are two large-scale entertainment events at the conference. The headline entertainment of the weekend is "Power! Pizzazz! Slam and Jam!" to be held on Saturday evening, November 10. This performance features rock folk artist Doria Roberts, Latin pop star Jade Esteban Estrada and poetry slam champion Alix Olson. Friday, November 9, will feature the second annual Creating Change Poetry Slam. All conference attendees are welcome to participate and the event is free.
For more information on Creating Change or to register, please visit www.creatingchange.org or call 202-332-6483 ext. 3301.
MEDIA NOTE:
Working press should request conference media credentials in writing to Michael Cruz, NGLTF Communications Manager, at mcruz@ngltf.org or fax 202-332-0207 or call 202-332-6483 ext. 3212.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has worked to eliminate prejudice, violence and injustice against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people at the local, state and national level since its inception in 1973. As part of a broader social justice movement for freedom, justice and equality, NGLTF is creating a world that respects and celebrates the diversity of human expression and identity where all people may fully participate in society.
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