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CONTENTSCONTENTSCONTENTS
Conference Info
Community policies and practices to foster shared values.
Plenaries
All the Main Stage presentations.
Special Events
Spaces for moments of care or new fun memories.
Day Long Institutes
6-hours of community curated programming focused on racial justice and liberation.
Conference Map
Find your way around the conference space with ease.
Workshops & Caucuses
75-minutes of identity-based caucuses and skills-building workshops for a better future.
Task Force Spotlights
Learn about our national work to build lasting change.
About the Task Force
Explore the new staff, board members, council leaders, and more.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21
3:00pm – 10:00pm 4:00pm – 5:00pm 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Conference Check-In Desk
First Timers Info Session
First Timers Info Session
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22
7:30am – 8:00pm
9:00am – 10:30am 10:30am – 5:00pm 11:00am – 5:00pm
12:00pm – 10:00pm 5:30pm – 6:45pm 10:00pm – 1:00am
Conference Check-In Desk
Opening Plenary: Racial Justice
Exhibits & Community Care
Day-Long Institutes: Racial Justice
Gayme Room
Caucus Block #1
Opening Cruise
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23
7:30am – 7:00pm
9:00am – 3:00pm
9:00am – 5:00pm
12:00pm – 10:00pm
3:00pm – 4:30pm
3:30pm – 4:45pm
5:00pm – 6:30pm 9:00pm – Midnight
Conference Check-In Desk
Day-Long Institutes
Exhibits & Community Care
Gayme Room
Interfaith Renewal Service
Caucus Block #2
Democracy Plenary
Open Mic Variety Show
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24
7:30am – 7:00pm 9:00am – 5:00pm
9:00am – 10:15am 10:45am – 12:00pm 12:00pm – 1:30pm 12:00pm – 10:00pm 1:30pm – 2:45pm 3:15pm – 4:45pm 5:15pm – 6:30pm 3:30pm – 4:45pm
7:00pm – 8:15pm 9:00pm – 1:00am
Conference Check-In Desk
Exhibits & Community Care
Workshop Block #1
Workshop Block #2
Jummah Gathering
Gayme Room
Workshop Block #3
State of the Movement Plenary
Workshop Block #4
Shabbat Service
Caucus Block #3
House Ball
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25
7:30am – 7:00pm 9:00am – 5:00pm 9:00am – 12:00pm 9:00am – 10:15am
10:45am – 12:00pm 12:00pm – 10:00pm 1:30pm – 2:45pm 3:15pm – 4:45pm 5:30pm – 7:00pm 9:00pm – 1:00am
Conference Check-In Desk Community Care
Exhibits
Workshop Block #5
Workshop Block #6
Gayme Room
Workshop Block #7
Workshop Block #8
Closing Plenary: Safety & Security
Kierra’s Kabaret
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26
9:00am – 10:15am 10:30am – 12:00pm
Ecumenical Service
Farewell Celebration
Kierra’s Welcome
Colleagues, friends, chosen family, and newcomers to the Task Force and Creating Change—welcome!
My heart is full as we gather here in Las Vegas. This space is a true homecoming, a community hub built with care, love, and purpose. The magic of Creating Change thrives because of the dedication of our staff, volunteers, and extraordinary Ambassadors, who have poured their passion and energy into this gathering.
The power of this space comes from you—your presence, vision, and the vital parts of yourself that this moment demands. It is your energy and commitment that make these halls come alive. Together, we ignite our collective power, guiding us forward in solidarity and joy.
Creating Change was born in the 1980s, a time of crisis when our community fought for survival amidst the AIDS epidemic, government indifference, and the widespread dehumanization of our people. The directive from the 1987 National March on Washington was clear: “Go home and get to work.” And so, we did.
The first Creating Change Conference in 1988 brought together 300 people. Today, nearly 3,500 of us gather, reflecting our movement’s growth and power. This expansion underscores our impact and collective resolve.
The urgency that gave birth to Creating Change persists. As we convene in 2025, just days after the inauguration of a second Trump administration, the stakes feel immense. Trans rights, reproductive justice, immigration, and even basic freedoms are under relentless attack. The challenges may evolve, but our fight for survival remains critical.
The far-right’s scapegoating of our trans siblings is more than a political tactic—it’s a deliberate assault on our community’s heart. Despite the anger and fear this provokes, I see the immense power within each of you and the unstoppable force we become together. Our radical joy and refusal to be confined are undeniable strengths.
Why are they so obsessed with us? (Cue Mariah Carey.) Because as queer people, we hold the key to collective freedom and true liberation—a truth that shakes the foundation of authoritarianism.
Their fear doesn’t belong to us—it’s theirs. They know their reign is crumbling, and we are dismantling it. Our growing movement and unwavering resolve drive this change. We reject hopelessness. In this space, we aren’t preparing for four bleak years—we’re rewriting the story. Here, we map our refusal to be erased.
Let Creating Change be your spark. Every act of resistance, every moment of joy this week builds our unstoppable momentum. Use this space to craft plans, strategies, and connections that will propel us toward liberation. Together, we will thrive and boldly step into the light.
This year’s Creating Change, our largest ever, underscores our commitment to liberation and the understanding that we cannot face these challenges alone. As you strategize, remember the states are today’s battlegrounds where oppressive policies threaten our freedoms.
Let’s plan, celebrate, learn, and connect. Take what you need—joy, strategy, healing, determination. Seek out voices you haven’t heard and communities you haven’t yet connected with. Listen. Act.
We are here to weave a bigger “we.” Whoever you think your people are, that circle is bigger. Find them, listen, and organize together. Build the platforms our communities need to share stories, advance knowledge, and achieve liberation.
What we create here must extend beyond this space. It must ripple into state legislatures, city councils, and local communities. Our collective power, unified strategy, and solidarity are the keys to prevailing against these threats.
The power of Creating Change doesn’t stay in Las Vegas. It travels with us in the connections we forge, the insights we gain, and the strategies we craft. These ripples will reach far beyond this room.
Let this week remind us who we are and what we can achieve. Being here, with all our experiences, brilliance, and beauty, is exactly what we need.
The world is watching, and we are ready. Find what fuels you, take it home, and let’s create change.
Let’s get to work.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
We’re deeply grateful to the incredible people and organizations who made Creating Change 2025 possible!
AIDS United
Alex Breitman and Outshine Events
Andrea Zekis
Aredvi Azad
Art Studio Space:
Tamara, Jessica, Ilene & Cecilia
Avenue Travel
Bob Leyh
Care Bears: Je Naé Taylor
Charlotte Gaymers Network
Clay Kilpatrick
Carlo Betia
Elegant Event Sitters
Em Ledingham
Encore Global Fabulosa
Firefly Partners
House Ball: Oswald, Penélope, Oswald, Steven, Rikka
House Captains:
Chloe Cole-Wilson, Chrissy Lasater, Dan Chevez, Jerard Kelley, Kelly Horkan, Tymber Hudson
Ignacio Rivera
Jack Harrison-Quintana
Jamii Linguists
Jennifer Emerson
Lambda Literary
Linda Glevy
Kathleen Campisano
Marc Behar
Mark Maddox
Matt Foreman
Michael Bongiorni
Mija
National Black Justice Collective
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
National Religious Leadership Roundtable
Opening Cruise: Daunasia & Robin
PheedLoop, Inc.
Power to the Meeple
Russell Roybal
Sam Thom
Site Services:
Tanya Domi
The Harrington Agency
The Qube/Anna DeShawn
Tripple Pocket Events
UNITE HERE
Variety Show: Ariel
Virginia Apuzzo
CONFERENCE POLICIES
Your Badge, Your Welcome Pass
We’re thrilled to have you at Creating Change 2025! Your badge is your all-access pass to workshops, plenaries, and evening events— it’s also a great way to help others greet you by name. Please wear your badge at all times. Lost yours? No worries—you can replace it at Check-In for a $5 fee. Save yourself the hassle and wear your badge proudly!
Protests and Political Expression
Political expression is an essential principle of democracy and in our LGBTQ+ movement for freedom, justice, and equality. We all must value the power of dialogue and nonviolent protest as essential to our movement. If you wish to organize a protest, we ask you to follow these guidelines:
• Protests on the plenary stage should be brief (up to 5 minutes) to honor the voices of invited speakers, as they are often the most marginalized and silenced in society.
• Protests within the hotel must be nonviolent “moving protests” to comply with fire codes. That is, all participants must not impede the movements of others through hallways nor block doorways.
• If you’re planning a protest, please inform Conference Director Fernando Z. López at flopez@thetaskforce.org and designate a contact person.
By balancing freedom of expression with respect for the conference experience, we create a space where all voices can be heard. Keep in mind that hotels are not public spaces. The Rio Casino, Hotel, and Conference Center can report any protest to local law enforcement at their discretion.
Policy Violations
We’re here to build community, and that means creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone. Behavior that disrupts the conference or makes others feel unsafe may result in being asked to leave.
No Guns, No Exceptions
Creating Change is a weapon-free zone. For everyone’s comfort and safety, we ask that no guns or dangerous items be brought into our spaces. If a weapon is observed, you will be asked to remove it from the premises.
Task Force Values
All participants at Creating Change are expected to uphold the National LGBTQ Task Force’s values of inclusion and oppose all forms of prejudice and hate, including but not limited to racism, sexism, ableism and transphobia.
Thank you for helping us make Creating Change a positive and empowering experience for all. More information about our Conference Policies can be found at creatingchange.org/policies/.
We’re so excited to gather with you for this extraordinary conference!
Creating Change is a unique space filled with love, curiosity, and respect for our diverse LGBTQ family. Together, we celebrate our differences—across race, class, geography, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, and more. Thank you for joining us to learn, connect, and help build a stronger, more inclusive movement.
Practicing Radical Welcome
Our community thrives when we all contribute to a welcoming, inclusive environment. Be mindful of accessibility by making space for those who need it and supporting language justice by slowing down and being patient. Reflect on your privilege—intentionally recognize how much space you take up and find ways to create space for others.
Consent is essential, whether you’re building friendships or romantic connections. Practice respect in all interactions. And remember, wellness matters! Protect yourself and others by washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough, and respecting boundaries around personal space and sharing food.
RADICAL WELCOME
Welcoming Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Non-Binary Community Members!
Creating Change is a space where all genders are affirmed. Here’s how we can create a truly inclusive environment:
• Pronouns: Don’t assume someone’s gender—ask, “What pronouns do you use?” If you make a mistake, correct it and move on. Use the names and pronouns people share with you, and remember that someone’s gender expression may differ from the last time you saw them.
• Bathrooms: Gender-inclusive restrooms are available for everyone’s comfort and safety. Please let people use the bathroom they choose without interference—everyone deserves privacy and respect.
Thank you for helping us foster a space where all LGBTQ people and allies feel safe, valued, and celebrated! To learn more about practicing Radical Welcome, visit our website at creatingchange.org/policies/.
A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT
You are part of a space dedicated to learning, connecting, and building a stronger movement in a welcoming and respectful atmosphere. Let’s work together to create a positive, inclusive experience for everyone.
Guiding Principles
At Creating Change, we uphold two fundamental principles: human rights and solidarity. All forms of violence, including harassment, bullying, and bigotry, undermine these principles and have no place here. Even unintended actions can cause harm, so let’s be mindful of our words and behaviors.
What Is Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination and active violence. It includes:
• Unwanted flirtations, advances, or sexual comments
• Offensive images, messages, or gestures
• Non-consensual touching or physical contact
• Sexual pressure or threats
• Sexual assault or violence
Consent is essential in all interactions. If you’re thinking about connecting with someone, ensure expectations are clear, mutual, and safe.
Hate Speech Is Not Welcome
Creating Change is a space for free expression, but hate speech will not be tolerated. Hate speech includes abusive language and threatening writings that are intended to cause harm by targeting someone’s race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or another characteristic. Let’s respect one another and avoid language that disempowers others.
Need Help?
If you experience harassment, violence, or hate speech, or feel unsafe, contact the Conference Director, Fernando Z. López, at flopez@thetaskforce.org.
We’re here to support you and ensure everyone feels safe, comfortable, and celebrated. We all participate in Creating a Positive Environment, so feel free to revisit or share this information from our website at creatingchange.org/ policies/.
CREATING ACCESSIBLITY
By attending, you are part of our collective commitment to ensure all attendees feel welcome and supported. Together, we can create a space that values and respects the experiences of people with disabilities. Here’s how you can help:
DO:
• Ask Before Helping: Always ask and wait for a response before offering assistance. What may seem helpful to you might not be to someone else.
• Be Patient: Some attendees may communicate or process information differently. Respect their pace and explore alternative communication methods, like writing or gestures, if needed.
• Challenge Assumptions: Disabilities can be visible or invisible. Support everyone’s right to use accommodations without judgment or questioning.
• Respect Boundaries: Listen to personal experiences when they are shared but avoid intrusive questions about someone’s disability.
DON’T:
• Assume Everyone Experiences Disability the Same Way: Disabled people’s lives are not inherently inspirational or pitiable; disabilities are a natural part of their identities.
• Criticize or Question Accommodations: Trust that people know what they need to navigate the event.
• Rely Solely on One Form of Communication: Flexibility ensures better connection and understanding.
Accessibility Support
For questions, concerns, or assistance, visit the Accessibility Desk at the Conference Resource Center in the Rotunda. You can also text or call the Accessibility Hotline (8am–8pm) at 909-300-5378 or email Mark Maddox at MMaddox@thetaskforce.org.
Ongoing Accessibility Efforts
Over the past seven years, we’ve enhanced accessibility by:
• Providing mobility devices like scooters and e-readers.
• Offering ASL and Spanish interpretation.
• Selecting venues committed to accessibility.
Language Justice
Language justice is about creating multilingual spaces that amplify everyone’s voice, dismantle language barriers, and promote equity. We’re dedicated to fostering spaces where diverse languages and cultures are embraced as essential to social and racial justice.
Note on Terminology
Erase “hearing impaired” from your vocabulary. Instead, acknowledge Deaf and hard-of-hearing identities respectfully. And please, don’t start by asking if someone reads lips—it’s a quick way to alienate a Deaf attendee.
Thank you for contributing to a welcoming and accessible Creating Change experience! For more resources, visit our Accessibility page at creatingchange.org/accessibility/.
CREATING CHANGE AMBASSADORS 2025
AJ Huth
Brady McGill
Brianna Adams
Brie Starks
Charlie Huffer
Darrell Tucci
David Leach
Earl Saulter
Ebony Jackson
Erika Castro
Frankie Perez
Garrett Pattiani
Glit Bodega
Grayson Bell
Heidi Lee
Holly Reese
Jason Flatt
Jason Sherman
Jerry Masini
JP Coleman
Judy Bowenwiener
Julio Jimenez-Wenz
Kalvin Byrd
Kiande Jakada
Kyler Malone
Ladon Henry
Latoya Holman
Leana Ramirez
Lori Insera
Lukas Serrano
Lukas Soto
Mario Rodriguez
Megan Sanchez
Nicole Williams
Percy Neavez
Preston Tang
Raheem Bodega
Raheem Pickens
Rev. Li Arnee
Reyes Luna
Rio Antonè
Russ White
Sabastian Alcal’a
Tanya Alexander
Victor Rodriguez
Yessica Valencia
PLENARIES
BLACK LEADERSHIP RISING
Wednesday, 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Join a powerful discussion featuring some of the most influential Black LGBTQ leaders across our movements. This panel will explore the unique insights and challenges of how Black LGBTQ voices are shaping policy, advocacy, and cultural change to advance liberation for all.
DEMOCRACY, FASCISM, AND THE ROAD AHEAD
Thursday, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Join this meaningful conversation on the state of our lived and political realities in the post-election landscape, addressing the ongoing fight against fascism and the struggle for a truly multi-ethnic democracy. Explore powerful strategies for shaping an inclusive political future that centers and uplifts LGBTQ communities.
STATE OF THE MOVEMENT
Friday, 3:15 pm – 4:45 pm
Join Kierra Johnson and Tre’vell Anderson for an intimate fireside conversation reflecting on the progress and challenges ahead within the LGBTQ and progressive movements.
WE GOT US: SAFETY & SECURITY
Saturday, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
How do we create safety and security? A dynamic panel of trans leadership in intersecting movements such as youth advocacy, reproductive justice, criminal justice reform, disability justice, and more envision and discuss building equity, and liberation for all.
Performances by Ada Vox and Frenchie Davis!
RESOURCES & SPECIAL EVENTS
CONFERENCE RESOURCE CENTER
Wednesday, January 22, through Saturday, January 25
Accessibility support, hospitality, and conference information are all easily accessible at the Conference Resource Center. Serving as a welcoming hub, the Center brings together local community volunteers and Task Force staff to provide streamlined access to essential resources. Whether you need help navigating the conference venue or seeking recommendations for exploring the local community, the Resource Center is here to enhance your Creating Change experience with ease and care.
CARE BEARS
Wednesday, January 22, through Saturday, January 25
The Care Bear Team is here to support all attendees in navigating options for preventing, intervening & (when possible) addressing conflict, harm, and emergencies.
We are providing a team to support attendees in two ways, through:
• A De-escalation Team, located at the corridor intersection inside the conference center:
» Team members will be on call in pairs during the conference to support attendees.
» Attendees in conflict can come to the de-escalation table accompanied by either a staff person, volunteer, another attendee or by themselves to speak with a team member. Teams will support them in navigating solutions to lead towards resolution.
HEALTH & WELLNESS SPACE
Wednesday, January 22, through Saturday, January 25
Located in the Exhibit Hall, with additional offerings throughout the conference, the Health & Wellness Space at Creating Change is a powerful reflection of community care in action, developed in collaboration with the local community of Las Vegas and conference ambassadors. This space provides care, connection, and support, prioritizing health and well-being for all attendees.
With the support of our incredible partners— the Las Vegas Center, CAN Community Health, Nevada Health Center, United Healthcare, and the Las Vegas Health Department. The Health and Wellness space goes beyond being an information resource hub by offering direct, lifeaffirming services that are free, confidential, and tailored to meet the needs of our community. Available offerings include: STI/STD testing, safer sex kits, harm reduction tools, mental health support, sobriety support services and more.
RESOURCES & SPECIAL EVENTS
OPENING CRUISE
Wednesday, January 22, 10:00pm1:00am
Adults 18+ only.
What’s the connection you won’t forget at CC24? For nearly 20 years, the Sexual Liberation Collective and the Creating Change sex track organizers have been delighted to bring you the Opening Cruise! Whether you’re looking to find a new friend, a sexy hook-up, or the love of your life, the Opening Cruise is the place to be! We cordially invite you to come and indulge in some flirty fun while meeting other arousing conference goers. The Opening Cruise is extremely sex-positive and extravagantly welcoming for everyone who wants to delight in the delicious diversity of available, brilliant, and adventurous Creating Changers. Your fun and frisky hosts will help move you through a modified speed greeting with prompts and icebreakers, so you can meet more cuties. Participation is flexible, and everyone is welcome to attend, inclusive of all identities and life experience. You’ll have a chance to name what you want and who you are, so let your imagination go wild. Come on! Be brave! Have fun! There has never been a better time to practice your flirtation skills. You never know what might come of it!
AFFINITY ROOMS
Wednesday, January 22 through Saturday, January 26
Affinity Rooms are unstaffed, unprogrammed spaces designed to provide dedicated, welcoming environments where individuals who share a specific identity or affinity can gather, connect, and build community. Affinity Rooms for CC25 include: Ace/Aro, Bi, Black, Disability, Elders, Indigenous, Jewish, Latine, Lesbian, Muslim, NHAAPI, Sober, Trans, and Youth.
ART STUDIO SPACE
Thursday, January 23 through Saturday, January 26
Creating Change is thrilled to welcome you back to the Art Studio Space in the one and only Las Vegas, Nevada! Staffed once again by our incomparable ASS Crew (Tamara Galinsky; Jessica VonDyke; Ilene Goldstein; & Goddess Cecilia), we present to you a collaborative space in which to draw, paint, glue, sew, and weave your own personal experiences within the larger LGBTQ+ movement. Here, you can explore your own whimsy, revel in creative, queer magic, or just relax and have some right-brained fun; the possibilities are endless, there’s no wrong way to do it, and we promise, what happens here, only happens here! Come on by.
VARIETY SHOW
Thursday, January 23, 9:00pm-midnight
Creating Change 2025 Epic Variety Show! All CC25 attendees are welcome to participate. We are all talented! Performances can be a song, drag, burlesque, poem, comedy, secret talent, cheerleading, acrobatics, liberationthemed, political theater, and more. Hosted by the fabulous Ariel Vegosen (Trixie Lamonte). Ariel loves to play with pronouns, gogo dance for justice, bring joy into all aspects of life, and creatively spark connections. All acts are 3 minutes long. Sign up in advance - signup is first-come, first-served. We welcome the audience to come with an open mind, an excitement to cheer, and a desire to be entertained. Please refer to the description in Pheedloop to sign up using the link provided.
RESOURCES & SPECIAL EVENTS
RADICAL LOVE AND SEX AS THE WORLD BURNS: A BOOK
TALK AND
RECEPTION
Friday, January 24, 8:30-9:30pm
Join sex activists Dean Spade and Jaime M. Grant, as they launch their two new books: Love in a Fcked Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell Together* (Spade) and Polyamory For Dummies (Grant). Come enjoy fine chocolates, small plates, door prizes, and great company. Share in our reflections on sex, desire, and expansive family-making—the genius of surviving and thriving on more love. Dean will be joining us by Zoom; Jaime will be onsite.
AA/SOBRIETY SUPPORT
Friday, January 24, 8:00pm-10:00pm
This meeting will be based on a chapter in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, “The Doctor’s Opinion.” Written by Dr. William D. Silkworth, this introductory chapter outlines his perspective on the nature of alcoholism, emphasizing the concept of an “allergy” to alcohol where even small amounts can trigger a compulsive drinking pattern, causing significant psychological and physical distress in affected individuals.
AGENTS OF CHANGE BALL
Friday, January 24, 9:00pm-1:00am
The house/ballroom community is ‘rooted in resistance, power, and love” and holds a deep history of strength and survival among LGBTQ+ BIPOC folks in the United States, aka Turtle Island. During the 1940s Harlem Renaissance, elaborate pageants featuring Black and Latine LGBTQ+ community members gave rise to
what is known today as the house/ballroom community. In the 1970s & 80s, the first houses were created. Their structure stems from chosen families borrowing the language of mother, father, and of course, the children, each with their own talents, gifts, and personal struggles. This year, Lady Penelope, Icon Oso Milan, Rikka Milan, Stella Del Core bring ballroom culture once again to Creating Change. All ages and gender expressions are welcome to participate. Please refer to the description in Pheedloop for categories, prizes, and to sign up.
GAYME ROOM & NIGHTS
Wednesday, January 22 through Saturday, January 25 Amazon G
Welcome to the Gayme Room at Creating Change hosted by Charlotte Gaymers Network. Our dedicated alcohol-free space will be filled with 10 video game consoles. Bring your own tabletop games or use the game library of 50 games. Our prize games include one night of Drag Bingo, and one night of Jackbox. Karaoke will also be available. Relax, unwind, and have fun!
RESOURCES & SPECIAL EVENTS
AA/SOBRIETY SUPPORT
Saturday, January 25, 8:00pm10:00pm
This meeting will be a speaker meeting. We will have two speakers tell their story of what it was like, what happened, and what it is like now. Each speaker will talk for 15 minutes with 20-25 minutes of group sharing.
KIERRA’S KABARET & DANCE PARTY: THE VEGAS EXPERIENCE
Saturday, January 25
Adults 18+ only
Come razzle and dazzle in your best cabaret outfit as we welcome you to our Las Vegas Experience. Creating Change is committed to honoring and celebrating queer joy on the dance floor each year! Why? Because in the
face of attacks on our community, our collective and unapologetic queer joy is a radical act of resistance! In addition to the dance party, there will be a sensual and stimulating performance that captures the essence of Vegas. Showing love and gratitude through tipping for our performers is highly encouraged. Join us as we dance, laugh and vibe out to a mixture of sounds and sights that are sure to energize you.
RADICAL FUTURE FORWARD FAREWELL
Saturday, January 26, 10:30am12:00pm
Join us for a fabulous farewell on Sunday as we bring Creating Change to a close! We will meet up for coffee and treats as we say our sincerest goodbyes to friends and chosen family. Don’t miss the announcement to save the date and location for next year’s Creating Change Conference!
WED: 5PM – 10PM
THU-SAT:12PM – 10PM
PRIZE GAMES START AT 8PM
10 VIDEO GAME CONSOLES
ALCOHOL FREE SPACE
TABLE-TOP GAMES AND MORE!
Relax! Enjoy from a huge library of video and classic games and puzzles. Not sure if we’ll have something you like? You can bring your own game! Join in at 8pm for bingo or Jackbox and win a prize. Also, come sing your heart out for karaoke night in our judgement free zone.
DAY-LONG INSTITUTES
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22
Racial Justice Institutes
11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Indigenous Day Long Institute: Rooted in Resistance, Power & Love
Open to all. Attendees of this day-long institute will have an opportunity for LGBTQ+ Indigenous, Indigiqueer, and Two Spirit people to share their experiences and cultural importance with the broader LGBTQ+ community and would-be allies.
Participants will learn, grow, and cultivate cultural humility. Topics of interest include Two Spirit history and allyship, Two Spirit identity, mental health and creativity, decolonizing desire, and a youth and elders panel. Euro settler descendants will yield to the Indigenous narrative.
Too often colonial settlers have spoken for Two Spirit people. Our voices have been silenced in the past. Two Spirit people have reclaimed our narratives and speak for ourselves in these sessions. As Indigenous people, we are taught that listening is the way to learn. This institute will provide settlers the opportunity to listen and to learn so that by knowing who we are, respect will emerge. In this way, we can all create authentic change.
The Creating Change Indigenous Leadership Planning Committee recognizes the term Indigenous includes people of many nations, including those outside of Turtle Island or what is called the United States, North, Central, and South America. Presenters in this daylong institute mostly reflect those from North “American” territories and are the gathered knowledge of the individual, and it is not to be understood as a copy/paste culture for all Indigenous lives.
More Than One: Exploring, Engaging and Being in our Biracial/Multiracial/ Mixed Race Identity
This session explores the experiences of people who identify as biracial, multiracial, or mixed-race and the beautiful complexity that accompanies us. We will engage in discussions and activities about the joys and challenges of holding multiple race identities. Through personal reflection and dialogue, we will create space for kinship, healing, and liberation and offer tools to navigate communities in our wholeness.
NBJC’s Black Institute: Charting A New Way Forward Together
The Black and LGBTQ+ communities are the most loyal progressive voting block in the U.S. We have the receipts! #BlackFacts. Now is the time for our community to strengthen our skills, expand our knowledge, and deepen our support base to ensure all of us get and remain free –despite the hardships we soon face from the MAGA Movement. NBJC’s Black Institute theme, “Charting A New Way Forward Together,” is designed to ensure the movements for racial equity and LGBTQ+ equity center Black people and intersectionality so we can become more connected and more collaborative in our work to defend and expand democracy and advance equity despite the MAGA of it all.
DAY-LONG INSTITUTES
The institute will include a landscape analysis and future forecasting from Black LGBTQ+/ SGL movement leaders and advocates and provide opportunities for deeper connections, skills training, and resource sharing. Speakers will facilitate dreaming and discussion of Black futures, including strategies to develop and advance equity-anchored, pro-Black, pro-LGBTQ, pro-democracy legislation and practices that improve life outcomes and opportunities for Black people, including Black LGBTQ+/SGL people and those we know and love.
Sacred Reckonings: People of Faith & White Settler-Colonizers Doing the Work of Reparations
Join our multifaith space for the deeply liberative and spiritual work of repair as we determine specific and concrete suggestions for reparations for individuals, families, and spiritual communities. Open to all, this session assumes a primarily White audience as it is up to White settler-colonizers to intentionally undo the violence of White and Christian supremacy in the United States.
The Pasifika Institute
This day-long Institute seeks to shift the emphasis of creating change from a decolonizing perspective to one that reindigenizes shared spaces, fostering cultural understanding of the complexities of Pasifika Indigenous identities, providing agency for Pasifika people in their cultural identities, and strengthening community resiliency. The Pasifika Institute will hold space for Pasifika 2SLGBTQIA+ and MVPFAFF+ community leaders and advocates from across the country and Oceania to reflect, rest, resist, and reinvigorate their commitment to our shared liberation.
The Power of Us: Asian American Institute for Justice and Solidarity
The Asian American Institute 2025 is a daylong experience designed to build the power and solidarity practices of LGBTQ+ Asian American grassroots individuals and groups across the country and diaspora. Participants will explore strategies for individual and organizational capacity building to deepen collective appreciation of unique experiences and challenges within the movement to foster mutual support and trust.
Unión=Fuerza Latinx Institute
Join us for Unión=Fuerza Latinx Institute, a national gathering of Latinx LGBTQ people, allies, and organizations working toward our collective liberation in the U.S. and advancing LGBTQ Latinx power and activism. Our bilingual event is a combination of training, strategic planning, networking, and celebration! Unión=Fuerza champions our autonomy, culture, and resilience.
White People’s Institute for Ending Racism: The How is the What
The #CC25 White People’s Institute for Ending Racism will focus on building anti-racist culture. This year, we will explore the four mindsets for being most effective in multiracial space, the how and why of white affinity spaces, and practices for deepening anti-racist work. Join us this year for a mix of head, heart, and body work in service of more effective anti-racism across our movements.
DAY-LONG INSTITUTES
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23
Day-Long Institutes – Day 2
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Act Out! Young People Fight Back Against LGBTQ Attacks
Attacks on trans and queer youth at the state, local, and school board levels are endangering LGBTQ+ young people. But young people are fighting back! Led by youth activists and Advocates for Youth staff, this institute is designed to support young people ages 13-24 with all levels of organizing experiences to learn about policies, gain organizing tools, and build a network of young LGBTQ+ activists. We’re ready to ACT OUT! for equality, justice, and safety!
Advancing Sex Workers’ Rights: A Day of Learning and Action
This full-day institute will immerse participants in the history, goals, and strategies of the sex workers’ rights movement through interactive exercises exploring intersectionality and collective liberation. Attendees will engage in group discussions to develop strategies for advancing policies that prioritize the safety and rights of sex workers, alongside an overview of the funding landscape for advocacy. By the end of the workshop, participants will gain actionable knowledge on policy priorities, allyship practices, and resources to support sex worker advocacy in their communities.
Digital Strategy Training Institute
At the fourteenth annual Digital Strategy Training Institute, you will spend a day engaging with experts about the latest digital tools and online advocacy strategies that you can incorporate into your work. You will discover the latest new media trends, be trained on rapid response tactics, and learn how to implement accessible brands and web design. Lastly, through open discussion, we will help each other develop creative solutions to the challenges your organization is facing today.
Executive Director and CEO Institute
The Institute is for people who serve as executive directors or chief executives of nonprofit organizations only. (Board chairs of volunteer-only orgs are welcome to attend, but no other exceptions will be allowed.) The purpose is to create a brave space for organizational leaders to gain peer support, share resources, and discuss opportunities for collaboration within the movement. The agenda for the Institute will be designed in real-time with the participants in the room to ensure the day is responsive to attendees’ needs.
Living, Learning, and Growing Across Generations
In a world where inclusivity, empathy, and belonging are essential to collective well-being, it’s crucial to bring together LGBTQ+ people of all ages and backgrounds to create lasting social change. For decades, activists have fought tirelessly on the front lines, challenging LGBTQ+ discrimination and dismantling systemic racism. Now, more than ever, the power of intergenerational collaboration can strengthen our movement and reduce divisions—whether they be by age, identity, or experience.
DAY-LONG INSTITUTES
Movers, Shakers, & Good Troublemakers: Building Bi+ Unity and Positive Change
In this year’s bi+ institute, we will explore the past, present, and future of bi+ identities and advocacy. We will review the data - such as it is - around the experiences of bi+ people and talk about the challenges we face in the LGBTQ+ movement and the broader culture. Participants will have the opportunity to connect around intersectional commonalities, including regional, sociocultural, and inhabited identities.
Queer Climate Justice Institute
Drawing the connections between LGBTQIA2S+ liberation and the struggles for a safe, sustainable, and accessible planet are critical now more than ever. While the climate crisis produces chaos and uncertainty, queer and trans people are targeted and vulnerable to the environmental disasters and rightwing attacks.
Sex. HEAL. Action!
As attacks on sexuality and bodily autonomy continue to dominate the national stage, it is time to build a different relationship with our bodies, sex, and sexuality. “Sex, HEAL, Action!” is an interactive, activity-packed institute where you get to ask questions like, “Why do I fear my fantasies?” or “When did I learn to be ashamed of my desires?”
Southerners on New Ground (SONG):
The South Got Something to Say!
Southerners on New Ground (SONG) invites you back home. We are going to use this space to foster connections among queer and trans activists, organizers, and allies from the southern region to strengthen networks of support and collaboration.
The Faith Institute
Queer and trans individuals hold a complex relationship with religion and spirituality. While many have found pain and rejection from theologies and institutions, others have sought to create a space for renewal and a sense of community. It’s essential to create a space that allows us to discuss these challenges while exchanging ideas, resources, and opportunities that can build on and sustain a larger movement.
The Fight for Our Lives: Building Queer
Union Power to Fight Fascism Together!
We have fought all our lives for the right to be seen, heard, and employed with equality, dignity, and respect. And now the incoming Presidential administration has focused their sights on our LGBTQIA+ family. But by joining together in unions, workers upend the power imbalance between employees and CEOs, and the working class and billionaires.
DAY-LONG INSTITUTES
Trans Agenda for Liberation - Trans and Non Binary Institute
The purpose of the institute is to bring together Trans and Non-Binary communities to share strategies for resilience and resistance centering TNB communities facing the greatest barriers to survival BIPOC, migrants, trans women and femmes, youth, elders, people living with disabilities, and people living with HIV.
What
in
the L?!: All Things Lesbian
Can we talk about All Things Lesbian?! Join us for a healthy exchange of information that will educate, empower, and uplift all participants. Women from varying demographics are invited and encouraged to take part in the conversation.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24
Day-Long Institutes – Day 3
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Grassroots Fundraising Institute
Presented by Funders for LGBTQ Issues, Borealis Philanthropy, and the National LGBTQ Task Force, this day-long institute offers fundamental skills-building opportunities for development professionals and other nonprofit leaders seeking to grow financial resources in a tumultuous political climate. Morning and afternoon workshops will provide a behindthe-curtain look into the minds, perspectives, and motivations of philanthropic decisionmakers. What are they focused on in this post-election era? What kind of data and impact are they looking for? Hear directly from experts who have their finger on the pulse of LGBTQ resource mobilization and hear how the landscape is trending. Following a break for our afternoon plenary, come back and join us to get key pointers and tips from the team at Borealis Philanthropy about how to network effectively with funders at social events.
Take Back the Power: Organizing to Build the World We Deserve
Building community and power together as trans and queer people has always been our superpower. Join long-time organizers Samantha Master (Midwest Academy) and Silas Musick (State Voices) as they share concrete skills and tools to build power in your community and win issue-based campaigns through the New Deal for Organizing–a collaborative training program designed to build our movements’ capacity to organize and win power led by the Alliance for Youth Organizing, Midwest Academy, and State Voices. We don’t cry, we organize.
DAY-LONG INSTITUTES
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24
Day-Long Institutes – Day 4
9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence: Backfire Institute
Attacks, threats, and harassment of LGBTQIA+ people have always been a visceral tactic straight from the authoritarian playbook. The purpose of that political violence is always clear: those who incite, enable, and enact political violence aim to divide us, distract us, and keep us silent so that they can benefit politically and financially while our rights and freedoms are stripped away. Political violence has been on the rise, and we know that in the months ahead, the risk of political violence is greater than it’s
ever been. But together we are powerful, and we can end political violence. In this Institute, we’ll explore a tried-and-true framework for responding to political violence in ways that make it backfire on those that perpetrate it by imposing social, political, and economic costs, while supporting and strengthening those who are targeted and building the power of our movements. We’ll assess the current landscape, celebrate the ways that our communities have stayed safe and built power, build connections and plans, and awaken imagination about how to effectively respond to political violence in ways that build the possibility of the inclusive, people-powered, multi-racial democracy we need.
Co-Conspirator ($50,000)
Grassroots Funding
Accomplice ($25,000)
Accessibility
Comrade ($10,000)
Collaborator ($2,500)
Underwriters
Practice Spirit, Do Justice
Sex Track
A Whole, New World
10 years of Responsive, Innovative, and Movement-Driven Mobilization
Participatory Grantmaking
Community representatives shape funding decisions across funds to facilitate discussions that foster a deeper dive into the national landscape, best practices, emerging innovations, and the experiences of those most impacted
Rapid Response Funding
We provide essential, flexible funding to address urgent crises, supporting underresourced BIPOC, queer, trans, and disabled communities during critical flashpoint moments like bail fund bans, protest suppression, natural disasters, and more.
Intersectional Funding
We prioritize leadership from marginalized groups through initiatives like the Black Disabled Liberation Project and Disability x Tech Fund, which amplify and fund BIPOC, disabled, queer, and trans voices
Grants for Healing and Joy
Recognizing restoration and joy as essential elements to sustainability, our Funds also mobilize resources to support organizers themselves to foster community relationship-building and access collective life-affirming experiences.
Capacity-Building
We strive to sustain and strengthen movements, ensuring equitable investment in those leading transformative change Grantee-driven programs include leadership development, peer learning, technical support and more.
WORKSHOPS & CAUCUSES
As of December 30, 2024. Listing subject to change. Please refer to the Creating Change 2025 Conference mobile app for updated info, dates and times.
WORKSHOPS
• #Time2Run: LGBTQ+ Candidacy & Campaigns
• 2024 Lessons Learned: Post Election Debrief
• 69 Ways to Use Saran Wrap: Safer Sex Tips for Queer, Nonbinary & Trans People
• A Communications Framework For Social Change: The Momentum Model
• A discussion with AARP and Allen Morris about how LGBTQ+ experience healthcare and getting older
• After the Agents of Change
• Agents of Change- The House/BallRoom Community- Who are we?
• AIDS DIVA: The Legend of Connie NormanFilm Screening and Q&A
• Archiving for Advocacy: Ethical Archiving for Trans Advocacy
• BAD FAITH: Christian Nationalism’s Unholy War on Democracy
• Balancing Emotional Intelligence & Anger to Obtain Your Desired Result
• Be Gay, Do Crime
• Beginnings, Middles, and Ends: Rituals to move you through transitions
• Beyond the vote (THE AFTERMATH)
• Bi+ Stories on Screen: A BiCONIC Mini Film Festival
• Black Facts: What Black Data Says About Movement & Messaging
• Blossoming in Belief: A Plant-Powered Approach to Faith and Spirituality
• Breaking Barriers, Building Capacity: A New Model for Black Queer Movement Leadership
• Building Local Power – How to fight for an LGBTQ+ Sanctuary City
• Building Power for Workers Through Storytelling & Personal Experiences
• Building relationships, building power: Broadening your reach beyond LGBTQ organizations
• Caring for Ourselves and Our Loved Ones: Family and Medical Leave for Trans and Nonbinary Workers
• Changing History - 60 years of Noble Deeds
• Co-Conspiring for Sex & Gender Liberation in Education: Navigating Legislative Fights Against Censorship
• Community Safety and Security: A Mapping and Strategizing Our Movement and Work
• Conectando Voces: Construyendo una Red de Voceros Latines // Connecting Voices: Building a Network of Latine Spokespeople
• Confronting Organizing Dilemmas for Advanced Movement Builders
• Create Change with a Pride Interfaith ServiceCommunity Organizer’s Toolkit
• Creating change with beautiful data and design: Tips and tricks
• De-Escalating Without Tone Policing
• Decolonizing Our Desires
• Decriminalizing Sex Work
• Demystifying Foundation Funding
• Demystifying Fundraising
• Did You Play Yet?; Using Gaming as a Tool for Pleasure-Based Sexual Health Education
• Elevating BIPOC TGNC Leaders in LGBTQ Movements: Operationalizing Organizational Commitments for Change
• Embracing the Menopause Transition for Trans and Other Queerbodied Folx
WORKSHOPS & CAUCUSES
• Emerging Nonprofit Leaders: Navigating Leadership and Personal Development
• Empowering Communities: Conducting LGBTQ+ Needs Assessments through Inclusive Collaboration
• Empowering Voices: LGBTQ+ Representation and Advocacy in Civil Service and Policy
• Empowering Youth: A Workshop on Suicide Prevention and Resilience
• Empowerment and Rights: Voice and Struggle of Sex Workers
• Engaging Parents as Allies in the LGBTQ+ Movement
• For Them!: RJ 101 for College Students at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs)
• From Data to Action: Centering Research with LGBTQIA+ Older Adults
• From Grassroots to Growth: Expanding and Building Capacity for LGBTQ+ Nonprofits
• LGBTQ Nonprofit Executives of Color: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly Professional Development
• LGBTQI+ Data Equity: The American Community Survey
• Listening as Liberation: Storytelling for Movement Building
• Health Justice in the Age of Afrofuturism: Black LGBTQ Communities Reimagining our Healthcare
• Helping Racially and Religiously Diverse Families to Support LGBTQ+ Youth
• Hot Girl Sh*T: Embracing Young People’s Pleasure and Reproductive Freedom
• How to Grow an Organization from Idea to Fully Realized
• How to throw a play party
• Integrating HIV Testing, Food Security, and Trauma Screening in Black Gay and Trans Communities
• Intersex Solidarity in LGBTQ+ Advocacy
• Introduction to Strategic Volunteer Engagement
• Issues in Transgender Cultural Competency Training
• Mapping Your Desire
• Measuring Rainbows: Ethical and Trauma Informed Research in the LGBTQ+ Community
• Memory Activism: Archival Work as Resistance in Queer, Trans, Migrant, and Indigenous Communities
• Microaggressions of Desire II: Joy Shaming
• Mobilizing for LGBTQI+ Newcomers
• More than Condoms:
Comprehensive Sex WorkerCentered Harm Reduction
• More Than Just Money: Effectively Resourcing Our Movements
• Movement History: Triangle Power and Pain
• Narrative Institute
• Navigating Digital Security With All Your Hats On: Digital Security for Individuals & Organizations
• Orisha, Resistance and Healing
• Our Community, Our Voice: Conducting Research for Our Success
• Out of Gender Conversations
• OutVote: Youth-Led LGBTQIA+ Civic Engagement
• Passing the torch and cutting the umbilical cord
• Polyamory for Geniuses
• Post Election Decompression
• Power for the People: How To Organize to Win!
WORKSHOPS & CAUCUSES
• Practicing Everyday Transformative Justice: How to Give an Apology
• Preparing for Politically Motivated Attacks on Your Nonprofit
• PRIDE in Health: The Latest in LGBTQIA+ Health Research
• Promise 2025 is the answer to Project 2025
• Queer the Air: Carve out Space and Invite Breath
• Queering Death and Preparedness
• Realistic Solidarity: What is possible within LGBTQ+ Asian and Pasifika Communities?
• Reclaiming Māhū: Indigenous Approaches to Moving the Movement
• Reclaiming Our Power: Championing Rising LGBTQIA+ Youth Leaders
• Reclaiming Power and Wellness: A Healing Justice Journey for LGBTQ2S BIPOC Folx
• Reclaiming Sexual Power: A Trans-Centered Journey to Healing and Liberation
• Reproductive Health Advocacy for Men of Trans Experience
• Resourcing in Ritual: Embracing Judaism and LGBTQ+ Identity for a Liberated Future
• Revolutionary Relating: Queering Culture & Polyamory
• Sex as 3ibada
• Sexy Crip Bodies
• Sexy Survivor: Leaning Into Fun & Playfulness (Double Session)
• Shifting Culture: Collective Leadership Strategies for building Inclusive, TraumaInformed Workplaces!
• Southern Organizing for Social Change
• Storytelling Trans Truth: A Research-Backed Narrative Strategy
• Surviving and Thriving Through the DEI Backlash
• Surviving while Queer
• Telling Your Story, Media training
• The Impact of Immigration Policies on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Asylum Seekers
• The Influence of Intersectionality on Privilege
• The Role of Corporate Philanthropy in Supporting Queer Organizations
• These Are A Few of My Favorite Things
• Trans Youth Storytelling Workshop
• Trauma-Informed Leadership & Communication
• Universal Health Care and the Fight for Aging LGBTQ Individuals: Navigating Policy and Legislative Challenges
• Walk Into My Hogan - Is This Where I Belong?
• We are the Work: Fostering Multigenerational Space to Sustain the Movement
• We Got You! We Got Us: Supporting Transgender & Non-binary Students in Schools
• We Keep Us Safe: Gun Violence Prevention Measures and the LGBTQ+ Community
• What That Power Do? Black LGBTQ+/SGL People Running for Elected Office and Holding Elected Leaders Accountable
• What’s Killing Us? Shortened life expectancy, LGBTQ+ women, and what the data says
• When Violence is the Narrative: Ethical and Sustainable Storytelling Practices for the Worst Case Scenarios
• Why #CancelPinkwashing Still Matters: Queer Liberation vs. Zionist Distraction
• Winning Strategies: How to Successfully Modernize HIV Criminalization Laws in your State
• Working For Our Good: QTBIPOC Healing and Justice Through Faith
WORKSHOPS & CAUCUSES
CAUCUSES
• A Contracorriente: VIH, Homofobia, Estrategias de Interrupcion para Combatir Estereotipos y Discursos Violentos
• Abolition for All!
• Addressing BIPOC TGNC Leadership Barriers in HIV Nonprofit Work
• Advanced Polyamory/Nonmonogamy Caucus
• Anti-violence Advocates Caucus
• API Transmasculine Folks
• Asexuality & Attraction
• Autistic Caucus
• Bi+ Caucus: Indi-BI-sible -- Bi/Pan/Queer Solidarity
• BIPOC Leather and Kink Caucus
• Black Youth Worker Caucus
• Calling all EcoQueers and QT Climate Babes
• Caucus for Mixed BIPOC LGBTQIA+ Folx
• Comprehensive Health and Rights: Breaking Stigmas about HIV and Sexuality in the Transgender Community
• Facilitator/Educator/Event Creator for LGBTIQA+ Persons/Communities Caucus
• Filipinx Queer Caucus
• Florida Caucus
• Intermediate Polyamory/Nonmonogamy Caucus
• Lesbian Caucus
• North Carolina Caucus
• Operations, HR & Finance Equity in Our Organizations
• Oy Gay! Creating a Jewish Affinity Space
• Pagan, Nature Spirituality and Radical Faerie Heart Circle
• Parent Supporting Parents: Navigating the Journey Together
• Parenting While Queer: Navigating Heteronormativity and Cultural Influences and expectations
• Pennsylvania Caucus
• Polyamory/Nonmonogamy for Beginners Caucus
• Pride & The Divine 9
• Pride At Work Labor Caucus
• Queer and Trans Muslim Caucus Space
• Queer Community Arts Organizers Caucus
• Queer Higher Education Professionals Caucus
• Queer Middle Eastern and North African Caucus
• Queer Muslim Voyagers
• Queer Technologists Caucus
• Royal Voices: Elevating Black Trans Leadership Through Pageantry and Advocacy
• Rural LGBTQIA+ Voices: Building Community and Capacity for Justice
• Sexual and Domestic Violence Survivor Caucus
• Still Covid-ing Caucus: Navigating Connection, Intimacy and Community in a “Post-COVID” World
• Talking Circle - all are welcome
• Texas. La Resistencia Trans Migrante
• The State of the Queer Solidarity Movement with Palestine
• Trans Family Building Caucus
• Trans MSM
• Trans sex work
• Unpacking Trans Abuse: A Panel on Intersectional Harm and Healing
• What’s In A Name?
• Y’all Means All: A Space for Solidarity and Healing for Changemakers in the South and Midwest
• Youth Activism Caucus
Queering Faith at Creating Change
It’s more than a welcoming space. We’re showing how queer liberation and religious pluralism are interconnected and strengthen each other.
Practice Spirit, Do Justice
Practice Spirit, Do Justice is the faith track of Creating Change, offering workshops, caucuses, the Many Paths Gathering Space, the Faith Institute, and the Sunday Interfaith Service.
Faith Institute
Queer and trans individuals hold a complex relationship with religion and spirituality. While many have experienced pain and rejection by theologies and institutions, others have sought to create a space for renewal and a sense of community. It's essential to create a space that allows us to discuss these challenges while exchanging ideas, resources, and opportunities that can build on and sustain a larger movement.
As activists, organizers, and people of diverse worldviews, we have skills for taking on the responsibility of supporting people through experiences of harm in the world and supporting people to clarify pathways for activism. The Faith Institute offers an opportunity to share our experiences and skills in an interfaith context.
Many Paths Gathering Space
Amazon Q, R, S, & T
The Many Paths Gathering Space is a welcoming, dedicated space for spiritual practice, ritual, reflection, support, connection, and breathing space, for conference-goers of any or no spiritual path. Stop by for spiritual practice, to chat with a Spiritual Care Team member, or to just take a quiet break from the conference. Scheduled offerings include:
• Opening Night Christian Prayer Circle Wednesday, 7:00pm-7:30pm
• Buddhist Meditation Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun, 8:15-8:45am
• Muslim Jummah Gathering Friday, 12:00-1:30pm
• Shabbat Service Friday, 5:30-7:00pm
• Pagan Ancestor Circle Saturday, 1:30-2:15pm
• Name/Gender/Pronoun Blessing Ritual Saturday, 3:15-4:15pm
• Catholic Mass Saturday, 4:45-5:30pm
• Ecumenical Christian Service Sunday, 9:00-10:15am
All spiritual gatherings are open to all. The Many Paths Gathering Space also holds space for tarot and oracle card readings, anointing for activists, art as spiritual practice, self-guided daily Muslim prayers, and more. For more details, see the Creating Change app or visit:
ManyPathsGathering.com
“ is a queer issue.”
A monthly series of Instagram Live conversations bringing to light topics that aren’t necessarily seen as traditional “queer issues” – but nevertheless deeply impact queer folk’s ability to thrive, and live authentic and full lives.
Find it on Instagram through our profile page: @thetaskforce!
Host: Benjamin Coy (@benjiecoy)
AAA Cares.
Everytown for Gun Safety is proud to support the 2025 Creating Change Conference.
Thank you to the National LGBTQ Task Force for all you do to advance freedom and equality for all LGBTQ+ people.
Be sure to attend Everytown Support Fund's workshop session, We Keep Us Safe: Gun Violence Prevention Measures and the LGBTQ+ Community. Gun violence touches every town in America. Everytown is a movement of over 5 million Americans working together to end gun violence and build safer communities.
LEARN MORE AT EVERYTOWN.ORG FOLLOW US @EVERYTOWN
Comcast NBCUniversal is proud to support The National LGBTQ Task Force and its Creating Change Conference.
Here’s to shaping a more inclusive world.
TASK FORCE INFO
The National LGBTQ Task Force builds the power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community from the ground up. The Task Force is the country’s premier social justice organization fighting to improve the lives of LGBTQ people, and working to create positive, lasting change and opportunity for all. Founded 1973 www.theTaskForce.org
BOARDS OF DIRECTORS - NATIONAL LGBTQ TASK FORCE
Co-Chair
Erik Richard Morin, Co-Chair
Rodney McKenzie, Jr.,
Treasurer
Colgate Darden
Dr. Jerry Abraham
Peter Chandler
Vanessa Daniel
Alfredo Del Cid
Malcolm R. Gage, Jr.
PHILANTHROPY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
T. Aaron Hans
Donald Hayden
Sian Lewis
David M. Pérez
Jeremy Rye
Candelario Saldana
Almas Sayeed
Dr. Anika Simpson
Kevin Wang
Creating Change has long been a powerhouse for social change, and the Task Force is deeply committed to ensuring our movements is well resourced. This year, we’ve amplified efforts to build philanthropic infrastructure by launching a Grassroots Fundraising Institute and bringing liberatory funders into the Creating Change space. These efforts create real time opportunities for funders and movement builders to connect, collaborate, and drive progress together.
Shout out to our amazing committee members who helped make these efforts possible.
• Stonewall Community Foundation- Maryse Pearce
• Arcus Foundation- Glo Ross
• Funders for LGBTQ Issues- Alexander Lee
• Borealis Philanthropy- Dr. Carrie Kholi Murchison
• National LGBTQ Task Force- Taylor Biro
Executive Leadership
Kierra Johnson (she/they) President
Alicia Boykins (she/they) Vice President, People and Culture
Sayre E. Reece (they/them) Vice President, Strategic Advancement
Firat Demir (he/him) Executive Assistant to the Executive Director
Advocacy and Action
Kris Hayashi (he/him) Director of Advocacy and Action
Allen Morris (he/his/gladiator) Policy Director
Kayla S. Rivera (she/her/ella) Action Fund Campaign Director
Rae Leiner (they/them), Field Director
Tahil Sharma (he/they) Faith Director
Andrea Montanez (she/her) Field Organizer
Delilah Pierre (she/her) Field Organizer
Kenya Whitaker , J.D. (she/her) Government Affairs Associate
TASK FORCE STAFF
Meera Rajput , J.D. (she/her) State Policy Analyst/Counsel
Wayne Rocque (he/they) Civic Engagement Manager
Communications
Cathy Renna (she/her) Director of Communications
Dee Tum-Monge (they/elle/ella) Senior Communications Manager
Benjamin Coy , M.A. (he/they) Communications Marketing Campaign Manager
Amber Dodd (she/her) Web and Content Manager
Conferences and Events
Andy Garcia (he/him) Director of Conferences and Events
Fernando Z. López (they/them) Senior Strategist, Creating Change Director
Court Betro (she/they) Creating Change 365 Program Organizer
Michael Bath (he/him) Events Director
Development
Jacky Goh (she/her) Chief Development Officer
Andrea Durojaiye (she/her) Membership Manager
Cary Webb (she/her) Development Operations Coordinator
Jake Arnell (he/him) Institutional & Corporate Giving Manager
Ryan Hurst (he/him/his) Director of Individual Giving
Sala Dold (she/her/hers) Individual Giving Officer
Taylor Biro (she/they) Foundation Giving Officer
Operations
Rick Mohn (he/him), Senior Finance Manager
Tanya Kelly-Blackford (she/her), Database Administrator
People and Culture
Dana Riceel (her/she/Hershey) People and Culture Manager
TASK FORCE DONORS
We extend a heartfelt thanks to our Leadership Council members for their continued support of the Task Force and the Task Force Action Fund. Leadership Council members make an annual gift of $1,500 or more and give the Task Force the flexibility to build grassroots LGBTQ political power across the nation. Below are our Leadership Council donors for Fiscal Year 2024 (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024). If we have inadvertently omitted or incorrectly listed your name, please contact Jacky Goh, Chief Development Officer, at jgoh@thetaskforce.org
PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE
($50,000+)
James Berwind & Kevin Clark
Janet M. Edwards
Robert Holgate
Steven L. Holley
H. Scott Huizenga
Tess & Daniel Klingessrow
H. Richard Quadracci
Elizabeth A. Scott & James Houston
Stupski Foundation at San Francisco Foundation
Anonymous
EXECUTIVE’S CIRCLE
($25,000 - $49,999)
Colgate W. Darden IV
Liebe & Seth Gadinsky
Weston F. Milliken
Stanley Newman & Brian Rosenthal
Holly Peterson
Bill & Alex Roedy
Jim Tyrrell & Roger Thomson
AMBASSADOR’S CIRCLE
($10,000 - $24,999)
Joseph Arena & Thomas D’Eletto
Rea Carey & Margaret Conway
Bradley Carlson & Troy Du Toit
Patricia Finegan
Jorge Luis Garcia
T. Aaron Hans & Tania Mitchell
Don J. Hayden & Brian Thompson
Tracy Hewat & Hez Norton
Eugene Kapaloski
Richard Milstein & Eric Hankin
James Pepper
Barbara Ropert
Edward Snowdon & Duffy Violante
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
($5,000 - $9,999)
Judith Bennett & Cynthia Herrup
Candy S. Cox & Debra L. Peevey
Alexander Diaz
Allison & Zachary Julius
Mitchell Karp & Barry Katz
Jeremiah Kelly & Paul Oostenbrug
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava
Kevin McCarty & Henri Vezie
Laurie Mirman
Anthony Montoya & David Holmes
Dr. Oxana Ovakimyan
Alejandro Roark
Marianne Seggerman
Robert Seligsohn
Mark Sexton & Kirk Wallace
Commissioner Micky Steinberg
Alex Volckhausen
Dr. Kevin Wang
Amelie Zurn-Galinsky
ADVOCATE’S CIRCLE
($2,500 - $4,999)
Ralph Alpert
Sara J. Anderson
Meg & Sarah Baesmith
Joseph Bartush
C. D. Bedford
Samantha Boardman
Charles Browning & Robert Elis
Diane Cary & Jim Parriott
Paul & Caroline Cronson
Nicole & Wayne Cypen
Pamela David
William Dollaway & Glenn Barcheski
James M. Foreman & Francisco De Leon
Todd Goldstein
Dr. Erwin Gonzalez
Benjamin & William Hamilton
Commissioner Eileen
Higgins
Steven Hill & Jonathan Herz
Molly Holmes
Harold L. Ivey
Matt Kaczmarek & Aaron Ordower
Sian Lewis
Richard Lynch & Frank Steil
Robert McCrae
& William Newell
Barbara Meislin
Paulette Meyer & David Friedman
Jason Misleh
Erik R. Morin & Luis Calderon
Stephanie & Paul Morris
Alfreda Murck
Jack Bankowsky & Matthew Marks
Nancy D. Polikoff
Thomas Qafzezi & Juan Rodriguez
Daniel Rabinowitz & Ann Thomas
Leslie Seale & Frank Ippolito
Sean Eldridge & Chris Hughes
Linton Stables, III & Gregory Brown
Deric Walters & Jesse Lehrhoff
Gerald Wentland & Jean-Paul Michaud
Beth Zemsky & Chris Heeter
DELEGATE’S CIRCLE
($1,500 - $2,499)
Juan Battle & Michael Bennett
Scott Bennett
David Berg & Laura Butzel
Robin Bergen & Janine Hackett
Susana Berger & Ashley Baia
Lewis Black
Edwin Blackman
Julie Callsen & Brad Pohlman
Peter Chandler
Timothy Convery
Dana Cowin
George DeBolt
Robert Denny
Michelle Dupre
Dennis Edwards & Mark Steinberg
Dwight Foley
Malcolm Gage, Jr. & Brian Bristow
Ben Guess & Jim Therrien
Thomas Harshman & Stanley Gwyn
Jeff Hawkins & Janet Strauss
Norman Horowitz & Robert Tomasik
Cindy Houston & Rete Carie
Emily Howe & Aimee Gelnaw
Lawrence Kreisman
L. C. Massey & Gillie Holme
Douglas Mateyaschuk, II & Evan Wolfe
Rev. Rodney McKenzie
Rev. Rodney McKenzie, Jr.
Albert McMeen, III & James Davis
Michael Miller
Hez Norton & Rev. Arrington Chambliss
Jeffrey Oliverio & Tony Mendoza
Joe Pallant
C. G. Pash, Jr.
Ralph Pellecchio & James Wernz
David Perez
John Peters
James Petrone
Michael Piore & Rodney Yoder
Marjorie Press
Col. Jennifer Pritzker
Marlys Rechkemmer
Erick Rivero
Gay Roane
Jeremy Rye
Joan Schaeffer & Roberta Mandel
Peter Shomer
Lisa & Brian Tannebaum
Stephen Thayer & Howard Terry
Albert Thompson & Kenneth Smith
Morgan Weinstein
William Wilson & Dr. Richard Wall
Rene Wolfensberger & David Chiu
Shannon Wu & Joseph Kahn
TASK FORCE DONORS
A special thank you to the following people for naming the Task Force as a beneficiary in their estate planning.
LEGACY CIRCLE
David I. Abramson
Pedro C. Acosta
Nicholas S. Albertson
Ponciano A. Allen
Jason Anderson
Ricardo Aragon
Judith A. & John R. Averill
Nicole R. Avila
Kevin R. Bannerman
Alexis J. Barbieri
John J. Bard
Stephanie M. Barton-Farcas
Michael Bath
William M. Beachler
Sidney M. Becker
Milanie Bekker
Dolores D. Bell
Victor G. Benitez
Luna S. Bentley
Lauren M. Bertagnolli
Jillian K. S. Bishop
David A. Bjork & Jeff L. Bengtson
Thomas S. Black
Marsha C. Botzer & Kimberly Harms
Thomas Boyd
Laura M. Bradley
Patrick J. Brady
Desiree V. Brandon-Gouveia
Richard D. Bray
James C. Bricker
Holly Bridwell
Jacob M. Brigham
Matthew Brown & Wayne Chang
Hannah G. Browning
Herman J. Brown-Stepan
Jennifer M. Buchwald
P. Alan Bulliner
Margaret A. Burd & Dr. Rebecca Brinkman
Susan Burnside
Howard R. Busby
Verlin D. Campbell
Kevin Carlin
Bradley R. Carlson
Kenneth R. Chambers
Elizabeth L. Chapman
Julie A. Childs & Sara Speargas
Kristen E. Clark
Antonio U. Clavijo
Christopher B. Collis
Jennifer D. Coluccio
Yvonne County
Candy S. Cox & Debra L. Peevey
Perseus A. Crabtree
Jessica L. Custard
Anthony O. Daniel
Dr. David E. Dassey
Donald E. Davis
Kai A. Davison
George J. DeBolt
Joseph DeMarco & Barry McCloud
Laura A. E. Denmark
Craig M. Desoer
Skye Dicker
Sarah A. Douglas
Ross Draegert
Sabrina K. Duckett
Pamela A. Dukovac
Bert Easter & Dr. Ed Madden
Victoria K. Elliott York
Nina Feirer
Gregory T. Fields
Charles M. Fink & Leonard Jones
Kingsley E. Floyd
Matthew F. & Kristine Frazier
Madison K. Frazier
Adrienne D. Freed
Sally L. Freitas
Richard Fremont-Smith
Liebe & Seth Gadinsky
Stephen A. Glassman
Joe Goenaga
Rachel E. Gollay
Barbara M. Gosz
Marissa K. L. Greer
Brian E. Griffin
Mary E. Harper & Marigene Arnold
Daniel A. Harris & Jane Buttars
Jeffery Haskins
Tiera D. Heady
Sheila Healy & Liselle La France
Tracy Heinz
Brandy M. Hodges
Tee J. Holder
Lavenia N. Hood
John Hubschmitt
Shirley J. Hudson
Rachel Hurst
Stefanie A. Irmen
Kerry L. Jacobs
Kent J. Johnson & Cody Blomberg
Latoya L. Johnson
Alyson M. Judd
Steven D. Kaeser
Kerry J. & Richard J. Kelleher
Dr. Ronald Kendall & Harold Kendall
Linda Ketner
Cynthia L. Konrad
Harold D. Kooden, PhD & John Hunter, PhD
Michelle M. Lachance
Zach L. Lamb
Brianna J. M. Lambert
Marilyn Lamkay
Sheila A. Leach Stubben
Joseph Lesko
Norma J. Lindsey
Peggy Lipschutz
David Littell & Edward Selekman
Lester H. London
Alyxia D. Loney
Lisa E. Lynn
Matthew F. Lyons
Lindsey M. Lyons
Ed Madden & Bert Easter
Francis C. Madi Cerrada
Karma R. Maliar
Donna Marburger
Raymond C. Marlotte
Kimberly J. Marlotte
Barbara Brown & Sandy Delegal
Jewel M. Mason
Dana M. Mason
Joseph Maximilian
Angela D. N. May-Graham
Kriss A. McCarthy
Barry McCloud & Joseph D. Demarco
Ismael Melendez
Sean Melton
Naomi E. Metz & Jennifer Foley
Robert F. Miailovich
Michael E. Miller
Kevin F. Moderski
John H. Moe
Isabelle V. Moore
Erik R. Morin & Luis Calderon
David Morrissette
Liisa H. Murray
Dr. James Nonnemaker
Leslie K. Norman
Lee Ormsbee
Austin L. Parrow
Martin C. Patterson
Loni L. Pendergrass
John Perez
Jason L. Perry
Amanda C. Perry
Danielle K. Peverelle
Staci L. Phillips
Jessica P. Pollard
Rhonda W. Potter
Richa Prabhakar
Addison T. Pressley
Jeffrey L. Proctor
Ken Ranftle & Craig Leiby
Jordan W. Redman
Sayre E. Reece & Rev. Kathleen Campisano
Stephen M. Richards
Nathaniel J. Rickman
Robert G. Ritzenhein
Charles W. Robbins & Damon Romine
Francesca Roccaforte
Lauren E. Rodriguez
Anthony Rominske
Ian A. Roser
Russell D. Roybal
Isabella M. Sanchez
Robert T. Sanchez
Jennifer A. Santana
Heather C. Sargeant
Fred B. Schaefer
Kudra V. Schleder
J Schmidt
Kevin Schmidt
Michael W. Schnabel
David E. Scott
Marianne G. Seggerman
Andrew Sendall
Elliott R. Sernel & Larry Falconio
Lorayne J. Shafer
Lee J. Sharp & Gary S. Hotchberg
Louise Sheppard
James B. Shipman
Dr. Larry Siegel
Whitney R. Sierra
Holly M. Solis
Michael Staeb
Alan V. Stageberg
Robert J. Starshak, M.D. & Ross Draegert
Sandra Stattion
Grant M. Steerzer
William J. Stein
Wade A. Strafford-Elkins
Steven M. Strafford-Elkins
Rachel E. Taylor
David J. Thomas
Clarice Thomas
Lauren M. Todd
Justin M. Trenz
Loet VanDerveen & George Burton
Marissa L. Watterson
Dr. Scott J. Weber
Wende L. Weber
Edward F. Weiss
Barbara D. Weiss
Miranda J. Whitehead
Jessika G. Whitehouse
Lauren Wiener
Harry K. Willwater & Hal L. Barker
Jazzmin T. Wilson
Edith S. Windsor
Douglas Wingo & Timothy Legg
Benton Wong
David Wright
Miralba C. Yepez
Beth L. Zemsky & Chris Heeter
Daniel R. Zillmann
Harvey Zuckman & Phil E. Oxman
Estate of William A.K. Ryan
James W. Lundberg Philanthropic Trust
Beth Zemsky Family Foundation
to end HIV for all
As the only pharmaceutical company solely focused on HIV, ViiV Healthcare not only delivers innovative medicines that make a difference, like the first-ever long-acting options, we also work hand in hand with communities to develop sustainable solutions.
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