The National LGBTQ Task Force’s annual Creating Change conference was held, for the first time ever, in San Francisco. The conference took place from February 17–21, 2023, at the Hilton San Francisco. Upon arrival, participants were greeted by streams of rainbow colors installed on the interior steps leading from the hotel’s main entrance into the main lobby interior.
The conference’s opening plenary included acknowledgement of the Task Force’s 50th Anniversary and the opening keynote was presented by gay historian and author Eric Marcus.
Introduced by emcee Sandra Valls, Task Force Executive Director, Kierra Johnson delivered the annual State of the Movement address, noting the overturn of Roe v. Wade as well as issues related to the 2022 midterm elections and both challenges and opportunities ahead.
Bay Area activists were featured in multiple sessions throughout the conference, with Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider’s session during Gayme Night being among the most memorable.
San Francisco Bay Times columnist Joanie Juster acknowledged the significance of the Exhibit Area at the conference where organizations from throughout the U.S. were represented and offered information about their programs and advocacy.
Juster also commented on the general session on Sunday, February 19, featuring a panel with four women of color: Johnson, gun control activist X. González, Nadine Bridges from One Colorado, and Beverly Tillery from the NYC Anti-Violence Project.
To learn more about the conference’s diverse program:
http://www.thetaskforce.org
Published on February 23, 2023
Recent Comments