Those were the popping mantras of the recent National Conference on LGBT Equality sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force in good old Detroit, Michigan. I did a warm up show the night before the conference in Ann Arbor at the wonderful Ark. Good thing the action at the confab was hot, because otherwise it was fa-reezing. Not that I ever left the hotel for four days.
It was their 20th such activist conference and it was like old Homo week. I saw a lot of old pals – the brilliant historian and biographer of Bayard Rustin, John D’Emilio; longtime activist and founder of Southerners On New Ground [SONG], Mandy Carter; and conference founder and general hell-raiser, Sue Hyde.
And I fell under the spell of roving gangs of young gay activists who brought me to poetry slams, dances and real-time organizing. We fought about Clinton v. Obama, kissed, made up and pledged to work to defeat whatever old Warhead the Republicans threw up.
The old homos embraced me, and I them. Just as they changed the health system to deal and deliver around the AIDS crisis, they are at it again to bring their skill-sets to transforming aging in this country. We are having a second wind, so watch out.
Trans-activists were fierce, funny and firm with me, making sure that I got the T in every mention of our community in my duties as emcee of the daily plenary sessions. We heard Julian Bond of the NAACP, Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire and Bernice Johnson Reagon and Toshi Reagon.
If you feel a subtle or not-so-subtle shift in the energy of your LGBT community, it’s because some hot, powerful, sexy activists have returned home from the Creating Change Conference and they are ready to kick it up.
Think about attending next year, January 2009, in Denver. It’s a friggin, awesome, rejuvenating blast.
Editors' note: Did you like this post? Please help us out by voting for The Bilerico Project as the Best LGBT Blog in the 2008 Weblog Awards! You don't have to sign up for anything, or even leave our site - just click on "The Bilerico Project." Thank you so much!
Share
Like what you read? Subscribe to The Bilerico Project by Email.
Want others to read it too? Use the buttons and links here to share this entry with others. (Move your cursor over a button or link to learn more about it.)
9 Comments
« Black LGBT History Day 16: Shonia Brown | Home | Your 15 minutes could be now »
Welcome to Bilerico, Kate ... I'm glad to see someone on this blog who has an ever sicker sense of humor than I do ... And you even know how to make a living with it! (* gasp! *)
A. J. Lopp | February 16, 2008 1:57 PM
Reply to this comment
awesome!
Alex Blaze | February 16, 2008 4:17 PM
Reply to this comment
Welcome Kate! Glad to have abroad the Bilercio Express.
Michael Crawford | February 16, 2008 6:00 PM
Reply to this comment
Yeah, but the best part of Creating Change was meeting you! :)
*flutters eyes at you*
LOL
Bil Browning | February 16, 2008 6:03 PM
Reply to this comment
Welcome, Kate. It's so cool to be on the same blog as you!!!
Brynn Craffey | February 16, 2008 6:40 PM
Reply to this comment
Kate Clinton - what a fantastic addition to the Bilerico blog.
MLC
MLC | February 16, 2008 11:00 PM
Reply to this comment
I actually got to enjoy Kate's emcee skills real-time at Creating Change. Jealous, much? ;)
Welcome!
Dustin Kight | February 17, 2008 12:05 AM
Reply to this comment
Thanks for the summary and welcome to TBP Kate!
Serena Freewomyn | February 17, 2008 8:02 PM
Reply to this comment
Kate,
Finding out you were at Creating Change saddens me because I couldn't make it. You are just too cool for words, so here's what I can say:
"__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
_______________. And, ____________________________
__________________________________________________"
Ha, ha, ha!
See. I told you.
Monica Helms
(Another one of those pesky trans activists.)
MonicaHelms | February 18, 2008 6:58 AM
Reply to this comment