FIU students visit Dallas for LGBTQ+ Creating Change Conference

Jesse Fraga/Staff Writer

Over the past few months, a group of FIU hopefuls waited eagerly for the opportunity to travel to a hidden gem in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.

Last week, these group of students, along with an FIU alum and LGBTQA+ Initiatives staff members went on an all expenses paid trip to deepen their understanding of, and create a diologue regarding issues the queer community faces.

Dallas holds the sixth largest LGBTQ+ population in the United States. Thus, the National LGBTQ Task Force felt this would be the perfect location to host this year’s annual Creating Change Conference.

The Task Force is a non-profit American social justice organization focused on advancing and organizing the power of the LGBTQ+ people by mobilizing members within and outside of the community.

Ran by the Task Force, the Creating Change Conference is a four day conference committed to developing activist skills needed to postively impact the queer community.

Each attendee underwent a rigorous application and interview process in order to be included in FIU’s Creating Change delegation. Six out of the 18 total applicants stood out as community leaders and social activists.

With over 100 workshops to choose from, over 4,000 national attendees, a house ball competition and a handful of unique identity-themed caucuses, the conference made sure to account for as many queer-aimed topics as possible.

These events covered a variety of important matters including, but not limited to, immigration, transgender healthcare, disability justice, suicide prevention, queering the media and BDSM (bondage, disipline, sadomasochism).

After arriving from an early Thursday morning flight, the cold Florida natives set out for a day of relaxation and bonding time while exploring a bright nearby gayborhood, Oak Lawn.

They were able to witness the largest transgender mural in the nation, depicting spearheads of the Stonewall Riots, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.

As the conference kicked off, keynote speaker Reverend Angel Kyodo Williams discussed how the liberation of self and society depends on collective change.

“I came into my liberation entirely out of queerness,” said Williams. 

She emphasized the urgency of rejecting exclusion and creating inclusion in today’s society for minority communities. 

Audience members, including FIU LGBTQA+ Initiatives Graduate Assistant Justin Santoli, were moved by this speech.

“I plan on using what I learned at Creating Change to ensure that I use my privilege and skills in order to better serve my students as a higher education professional, and to elevate the voices of those marginalized groups within our community who are seldom given a platform,” said Santoli. 

The following two days consisted of back-to-back workshops, allowing attendees to split up based on personal interest. On Friday afternoon, all attendees were encouraged to come together for the State of the Movement Plenary.

Murder and violence against transgender individuals is currently one of the biggest issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.

The Human Rights Campaign website reported 26 murders of trans people in 2019 alone, reaching an all time high. The majority of those murdered were disproportionately trans women of color. 

In response to this fatal epidemic, the Task Force arranged a panel at the plenary consisting of trans women of color who are working towards improving the political and social climate at stake.

Closing the panel, Deputy Executive Director of the Task Force Kierra Johnson advised the crowd of a basic morality that should exist among mankind.

“I need you to hear what I’m saying. Everything that was said up here wasn’t about how you can help me, how you can help us. It’s how you can be a better human,” Johnson said. 

The audience showed their support through enthusiastically loud claps, hollars and a standing ovation.

As the Trump administration has pushed for harmful anti-immigrant legislature, Saturday’s Closing Plenary brought to mind the setbacks many queer immigrants currently face.

Leading the conversation, Sharita Gruberg, the Director of Policy for the LGBTQ Research and Communications Project at American Progress, turned this into a human issue rather than entirely blaming conservative perspectives. 

“The Democratic Debate last week didn’t include a single question about immigration pointed out,” Gruberg said. 

Once again, the audience responded with nothing but support in hopes of a brighter future for LGBTQ+ immigrants.

Just as the crew was about to depart home, the group was surprised to see a thick sea of pink-colored protest signs and powerful voices filling the streets as a Women’s March paraded by.

Coincidentally, both the protest and conference rejected the standards of heteronormativity through a community effort of activism and unity.

Having attended the conference, FIU LGBTQA+ Initiatives Associate Director Erica Jayne Friedman hoped their students would come back and share what they learned with the rest of the FIU community and beyond.

Members of the FIU delegation are already in the works of planning proposals to present at the Stonewall National Education Project 2020 Symposium on LGBTQ+ Youth.

This symposium will be held at FIU from April 19 through April 22 this year.

As Rev. Williams said, to create change, “We need all of us, starting with each of us.”

Photos taken by Jesse Fraga/PantherNOW