LANSING, MI—Lexington, Kentucky is the next destination for America's largest and oldest continuously-held conference for queer and trans+ college students and young adults. The 31st annual Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference (MBLGTACC) will take place November 3-5, 2023 at the Central Bank Center. MBLGTACC is a program of the Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity and will be presented this year in partnership with the University of Kentucky, Visit Lexington, and a local host committee.
“Students from Kentucky have been coming to MBLGTACC since it began,” said Justin Drwencke, the Institute’s executive director. “It’s a privilege to now be their guests—and to hold the conference in this state for the first time ever. We’ve got a great team and I’m really excited for what’s to come.”
Kentucky is the ancestral home of the Shawnee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Osage indigenous peoples.
“MBLGTACC is a place for queer youth to connect with others from across the U.S. and make new friends, represent their state and show we are everywhere and will never go away, and learn about different topics of interest,” said Lorenzo Bertozzi, a student host committee member at the University of Kentucky and president of the school’s Queer POC Association.
Lexington ranks among the top four percent of municipalities nationwide for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
“It is so important right now for the community to be able to meet and gather to stand together against prejudice and to simply be seen,” added H. Toncray, a graduate student on the host committee. “That is why I am so excited for this to be in Lexington—I know this area needs more queer visibility."
Upwards of 2,000 attendees—students, young adults, and higher education professionals—are expected to attend. “We’re working with, and in alignment with the vision of, a really outstanding group of student leaders on the host committee in Lexington,” said R.B. Brooks, the Institute’s director of programs. “Attendees can look forward to a fabulous weekend with these folks at work on programming and the conference experience.”
Conference registration and a call for workshop proposals are tentatively scheduled to launch in April, with announcements of speakers and entertainers to follow.
Resources:
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