The 5th Annual Governor’s Conference on LGBT Youth is themed Proud to Change the World: Creating an Accepting Future. The conference will be held on February 18, 2010 at Drake University. The mission of the Annual Governors Conference on LGBT Youth is to a) engage and educate students, educators, parents, community leaders, youth-serving professionals, policy makers and others concerned about issues relevant to the LGBT community and b) encourage networking and activism to inspire our communities to promote diversity, equality and social justice.
This year’s conference is expected to gather several hundred educators, parents, students, social workers, counselors, psychologists, policy makers and others concerned about the safety of LGBT youth in Iowa. It is important to address the different barriers facing LGBT students including discriminatory policies, homelessness, HIV risk, bullying and harassment and suicide risk.
The Keynote Address will be given by Lt. Dan Choi. Lt. Choi has garnered national fame when he said on the March 19, 2009 episode of The Rachel Maddow Show; “I am gay.” Since coming out, Lt. Choi, a West Point graduate and Iraq veteran fluent in Arabic, has been notified that discharge proceedings have been brought up against him. He was one of only eight soldiers from his graduating class who majored in Arabic.
In addition to Lt. Choi, Governor Chet Culver, Lt. Governor Patty Judge and Congressman Leonard Boswell have been invited to give an address at the conference.
Workshop Topics this year will include HIV/Aids, Transgender Transitioning, Sexting/Social Networking, Communities of Faith, LGBT Youth Homelessness, anti-bullying programs for schools and several others related to LGBT youth and youth-serving professionals.
There will also be exhibitor booths showcasing such topics that include Iowa-based resources, organizations, communities of faith, corporations and other important information for anyone working with LGBT students and students from LGBT families.
Educators, administrators, community members, parents and students are strongly encouraged to attend. Student registration is $10 and adult registration is $35.
For more information and to register, please visit www.iowasafeschools.org and go to the Governor’s Conference Tab.
