Starting tomorrow, GLAAD staff will be hopping on a Southwest Airlines flight to Houston to attend Creating Change. Creating Change is the largest annual organizing and skills-building event for the LGBT community and their allies. Organized by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Creating Change offers a variety of keynotes, workshops, trainings, panels, and receptions for the full range of the LGBT community.
GLAAD will be out in full force.
Once again, GLAAD will be hosting "Social Media: New Media Training Institute." Participants will spend a day with social media experts and learn about the latest digital tools and online advocacy strategies that you can incorporate into your work, how to find social media tools that are appropriate for your budget, how to stay on top of the latest new media trends, and how to successfully implement them at your organization.
On Thursday, Monica Trasandes, Director of Spanish Language Media, and Janet Quedaza, Spanish Language Media Strategist, will be a part of the day-long Latino Institute on Thursday, the session is titled "Contando tu Historia: Trabajando con los medios de comunicación" or "Telling your Story: Talking to Spanish-language press."
Tiq Milan, Senior Media Strategist, is one of the faculty for the day long institute, "Transgender People Unite against Hate and Violence" on Thursday. He will be presenting information on transgender youth and violence.
Dani Heffernan, Media Strategist, will be joining Tiq Milan will present "Growing Visibility: Transgender People in the Media," a panel on transgender images in the media on Friday. Panelists will include Reina Gossett of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Monica Roberts of TransGriot, and Laverne Cox, who is also a keynote speaker for Creating Change.
Ross Murray, Director of News, is collaborating with Believe Out Loud to present "LGBT Voices of Faith in the Media – YOURS" on Saturday morning to discuss religious voices in everyday conversation and media about LGBT people. Additionally, he will be part of "The Psychology of Debunking LGBT Myths, Lies & Misinformation in the Media," organized by Media Matters on the human psychology behind effectively combating myths, lies, and information about the fight for LGBT equality.
On Friday night, GLAAD is proud to be sponsoring a reception for Bloggers, Online Activists and People Who Love Them! Come mix and mingle with bloggers, online activists and digital enthusiasts! Whether you’re a blogger, blog reader or just love to live-tweet, join us for a reception where we can all get together offline to celebrate LGBT movement victories and discuss the work ahead.
Finally, GLAAD's new President, Sarah Kate Ellis, will also be attending for the first time!
We are very excited to be able to attend and share our expertise on LGBT media advocacy with the wider LGBT movement. A special thanks to Southwest Airlines for helping us get to Houston for Creating Change.