Meet some of the BlaqOUT Conference planning crew!
These are some of the important people that are helping to plan the
Third BlaqOUT Conference 2016
The following quotes are their responses to the question
"What does the BlaqOUT Conference mean to you?"
Position: Professional Staff
Affiliation: UC Riverside
"The BlaqOUT Conference to me is all about Empowerment, Visibility, Support, Education, Advocacy, Community."
Year: UCR Alum
Affiliation: UC Riverside
The BlaqOUT Conference means many different things to me. It is also my world! It means a space when I can be validated, loved, and affirmed. I can be myself fully and, can safely and courageously work on myself. I also believe that this is a space when my community can work on issues with out the rest of the world butting in.
Name: Gabriel Maldonado
Position: Executive Director/CEO
Affiliation: TruEvolution, Inc.
“BlaqOut is not just a conference or a space for organizing community, but it is an intentional act of self-determination for the Black LGBTQ to co-create spaces that organize, educate, mobilize, and offer healing to our community."
Name: Jonathan Keefe
Year: Third Year
Affiliation: UC Riverside
"The BlaqOut Conference is a space for members of the Black/African-American LGBT community to discuss, share experiences, and heal as a collective group. Together we will be able to overcome the shadows of the past and lay the foundation for a brighter future."
Name: Kiana Brousard
Position: Undergraduate Student
Affiliation: UC Riverside
“The Blaqout Conference to me, is space of comfort and solidarity.”
Name: Nancy Tubbs
Position: Professional Staff
Affiliation: UC Riverside
"The BlaqOUT Conference to me is about creating courageous spaces."
Affiliation: Los Angeles LGBT Center
"The BlaqOUT gathering is all about creating safe spaces for Queer & Trans* folks. For my knowledge this is one of the first spaces where we can honor our cultural traditions, self-care and heritage while working on advocacy, racial economic justice and spirituality."
Name: Khalil
Position: Undergraduate Student
Affiliation: UC Riverside
“The Blaqout Conference, to me, is space where Black people who identify as LGBTQ can come together to discuss topics and issues that only affect us. It is a safe space for us to communicate with one another and to feel a sense of community.”
Name: Megan Rush
Position: Professional Staff
Affiliation: UC Riverside
"The BlaqOUT Conference to me is an amazing opportunity for many students, who often do not have spaces like these, to meet and create community.”