The Creating Change Conference, for the first time in its 33-year history, will be “a completely virtual event” in 2021, due to the ongoing public health crisis and current safety regulations, Director Andy Garcia announced via press release today (Thursday, July 16).

Creating Change 2021 had been scheduled to take place as an in-person convening next January in Washington, D.C. The annual conference is a program of the National LGBTQ Task Force.

“We are disappointed we will be unable to gather in person, one of the most powerful elements of  Creating Change, but the Task Force is committed to planning a virtual experience that is diverse, accessible and addresses the many issues facing LGBTQ+ communities,” Garcia said.

He continued, “We are reaching out to the Creating Change family and convening a virtual host committee. We will do our best to provide an experience that closely resembles what we’ve all come to expect from Creating Change.

“There are, of course, some things we won’t be able to replicate online, but we will also be able to include experiences and activities we’ve never been able to before,” Garcia said. “A virtual Creating Change conference also means we will be accessible to many more participants, including many who may have wanted to join us in person but have been unable to for various reasons.”

Plans for the next Creating Change currently include an online pre-event in the fall, followed by a multi-day online experience Jan. 27-31. “The goal of the Task Force staff and partner organizations is to create an exceptionally engaging, accessible and relevant conference experience that promotes the values of the Task Force, as well as the work of our staff and partner organizations across the movement,” according to the statement released this morning.

Also tentatively planned is a Queering Racial Justice Institute on Oct. 10. T

For more information go to CreatingChange.org.