What is MBLGTACC?

The Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference is an annual LGBTA conference that is hosted at a different college each year. The three-day conference, which began in 1993, has grown to include over 90 educational workshops on various topics that affect LGBTA people, as well as a variety of inspirational plenary speakers and entertainment.

How big is it?

Big. It is the largest LGBTA college conference in the nation, and about 1,700 college students attend each year. Individuals bid two years in advance for the right to host it. The MBLGTACC 2013 Planning Coalition is working toward having the largest attendance in MBLGTACC history.

When and where will MBLGTACC 2013 be held?

MBLGTACC 2013 will be held February 8-10, 2013 at the Lansing Center in Lansing, MI. The address of the Lansing Center is 333 E. Michigan Avenue, Lansing, MI 48933.

MBLGTACC 2013 will be held at the Lansing Center in Lansing, MI.

What are the workshops about?

Though some workshops are led by professionals, most are led by students (both guests and students of the host school). Workshop presenters must submit a proposal to be reviewed by the MBLGTACC 2013 Planning Coalition before they may be accepted and scheduled for a certain time slot and location. Workshop topics are about the intersections of LGBTA identities and race; religion; gender; sex; disability; history; education and schools; health; politics; allyship; homelessness; professionalism; leadership; HIV/AIDS; and more.

Check out the workshops (p. 25-43) that were offered at the conference in February 2011 at the University of Michigan, as well as the workshops (p. 30-38) that were offered at the most recent conference held at Iowa State University.

Who can attend?

The conference is not limited to students from the Midwest. College students and their advisers from across the U.S. and the world are encouraged to attend!

Why should I attend?

MBLGTACC is an opportunity for LGBTA students and their allies and advisers to meet in a safe and supportive environment to learn and discuss issues of importance to the LGBTA community and other communities. Many people in the LGBTA community do not have families that are similarly-identified, so we learn about ourselves primarily from our peers and the LGBTA elders we may know. MBLGTACC is a great resource because it allows college students from all over the country to come together for a few days to learn and grow through the knowledge and experiences of others. The conference brings people from many walks of life together to address issues that affect themselves, the LGBTA community and our world as a whole.

A student poses with Robyn Ochs, a bisexual speaker, teacher, writer and activist, at MBLGTACC 2010.

What are the goals of the conference?

While the specific theme of the conference changes each year, overall the conference serves to educate and unify the LGBTA community while providing a safe and supportive forum for discourse about issues that impact the community.

The theme for MBLGTACC 2013 is “Mosaic: Putting the Pieces Together.” The conference will explore the many identities within the LGBTA community and how those identities are stronger when bonded together to form one beautiful, perfectly imperfect work of art. The 2013 conference will focus on bringing together the often fragmented queer community to address issues that affect us both individually and collectively.

How is MBLGTACC organized?

MBLGTACC is a decentralized organization and is primarily organized by the host school. An Oversight Committee does exist, and consists of members representing the current conference, the following year’s conference and two delegates from each U.S. state represented at the conference. The host school facilitates the meeting of the Oversight Committee during the conference.

Who is organizing MBLGTACC?

The MBLGTACC 2013 Planning Coalition is led by a group of students at Michigan State University. The group is autonomous and is not led by any university representatives, but it does occasionally work with LGBTA organizations and centers at MSU on minor conference projects. To learn more abut the students who lead the MBLGTACC 2013 Planning Coalition, check out the “About Us” page!

How will MBLGTACC 2013 be funded?

We are raising funds from registration and advertisement fees, Michigan State University departments, MSU alumni, local businesses, corporations, Lansing-area groups and other organizations across Michigan, the Midwest and the nation. We will also be applying for grants and seeking larger sponsorships from national corporations. We are also a Registered Student Organization (RSO) through MSU’s Department of Student Life, which enables us to more easily receive support from university entities.

What is the history of MBLGTACC?

Brochure from the 1994 Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay College Conference (as it was called then) held at Earlham College in Richmond, IN.

The idea for the conference was conceived in 1991. After a number of organizing conferences, the first Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay College Conference (as it was called then) was held in 1993.The 2013 conference will be the second time that Michigan State University has hosted the conference. It will also be the 21st anniversary of the conference.

For more about the history of the conference, check out our history page!

Where can I learn more about MBLGTACC?

“Like” us on Facebook: facebook.com/mblgtacc2013
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/mblgtacc2013
Sign up for our eNewsletter: mblgtacc2013.org/subscribe
Email us with questions: mblgtacc2013.org/contact-us