History

Greetings from the 90s...

Planned and organized entirely by students—a tradition that proudly continues today—what would later become the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference emerged in the early 1990s as an answer to the question of how to connect, educate, and empower queer students throughout the region. This came at a time when the continued growth of the mainstream lesbian, gay, and bisexual rights movement—largely underrepresenting transgender and gender non-conforming folx—was most present and powerful on the east and west coasts, isolating students in the Midwest from national LGBT work by geography, political realities, and access to resources.

In 1991, college students at another conference in Des Moines came together around this reality and dreamt the MBLGCC into existence. They wanted to be part of the solution; to give a voice to queer students in the Midwest; and to make it and MBLGTACC a destination for acclaimed entertainers, activists, and thought leaders. They sought to create an oasis in what Justin Connor (MBLGCC ‘94) says was seen as “a queer desert.”

The group came together a year later to lay down the organizing principles and logistical roadmap for a conference of LGBT students, to be held each year at a college or university in the Midwest. The first annual MBLGCC was held at Iowa State University in February 1993, a collaborative effort between students at Iowa State and Drake University.

MBLGCC 1994 program cover

The nation’s largest and oldest-continuously running conference for queer and trans+ college students

For over 27 years, MBLGTACC has brought students together from around the region—and the nation—to learn from one another’s experiences, build-up each other’s knowledge and skills, and share in community. It has attracted respected advocates, thought leaders, entertainers, and artists to the Midwest and created space for growth and togetherness.

The Institute is actively working to unearth more conference history. Were you an early MBLGCC or MBLGTCC planner? Connect with Noah about our MBLGTACC history project.

Conference milestones

1993: The 1st annual Midwest, Bisexual, Gay, and Lesbian College Conference took place at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

1994: Identities listed in the conference name were re-ordered, and the conference became known as the Midwest Bisexual, Lesbian, and Gay College Conference.

1995: The theme for the 1995 and 1996 conferences was “Building Queer Success in the Midwest.” While it is unconfirmed, conference lore suggests this was intended to be the conference’s official slogan. Later conferences selected other themes, but the commitment to building queer success in the Midwest remained constant.

1997: The conference was renamed the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender College Conference.

2001: The conference was renamed the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Ally College Conference.

2007: Student organizers created the Oversight Committee.

2013: Hosted in Lansing, Michigan by students from Michigan State University, MBLGTACC drew 2000+ attendees for the first time.

2015: Hosted in Normal, Illinois by students from Illinois State University, MBLGTACC reached 2500 attendees for the first time. Later that year, the MBLGTACC Oversight Committee authorized creation of a non-profit with professional staff.

2016: The Midwest Institute for Sexuality and Gender Diversity was officially launched.

2017: The 25th annual MBLGTACC was held in Chicago, Illinois, attracting 2300 attendees.

2018: The conference was hosted in Nebraska for the first time. Later that year, it was renamed the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference.

2019: The conference was hosted in Kansas for the first time.

Past hosts and themes

Year

Host School(s)

Conference Theme

Program Book

1993

Iowa State University and Drake University

First annual MBLGCC

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1994

Earlham College (Indiana)

Greetings From The 90's... Wish You Were Here Queer

1995

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

Building Queer Success in the Midwest

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1996

Beloit College (Wisconsin)

Building Queer Success in the Midwest

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1997

Indiana State University

We're Here! We're Queer! We're Fabulous!

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1998

University of Illinois at Chicago

Across the Fruited Plain

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1999

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Moving Forward, Looking Back

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2000

Saint Cloud State University (Minnesota)

Making Waves Into the New Millennium

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2001

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Out and About: Breaking the Silence, Breaking the Boundaries, Breaking the Labels

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2002

Michigan State University

Still Moving Forward

2003

The Ohio State University

Loving With Pride

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2004

Iowa State University

Speak Up! Speak Out! Celebrating the Power of Communication to Fight Hate and Fear

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2005

Saint Cloud State University (Minnesota)

Building the Bridge to Bring It All Together

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2006

University of South Dakota

Painting the Rainbow: Celebrating Unity Through Diversity

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2007

University of Minnesota at Twin Cities

Alphabet Soup: No Matter The Letter We Stand Together

2008

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Voting for Change: Liberty and Justice For All

2009

Indiana University Bloomington

Living Out Loud: Examining Our Past to Enhance Our Future

2010

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Get Real! Confronting Privilege, Provoking Dialogue and Building New Foundations

2011

University of Michigan

Justice or Just Us? Achieving Liberty for All

2012

Iowa State University

The Butterfly Effect: Evolution to Revolution

2013

Michigan State University

Mosaic: Putting the Pieces Together

2014

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Jazzin' It Up

2015

Illinois State University

Narrating a New Normal

2016

Purdue University

Introspection at the Crossroads

2017

Chicago Coalition of Queer and Allied Students
(DePaul University, Loyola University Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University)

United in Solidarity

2018

University of Nebraska-Omaha

All Roads Lead to Intersectionality

2019

Wichita State University

Beyond the Rainbow and to the Stars

2020

Western Michigan University

Envisioning a Future Together

Can you help us?

The Institute is actively working to unearth more conference history. Were you an early MBGLCC, MBLGCC, or MBLGTCC planner? Connect with Noah about our MBLGTACC history project.

Contact us about MBLGTACC history

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