Creating Change in DC
What to Know About Safety, Support, and This Moment
Choosing to attend a national gathering for social change, especially one centered around LGBTQ people, is not a small decision. For many of us, travel can bring real risks, anxiety, or access barriers. That’s especially true in this moment, when queer, trans, Black, Brown, immigrant, and disabled communities are facing escalating threats.
This update is here to share with transparency how we’re preparing for Creating Change 2026 in Washington, DC, what safety and support will look like on the ground, and why we are committed to gathering in there in January. We hope this helps you feel more informed, more grounded, and more able to make the decisions that are right for you.
Why DC, Why Now
Washington, DC has been the Task Force’s home for decades, and we haven’t held Creating Change there since 2018. We’re returning now with intention because this moment calls for us to show up together in power.
Attacks on LGBTQ people are escalating. Anti-trans laws, book bans, surveillance, and far-right organizing is spreading. The current administration continues to fuel divisive narratives, double down on raids and policing, and fall short on protecting trans lives, immigrant communities, people of color, and reproductive justice.
DC is where these decisions are being made. Gathering there is not just symbolic. It is about being present and visible where our rights are being debated, where our futures are on the line, and where our voices need to be heard. And so many of our people are already there. Freedom fighters, movement builders, community organizers. They are living in DC or traveling there regularly to shake the halls of power. We go where our people are.
DC is Black and Queer. That Matters.
Washington, DC has long been a center of Black culture, community, and political power. In 1957, it became the first majority-Black major city in the U.S. and was proudly known as Chocolate City. That name was born from joy and self-determination. It still lives in the city’s streets, music, and movement history, even as gentrification pushes longtime residents out.
Go-Go music, born in DC, is one of the loudest and most joyful expressions of that legacy. It is cultural. It is local. It is unapologetic. Go-Go has powered block parties to help neighbors pay rent, supported community-owned storefronts, added joy to protests, and fueled generations of resistance and pride. That spirit lives on, even as developers and police try to silence it.
We are gathering in DC to honor that legacy, to draw closer to that power, and to hold space in a city that continues to shape the fight for Black freedom, queer liberation, and collective dignity.
Creating Change travels every year with a reason and purpose.
First, we want people outside the host region to experience how different communities live, resist, and organize. That expands our relationships and strategies. That brings new energy and ideas into the work. Second, people in the host region who cannot travel have a chance to experience the power of Creating Change in their own city. We come to them and leave each community better prepared, connected, and inspired to engage in the movement.
Being in DC is not an accident. It is a choice. A return to our roots. A stand for what is right. A commitment to show up for each other where it matters most.
Creating Change was born after the 1987 March on Washington. When the march ended, the message was clear: go home and build something powerful for your community. The Task Force did just that. We created a movement hub. A space for strategy, political education, base building, and leadership development. Since then, Creating Change has launched countless campaigns, collaborations, and community-driven movements. We are returning to DC not just to gather. We are returning to help strengthen and build what comes next.
We Know Safety Matters
Still, with the history and reasons calling us to this city, we cannot ignore the realities that have unfolded and continue to develop.
When we partner with a city to host Creating Change, we do not parachute in. We spend a full year building with the local community before we arrive. We bring on local consultants, collaborators, and ambassadors who help shape the experience. We listen. We show up. We do our best to get it right, and we do it together.
This year, no one understands the safety concerns and needs more than the people living with them in real time, right here in DC. And we are listening – to our neighbors, our long-time movement colleagues and our newest friends and supporters. We also know that how we gather matters. We are preparing with deep care and attention, especially for those in our community who are most targeted and least protected.
What We’re Doing to Prepare
Safety precautions at Creating Change start a year before you arrive and continue throughout the entire experience with experts in safety and security from our movement. We’re preparing with care, intention, and a focus on real support for our community.
Our staff works with DC-based Creating Change Ambassadors who are trusted local organizers helping us build on-the-ground safety plans rooted in care. They identify resources and organizations across the city to shape support systems and safety measures that reflect our values.
We’ve partnered with a hotel whose leadership consistently ensures all staff are trained in LGBTQ cultural competency, humility and guest safety, and our team then provides additional training. We only work with hotels that commit to clear, affirming protocols and accountability. Creating Change in DC is a private event, and we control who enters our space. Community members serve as volunteer safety monitors throughout our event.
Our staff is also in regular contact with local government partners, first responders, and federal law enforcement who understand the risks our community faces. These relationships help us stay alert, informed, and ready to respond.
We’re also working with them to support people’s journeys into the conference. For those who want it, we’re exploring the possibility of coordinating transportation support (e.g. a buddy system for getting from the airport and train station to the hotel safely). We’ll offer tips, check-ins, and real-time help during key arrival times.
Once you’re at the conference, multiple layers of care will be in place. A 24-hour crisis hotline will be available, along with our Care Bears Team, a group of trained community members who specialize in de-escalation, trauma-informed response, and peer support. They’re not security. They’re here to hold space with care, not control. Bilingual mental health volunteers will also be on site to support emotional and mental health needs in real time.
We Believe in Informed Consent
Each city that has hosted Creating Change brings its own unique considerations for our community’s safety and well-being. In Las Vegas, it meant naming the impact of alcohol and gambling culture. In New Orleans, it meant being clear about violence and systemic anti-trans bias in the Deep South.
In DC, we are just as honest. At every step, we lead with informed consent and encourage those considering attendance to make the choices that feel right for them. Wherever we are, we offer support to help make the space more accessible, even when the city itself presents challenges.
We share this information to honor your right to make informed decisions. And we stay transparent to prevent folks from being caught off guard.
Creating Change is a movement space. It’s where we come together to learn, resist, celebrate, and build what comes next. If you have questions, ideas, or needs we haven’t named, reach out. We’re here, and we’re paying attention.
questions?
Read some of our answers to frequently asked questions.
