This weekend I attended the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender and Ally College Conference (MBLGTACC) in Madison, Wisconsin. This conference was an amazing opportunity for queer students from across the Midwest to come together to share ideas, educate each other, network, gain support, and most of all have fun. The theme of this year’s MBLGTACC was “It’s time to GET REAL! Confronting privilege, provoking dialogue, and building new foundations.” The 2010 conference aimed at being more inclusive of minorities specifically targeting the transgender community, queer people of color (QPOC), and queer people with disabilities.

To the onlooker it was clear that MBLGTACC had made a strong effort at working for inclusion of these minority groups. The conference schedule contained many sessions, workshops and caucuses in each of these areas even containing a “track” for each and representing all three within the keynote speakers.

Despite MBLGTACC’s efforts, these three minority groups found that the MBLGTACC’s follow through actually fell short. Many members of these minority groups explained that MBLGTACC wasn’t as inclusive as it could have been. Overall members of these minority groups felt that the safe spaces that were created specifically for them were not completely safe or inclusive, and there was an overall lack of education from the planning committee surrounding the issues of these three minority groups. This overall ignorance was detrimental to these groups’ ability to fully and comfortably participate within the conference.

On the other hand, the conference attendees who did not fit within these minority groups made claims of reverse discrimination. They complained that there were too many closed sessions that these conference attendees weren’t welcome at. And members of the majority- specifically white people- were made to feel uncomfortable during one of the keynotes. Mostly white conference attendees claimed that the keynote blamed them for the discrimination against people of color and that everyone needed to stand up to end racism, prejudice and discrimination.

The conference ended on a good note with the QPOC organization standing up and telling everyone that they do not intend to divide everyone, and instead they just want to express that it is everyone’s duty to make sure all conference attendees especially minorities feel safe, welcome, and respected, and that hopefully things can be improved for MBLGTACC 2011. Kate Bornstein’s support of this statement by QPOC, certainly helped for a unified end of MBLGTACC 2010.

Overall I think MBLGTACC 2010 accomplished its goals of getting real; “confronting privilege, provoking dialogue, and building new foundations.” Privilege was addressed and it got people talking and the conference ended with people starting to discuss ways to improve for the future. I just don’t think anyone was prepared for how uncomfortable it is when privilege is confronted, and there may not have been enough venues for everyone to process all that was occurring. I think MBLGTACC 2010 did a fantastic job of stirring the pot; it got everyone thinking about race, sexuality, gender, ability and a wide range of other systems of oppression. As Kate Bornstein pointed out, we can’t grow without a little pain, and these growing pains are necessary for us to work out the kinks and prepare for a new and improved MBLGTACC 2011.