Date: Tue, 1 Apr 1997 14:07:00 -0500 (EST)
From: NBGLLF@aol.com
Subject: DC, Atlanta to Host Black Lesbian and Gay Conferences

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE				CONTACT:  Monique Meadows
April 1, 1997  			                                            		(202)
483-6786

WASHINGTON AND ATLANTA SELECTED
TO HOST NEXT BLACK LESBIAN AND GAY CONFERENCES

Washington -- For the first time ever, the nation's capital will be the site
of the Annual  Conference of the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership
Forum.  

The Eleventh Annual National Black Lesbian and Gay Conference will be held in
Washington, D.C. from Thursday, February 12-15, 1998.  In the following year,
the Conference moves to Atlanta, Georgia during President's Day Weekend.

"These next two conferences will extend the reach of the Forum to new
communities throughout the nation," said Keith Boykin, the Forum's Executive
Director.  "The Forum's new office in Washington provides a perfect
organizational structure to put on the D.C. Conference, and the strength of
Atlanta's vibrant black lesbian and gay community will ensure the success of
the 1999 Conference."

 The Board of Directors has developed a new application process for community
groups that want to host the Conference in their city.  Organizations can
contact the Leadership Forum in Washington to find out more about the
application process.

The Annual Conference provides skills building and leadership training to
black lesbian and gay organizers. The four-day weekend features a number of
activities including Womyn's and Men's Institutes, an AIDS Institute, and two
days of skills building workshops.  Previous speakers include  Angela Davis,
Dr. Joycelyn Elders, Cornel West, Alice Walker, Rev. Jesse Jackson, E. Lynn
Harris, and bell hooks.

The National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum is the only national
organization dedicated to the nation's two and a half million
African-American gays and lesbians.  Established in 1988, the Forum works to
empower black lesbians and gays by developing their leadership skills,
increasing their visibility, and building bridges between various
communities.   

For more information, contact the Forum at 1436 U Street, NW, Suite 200,
Washington, DC 20009, (202) 483-6786, E-mail: NBGLLF@aol.com.

###