Another year. Another Creating Change. And, as always, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force never seems to amaze.

I was honored to attend Creating Change in Baltimore for my second time ever last weekend. This year, I went with a new role and new title at a new organization. Working with and meeting some of the brilliantly talented and engaged college student leaders who attended Campus Pride's day-long Queer It Up Young Adult Leadership Institute was definitely the highlight of my experience. I'm pretty sure our executive director, Shane Windmeyer, our board member, Nikita Burks, and phenom volunteer Ted Lewis would say the same.

(Pictured right: Forty students from across the nation attended the Campus Pride day-long Queer It Up Young Adult Leadership Institute at Creating Change, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012.)

Just about 40 students attended the day-long institute, engaging in conversations on what it meant to be a student leader on campus and a leader in their greater communities. They delved into the types of characteristics that make up for a good leader, among them fairness, honesty, trustworthiness, communicativeness, understanding, approachableness and passion.

"A leader should feel empowered to act when others can't, won't or are uncomfortable," said one student leader.

I couldn't agree more. But being a leader doesn't always mean speaking out. It certainly has nothing to do with "power" or privilege. Leadership comes in all sorts of forms and requires, first and foremost, the about to connect with others, working with others and empowering others. It sounds so cliche, but it is true: Teamwork makes the dreamwork.

Earlier today, we posted a bit on a great discussion our student leaders had at Campus Pride's Queer It Up Youth Leadership Action Institute yesterday at Creating Change, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's annual conference being held this weekend in Balitmore, Md.

The students talked at length on a variety of challenges they were experiencing on their campuses. In part one of the blog post, we explored students' thoughts on program collaboration with campus allies and partners, trans inclusion in student groups and on campus and group cohesion and internal issues.

We'll move on to the students' last two major concerns now: dealing with conservative and religious groups on campus and finding campus resources for fundraising and programming.

Read the rest after the jump...

The Campus Pride crew is in the Charm City this weekend for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Creating Change conference, the largest gathering of LGBT and progressive activists across the country. Baltimore has welcomed us with open arms and we're each excited to be meeting and engaging with so many friends, new and old.

We had a phenomenal day at Campus Pride's day-long pre-conference for LGBT college and university students yesterday, our Queer It Up Youth Leadership Action Institute. MOre than 40 student leaders joined us for a full day of networking, learning, brainstorming and fun.

(Photo right: Students in a small group discuss one of the major challenges facing their campuses.)

As we've done at past Creating Change events, we spent a good chunk of our afternoon discussing the greatest challenges student leaders find themselves facing on their campuses and within their LGBT student organizations. Breaking our students up into five groups, we tackled five major discussion topics that encompass their own set of challenges and opportunities unique to each campus. The students -- representing everything from small, rural schools to large and well-known state schools -- came up with some interesting solutions, tips and tricks.

Here are some of the highlights on three of the topics: program collaboration with campus allies and partners, trans inclusion in student groups and on campus and group cohesion and internal issues. Join us back here later today at the Campus Pride Blog for a longer post on the last two: dealing with conservative and religious groups on campus and finding campus resources for fundraising and programming.

Continue reading after the jump...

This year are you READY to QUEER IT UP?

Colleges across the country have the opportunity to book Kit Yan as part of the Queer It Up Tour 2011-12 to create change and spark dialogue on campus! Bring Campus Pride and Kit to your campus for National Coming Out Day, Trans awareness events, Pride celebrations, or other Spoken word and energizing events all year to Queer It Up!

Learn more about Kit online, click here. You may also contact OUTmedia or call 718.789.1776.

WATCH THE QUEER IT UP VIDEO
FEATURING KIT YAN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLdRBnc-RV4

Queer It Up
by Kit Yan

Campus Pride, All Rights Reserved.

Your hands are a door knock, your fingertips an email, your voice a phone call,
Your tongue a conversation,
You are a nation that can change the every day,

You are a door knock at a dean’s office,
A thunderous demand for the status quo bend and break,
To right every policy mistake,
To take action for equal benefits,
For the dollars they promised from your fees,
In this office, from behind that desk, they will hear us.

You are an email passed on to tens of thousands,
Starting in a dorm room, a petition for new bathrooms,
New buildings, library shelves stocking our stories,
You are a brand new club,
You can hit send on the campus you’ve dreamed of,
Let each key stroke be a battle cry in a quest for justice.

You are a phone call,
A dial to a queer alumni to come back and speak, ,

Welcome...

Hello all Campus Pride peeps! In all it's fabulousness, this week's edition of Queer it Up Friday!...

• HOT LIST! Athens Boys Choir, Performance Artist
• Campus Pride Selected As National Partner for StandUp Foundation Against Bullying
• Pittsburgh Art Institute's mascot welcomes Pride 2011!
• Make It Better Summer
• Let us feature your campus!

Check out this week's great features after the jump...

Welcome...

Hello all Campus Pride peeps! In all it's fabulousness, this week's edition of Queer it Up Friday!...

• HOT LIST! Sue Rankin, Ph.D., Speaker/Lecturer
• It's not too late! Register for Camp Pride!
• HBCU LGBT summit places Spelman at top
• How your campus can support ENDA and other anti-discrimination initiatives
• Let us feature your campus!

Check out this week's great features after the jump...

Welcome...

Hello all Campus Pride peeps! In all it's fabulousness, this week's edition of Queer it Up Friday!...

• HOT LIST! Vidur Kapur, Comedian
• College admissions offices court gay students
• Time for Celebration: Honoring LGBT graduates
• Let us feature your campus!

Check out this week's great features after the jump...

Welcome...

Hello all Campus Pride peeps! Yes, we know it isn't Friday. In fact, Friday was quite a few days ago. But, alas, tech difficulties prevented us from getting last week's edition of Queer It Up! Friday online. Here it is today, all it's fabulousness: In this edition...

• HOT LIST! Randi Driscoll, Musical Act
• WOWSA! Camp Pride early bird rates extended!
• Even on Religious Campuses, Students Fight for Gay Identity
• Queering your school library
• Camper says hello, shares experiences
• Let us feature your campus!

Check out this week's great features after the jump...

Welcome...

In this week's edition...

• HOT LIST! The Kinsey Sicks, Comedy/Musical Act
• Last day! Camp Pride early bird rates end Saturday, April 16!
• Gender neutral housing continues to spread
• Gender-neutral housing and Camp Pride
• Gender-neutral housing FAQ
• A sad response to the Day of Silence
• Let us feature your campus!

Check out this week's great features after the jump...

Welcome...

In this week's edition...

• HOT LIST! Cameron Mack, Speaker/Lecturer
• Don't forget: Campus Pride early bird rates end soon!
• OUT TO PLAY! nominations still open
• Yale Under Federal Investigation For 'Sexually Hostile Environment'
• Strategies for Creating Awareness on Red Cross Blood Drives
• Let us feature your campus!

Check out this week's great features after the jump...