Kierra Johnson, Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force, delivering the keynote address at a previous Creating Change conference.

Creating Change 2027: Nation’s Largest LGBTQ Conference Coming to Louisville

April 10, 2026/in Business, Community, Culture, Kentucky/by Queer Kentucky

The National LGBTQ Task Force, a progressive advocacy nonprofit that serves LGBTQ people and organizations across the country, has announced Louisville as the host city for Creating Change 2027, the nation’s largest annual conference of LGBTQ organizers and advocates.

Four LGBTQ conference attendees laugh and pose outside the Rio hotel in Las Vegas, one person being lifted by the group, with palm trees in the background.

Attendees celebrate outside the Rio hotel during Creating Change in Las Vegas. Photo by Carina Mask.

The gathering is “a mix of day-long institutes, keynote presentations, annual awards, and more than 100 workshops and caucuses,” according to the organization’s website. It rotates cities each year and Creating Change 2027 will be held in Louisville next year from January 27th to 31st. This year, the conference was hosted in Washington D.C.

Louisville was chosen in partnership with local organizers, nonprofit leaders, and community advocates across Kentucky. The Kentucky-based organizations involved in the conference are The Fairness Campaign, ACLU of Kentucky, Kentucky Health Justice Network, and Sweet Evening Breeze, along with youth-led, QTBIPOC-led, and trans-led grassroots organizing efforts across the state.

“Across Kentucky, community organizers and advocates have built durable infrastructure while navigating escalating state-level attacks, particularly targeting trans communities,” said Fernando López, Senior Strategist and Creating Change Director at the Task Force.

A diverse crowd of LGBTQ conference attendees seated in a large ballroom at a Creating Change conference, smiling and engaged with a presentation.

Attendees gather at a past Creating Change conference hosted by the National LGBTQ Task Force. Photo by Michele Dearing.

“Kentuckians know how to defend local gains, advance policy where possible, and build coalitions that hold under pressure. This is exactly the kind of leadership Creating Change attendees can learn from,” they said.

Chris Hartman, Executive Director of The Fairness Campaign, said it’s been “a dream” to welcome the nation’s foremost LGBTQ conference to Louisville.

“Our Commonwealth has a long history of civil rights leadership, and I’m excited to build on that legacy with the brightest minds in LGBTQ advocacy from all across our country,” Hartman said.

The Task Force will work closely with partners across Kentucky to develop programming and engagement opportunities that reflect the depth of organizing in the region, according to the organization’s press release. Organizations can look out for an open call for proposals and submit ideas between June 15th and September 15th, 2026. Those planning to attend Creating Change 2027 in Louisville can register and book the host hotel starting July 15, 2026.

The Creating Change Kick-off Reception will be held on August 25, 2026 in Louisville. More information is available at the conference’s website.

A CAN Community Health mobile health van parked inside a conference venue next to a Creating Change Health and Wellness Space sign.

A CAN Community Health mobile unit at a past Creating Change conference, offering free health screenings and harm reduction resources. Photo by Carina Mask.