On September 19-22, over 200 Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) leaders and activists from across the country will gather in the nation's capital for the National Black Justice Coalition's (NBJC) 3rd annual OUT on the Hill Black LGBT Leadership Summit. OUT on the Hill attendees will participate in an inspiring week of discussion, strategizing and organizing as well as educating congressional leaders and federal agencies about Black LGBT public policy concerns. Openly gay ESPN/CNN columnist and commentator LZ Granderson serves as the 2012 OUT on the Hill national chair.

Click here for the full schedule

Early bird registration ends September 5, 2012.

Register today! 

Black LGBT Leaders Day at the White House

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm    

The OUT on the Hill Black LGBT Leaders Day at the White House will include presentations from the Obama Administration. Previous speakers include Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs; Gautam Raghavan, Associate Director of Public Engagement (LGBT Liaison), White House Office of Public Engagement; and Heather Foster, Director of African American Outreach, White House Office of Public Engagement.  

1:00 pm - 5:00 pm   

Issue Advocacy Day is an opportunity for the Black LGBT community to engage congressional offices on the issues that matter to our communities.  By empowering delegates to vocalize their personal stories and experiences with anti-LGBT discrimination in the halls of power, we will continue to build public support for pro-LGBT equality legislation in the Black community. 

The System. The Reality. The Solution.

Honoring and Protecting the Lives of Black Trans Women

9:00 am - 11:30 am

OUT on the Hill will feature an unprecedented briefing of prominent Black trans women who are activists, media personalities and subject matter experts as they discuss why it is important to be intentional about including the "T" as we develop the national Black LBGT agenda. In the midst of adversity, this community of resilient, powerful sisters has managed to come together and demand a seat at the table.  

Moderated by Laverne Cox, Trans Activist/Producer/Actress

Invited Panelists Include:

Rev. Carmarion Anderson - South Regional Minister, TransSaints

Kokumo Kinetic - Performing Artist 

Danielle King - Executive Director, National Aurora Campaign

Monica Roberts - Blogger, TransGriot

Valerie Spencer - Founder, Transcend Empowerment Institute 

Bali White - Program Coordinator, Hetrick-Martin Institute

A Discussion with Media Experts about How the
National Dialogue Has Changed Over the Last Year

2:30 pm - 4:30 pm

NBJC will host its now annual LGBT-themed Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Annual Legislative Conference issue forum, where prominent journalists and media experts examine how the president's affirmation of the freedom to marry has changed the media landscape, challenged the myth that Black people are 'more homophobic' than other racial groups, and opened up more doors to talk not just marriage, but other issues such as economic justice, HIV/AIDS, and job discrimination.

Moderated by Jeff Johnson, Journalist/Political Commentator, BET

Invited Panelists Include:

Keith Boykin - Commentator, BET/CNBC

Carolyn Brown - Senior Multimedia Content Producer, Black Enterprise

Clay Cane - Entertainment Editor, BET.com

Jonathan Capehart - Columnist, Washington Post

Nelsan Ellis, Actor, True Blood 

LZ Granderson - Contributor, CNN/ESPN

Dee Rees - Filmmaker, Pariah

The Great Recession Luncheon

Harnessing the Collective Economic Potential of the Black LGBT Community

12:30 pm - 2:30 pm

Keynote speaker Eugene Cornelius, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), launches "Many Faces, One Dream," the SBA's 13-city LGBT economic empowerment tour with the National Black Justice Coalition. The luncheon will be a collaborative dialogue about current challenges to employment security, economic empowerment, and financial literacy for Black LGBT Americans.

Invited Panelists Include:

Kenyon Farrow - Communications Director, The Praxis Project  

Monique Hall - Vice President, DCI Group