A Timeline of the International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference
1984 – About a dozen lawmakers gathered to discuss the unique challenges of serving as out gay elected officials. Attendee John Heilman, a West Hollywood, CA city councilmember, described the gathering as “more like a support group.”
1985 – The conference was held in West Hollywood, CA.
1986 – The conference was held in Washington, D.C. Tammy Baldwin, a then 24-year-old county supervisor from Wisconsin, attended the conference for the first time, eager to learn from this network of out LGBTQ+ officials. Senator Baldwin has now served almost two decades on Capitol Hill as a U.S. representative and senator.
1987 – The conference was held in Minneapolis, MN.
1988 – The conference was held in San Diego, CA.
1989 – The conference was held in Madison, WI.
1990 – The conference was held in Boston, MA.
1991 – The International Conference of Openly Gay & Lesbian Elected and Appointed Officials was hosted by the Houston Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus in Houston, TX.
1992 – The conference was held in Chapel Hill, NC. The National Network of Lesbian and Gay Officials sent a formal letter to President-elect Bill Clinton and Vice President-elect Al Gore discussing “AIDS, violence against lesbians and gays, and discrimination in all areas, especially in the military and in child custody disputes.” The International Network of Gay & Lesbian Elected Officials determined that there are only 68 out LGBTQ+ officials serving in Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Ireland and the United States.
1993 – The conference was held in Chicago, IL.
1994 – The tenth annual conference, held in Seattle, marked a monumental anniversary for LGBTQ+ elected officials. An estimated 200 were in attendance.
1995 – The conference was held in Toronto, ON. The Toronto Star reported on it, stating that Victory Fund candidates have a 60% success rate in their elections.
1996 – The conference was held in West Hollywood, CA. Attendees came from the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.
1997 – The conference was held in Philadelphia, PA.
1998 – The conference was held in Cathedral City, CA.
1999 – The conference was held in Providence, RI.
2000 – The conference was held in Tempe, AZ.
Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and Atlanta City Council Member Cathy Woolard attend the 2000 conference in Tempe.
2001 – The conference was held in Washington, D.C.
2002 – The conference was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
2003 – The conference was held in San Diego, CA.
2004 – The Gay & Lesbian Victory Foundation cosponsored the International Network of Lesbian & Gay Officials Conference for the first time. The 20th annual conference was held in New Orleans, LA.
2005 – The conference was held in Seattle, WA.
2006 – The conference was held in Houston, TX. Annise Parker, then-controller of Houston, welcomed the conference to “Houston, the Big City with a Big Heart, the City of Opportunity.”
2007 – The conference was held in Las Vegas, NV.
2008 – The conference was held in Washington, D.C.
2009 – The 25th International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference was held in San Francisco to honor Harvey Milk’s life. The International Network of Lesbian & Gay Officials had nearly 1,000 members worldwide.
2010 – The conference was held in Washington, D.C. The program stated that over 1,000 LGBTQ+ elected and appointed officials were in the United States.
2011 – The conference was held in Houston, TX.
A panel at the 2011 Conference
2012 – The conference was held in Long Beach, CA. U.S. Senator-Elect Tammy Baldwin was spotlighted for becoming the first LGBTQ+ U.S. senator. John Heilman described the event as “a great memory.” “Everyone was in celebration. At the beginning, we never could have imagined such a win.”
2013 – The conference was held in Denver, CO.
2014 – The conference was held in Washington, D.C.
2015 – The conference was held in Las Vegas, NV.
2016 – Returning to Washington, D.C., the conference attracted more than 500 participants, including 141 LGBTQ+ elected officials. It began with a closed-door session of more than 40 LGBTQ+ elected officials, who strategized how LGBTQ+ elected officials should respond to President Donald Trump’s election.
2017 – The conference was held from December 6 to December 9 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.
2018 – The conference was held from December 5 to December 8 at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C. Our largest conference in history attracted more than 500+ participants, including 160 LGBTQ+ elected officials. “Powering the Rainbow” was this year’s theme, reflecting the big wins of the 2018 midterm elections. The conference began with the first-ever International pre-conference Summit, along with a closed-door session of more than 60 LGBTQ+ elected officials.
2019 – The conference was held from November 13 to November 16 at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C. The event attracted more than 500+ participants, including 180 LGBTQ+ elected officials. “Representation is Power” was this year’s theme, reflecting the rising LGBTQ+ political power. The conference began with the International pre-conference Summit focused on “Populism vs. Democracy,” and a closed-door session of more than 80 LGBTQ+ elected officials.
2020 – The conference, held virtually for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic from December 3 to December 5, attracted more than 1500 participants worldwide.
2021 – The conference was held in a hybrid format, virtually and in-person, at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C. from December 1 to December 4.
2022 – This year’s conference, held in Washington, D.C., was held fully in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic from November 30 to December 2.
2023 – More than 600 LGBTQ+ elected officials, leaders, and advocates from across the world came together for the 39th Annual International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference, which was held in person in Washington, D.C., from November 30 to December 2. “You Belong” was this year’s theme, reflecting a simple truth: no matter one’s background, LGBTQ+ people belong in the success story, at the forefront, and in public office.