In Diversity Is Strength

I'M WRITING to share some subjective impressions of the 1981 Illinois State Conference, and to give some feedback in thanks to all those who helped. The conference as a whole was a beautiful and meaningful experience to me, but I want to address myself to one specific new experience: the visible presence of gay people working in the conference. Both the gay hospitality suite and the two workshops were a great success. The suite was open most of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. From eighty to a hundred visitors dropped in, about evenly mixed between straight and gay. We had a radio and a guitar. We made countless trips to the store for more coffee, pop, and munchies, and there was lots of laughter and joy and sharing.