Founded in 2006, the Governors Conference is the only event of its kind nationally.  Over 500 individuals from nearly 90 Iowa communities attend annually including Iowa students, college students, professors, educators, counselors, administrators, policy makers, parents, faith leaders, youth-serving professionals, and those who just care about the wellbeing of LGBTQ youth.

The mission of the Annual Iowa Governors Conference on LGBTQ Youth is to a) engage and educate students, educators, parents, community leaders, youth-serving professionals, policy makers, and others concerned about issues relevant to the LGBTQ community, and b) encourage networking and activism to inspire our communities to promote diversity, equality, and social justice.

Past keynote speakers of this event include Judy Shepard (Mother of Matthew Shepard), Moises Kaufman (Author of The Laramie Project), Brent Hartinger (Author of Geography Club), Kevin Jennings (Founder of GLSEN), John Amaechi (NBA Star), Lt. Dan Choi (Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal advocate), and Sarah Schulman (Playwright and Author). 

AvivaUSA, Rockwell Collins, Iowa State Education Association, and the Iowa Association of School Boards are proud sponsors of this years Iowa Governors Conference on LGBTQ Youth.  

Iowa elected and public officials who have spoken in the event in the past include Governor Tom Vilsack, Lt. Governor Sally Pederson, Governor Chet Culver, Lt. Governor Patty Judge, Congressman Leonard Boswell, Former First Lady Christie Vilsack, Former Iowa Department of Education Director Judy Jeffrey, and Iowa Civil Rights Commission Executive Director Beth Townsend.