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Bay Area Conference Temp

May 4
May 6

Bay Area Regional Conference

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The best view comes after the hardest climb. For active LDS allies, LGBT Mormons who have left, and the many who find themselves at every point on this spectrum, the San Francisco Bay Area has been an open and progressive space for decades and continues to be on the forefront of LGBTQIA+ individual and family support. The views these braves souls in San Francisco share are beautiful and expansive.

A View From Here will illuminate ideas from top thought leaders in the Mormon queer space with keynotes from LDS Historian Greg Prince, Encircle Board Presidents Barb Young and Will Spendlove, and breakout topics including The View as LGBTQIA+ Parents, The View From The Trans/Intersex Experience, and The View from Bay Area LDS Leaders.

With heartfelt discussion, eyeopening talks, social activities, and the beauty of the bay, this will be an enlightening and healing weekend for all who attend! Come share your own views and be open to the beauty that comes from seeing through someone else’s eyes.

Registration opens March 19th, $60 per person, scholarships available.

Schedule

Friday, May 4
Salesforce East Tower

6:30-9:00 PM Opening social co-hosted by The Hearth. Barb Young and Will Spendlove to lead a lively welcome conversation and light refreshments will be served

Saturday, May 5
Harvey Milk Recreation Center

9:00-10:30 AM Keynote session with Greg Prince
10:40-11:40 AM Breakout sessions with teen programming cohosted by Encircle
11:40-1:00PM Lunch
1:00-3:00 PM Breakout sessions
3:00-4:00 PM Closing session honoring our LGBT LDS Allies

Our View from Here: Looking Back at Those Who’ve Brought us to Where We Stand Today
In the final hour of the conference Saturday afternoon we will have the great pleasure of hearing from and honoring some true Mormon pioneers, both Kate Kendell, retiring Executive Director of National Center for Lesbian Rights, truly instrumental in much of the progress we’ve seen in marriage equality and otherwise over the last two decades, and Gary and Mille Watts, outspoken activists, parents of a gay son and lesbian daughter and former leaders of LDS Family Fellowship. Here’s a short news clip from 1999 when the Watts were Grand Marshalls of the Utah Pride Parade, just to give you some background and an idea of their amazing contributions:

7:30 PM Bonfire at Ocean Beach

Sunday, May 6

9:00 AM Sunday morning social/cultural activities
10:00 AM Drop-in Brunch

Accommodations

BEST DEAL: We’ve secured a great deal on a large block of rooms in the very nice, upscale Axiom Hotel, conveniently located at Powell & Market streets, right beside the iconic cable car line, the Westfield Shopping Center, the SF Tourist Bureau, etc. and on every Muni train line to the conference venues, as well as the historic F-line streetcars. These rooms normally cost far more, but we are able to book king bedrooms starting at $149 (plus taxes) and rooms with two queen beds for just $199/night (plus taxes). Click here to book these rooms at the conference rate.

Much closer to the main Saturday venue are several nice inns or B&Bs that have rooms available for that weekend and are conveniently located either in easy walking distance to the Harvey Milk Center for the Arts (50 Scott Street) or very easily accessible by public transit to all venues for the weekend.

Willows Inn Bed & Breakfast, 710 14th Street, is the the closest and has the most rooms available (other than the downtown Axiom Hotel above) fr after om $140/night (plus taxes) and is just a few blocks from the main conference venue and right by the train lines to get to the other venues. We’ve stayed there twice, including last Sunday night (long story) and it was very pleasant (and good breakfast).

The Metro Hotel, 319 Divisadero Street, only has rooms for Friday night currently available, but if you only need that one night, it’s super close to the Saturday venue and I’ve reserved a room with two full beds for $170/night (plus tax) in order to get on a waitlist for Saturday night, just in case something opens up and someone would like to stay there both nights. We’ve stayed there before and it was fairly nice, although rooms are small and some have shared baths.

The Parker Guest House, 520 Church Street. This place is really nice, with lots of great gathering spaces indoors and out! This would likely be at the top of my list except that they have a 3-night minimum, so wouldn’t work for most attendees. Bill the owner is willing to make an exception to the minimum for us, however, for up to three rooms: a queen room for $189 that may have to share a bath, a larger queen room with private bath for $229 and a large king room with private bath for $269.

The Parsonage Bed and Breakfast198 Haight Street is a really nice, quintessential Victorian home, directly across the street from our home and we have had lots of family and friends stay there who loved it. It’s a bit pricier, though, from $220/night, but worth it if you are able to stay there. A walk or short bus ride to the Saturday venue (and bus or train to Friday’s).

The Inn on Castro, 321 Castro Street, not as nice in my opinion and not the best deal, but right on Castro for those who may wish to be in the heart of the area. Last I checked, they still had a couple rooms available, one with a queen bed and one with two single beds, with private baths, for $240.

Hayes Valley Inn, 417 Gough Street. Not as convenient, but good reviews I’ve heard good reports. I just saw it on Hotels.com for $127/night with breakfast for those dates.

For those wanting national hotel chain options, there’s the Travelodge at 1707 Market Street or the Day’s Inn, 465 Grove Street, not as convenient and definitely not as nice, but may be cheaper through some websites than these nice locally owned neighborhood inns or B&Bs. That Travelodge was the base lodging for the last SF Affirmation International Conference, so some may be familiar with it.

And, of course, Airbnb. based here in SF, has many great and convenient options!