Proposals

2021 Call for Proposals

Rainbows Over the Rockies: Stronger Together will be held virtually April 15-17, 2021.

ROTR is the annual educational and networking summit for LGBTQ+ youth, families, professionals, and allies. With a special focus on serving rural communities, the overarching goal of the Summit is to provide resources and networking opportunities that will benefit the physical, mental, emotional, and social health and wellness of all members of the LGBTQ+ community. The Summit is free and everyone is welcome! In its inaugural year in 2020, the summit, with the theme, “Celebrating Diversity with Leadership and Learning,” hosted nearly 400 registrants from across the nation over three full days of presentations and events.

The 2021 Summit has the simple yet powerful theme, “Stronger Together.” This is both a reflection on where we have been and what we have already accomplished, and a look toward the future and how important it is to come together to share and celebrate our community. We will do this by:

Affirming and celebrating all identities by creating safe and welcoming spaces for listening and learning with respect and gratitude.
Promoting advocacy and action by bringing together a wide variety of individuals to share their own lived experiences to learn from one another and prepare and motivate them to inform and affect positive change.   
Building community and solidarity by offering networking and educational opportunities that allow people to share their stories and form strong and lasting relationships. 

Call for Proposals

We invite youth, university and college students/faculty/staff, professionals, and community members to present at the 2021 Summit. There will be day, evening, and Saturday spots available for the following types of presentations and events:

Plenary – 60 minutes / General audience
Presentation (lecture, panel, etc.) – 30, 45, 60 minutes / General or specific audience
Facilitated Roundtable – 15 minutes, plus Q&A (three sessions with a similar theme will be combined for 60 minutes) / General or specific audience
Facilitated Affinity Identity Group (small safe space for an identity group that allows for support and networking) – 30, 45, 60 minutes / Specific audience
Poster
Other – TBD length (does not fit into one of the above categories, i.e., film, workshop)

Submissions on all topics relevant to the LGBTQ+ community are welcome, especially those addressing the above themes of affirming and celebrating identities, promoting advocacy and action, and building community and solidarity including (but not limited to):

  • Legal issues on community and national levels
    • Current laws and pending legislation – marriage, name change, bathroom access
  • Mental and physical health and wellness during regular and pandemic times
    • Substance use and misuse, suicide, homelessness
    • Impacts of Covid-19
  • Issues surrounding gender identity and transgender community
    • Athletes, gender-affirming physical and mental health care, parent and family experiences, current and upcoming legislation, hate and violence
  • Advocacy and Allyship
    • How to organize, lobby, present issues, political engagement
    • LGBTQ+ community and political and social engagement (i.e., environment, food sovereignty, Black Lives Matter)
  • Intersectionality (affirming all identities – age, religion, race, disability, politics, profession, family, etc.)
  • All topics for youth and college-aged adults
    • Coming out and finding your community, how to advocate for self and others, working with schools, safe and respectful relationships
  • Resources for parents/families
  • Resources for professionals
  • Resources for educators
  • Many others – be creative!

Submit your proposal electronically. (Fill out a separate form for each proposal)
You will be asked to provide:

  • Primary presenter name, pronouns, title, organization, phone, and email, short bio
  • Other presenter(s) name, pronouns, title, organization, phone, and email, short bio
  • Presentation type
  • Presentation title
  • Presentation description
  • Preferred date(s) and time(s)
  • Accommodation needs

Submissions are due by Sunday, February 21st; presenters will be notified by Sunday, March 7th.
Please email Deb Albin (she/her/hers) at debalbin42@gmail.com or Paul Lachapelle (he/him/his) at paul.lachapelle@montana.edu with questions.