Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the convention?

July 20 - July 22, 2001, in Auburn, Alabama. The conference will be held in Foy Union at Auburn University, Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and local houses for house shows.

Who is the convention for?

For anyone interested in social justice, activism, and the empowerment of young women, regardless of where you live.

Can you tell me more about the convention's history?

Yes! We have a whole page about SGC's purpose and history.

Can boys attend the convention?

Yes, but there may be some workshops that are for women only. We feel that there are some subjects that are best explored by a group of women without the pressure of a male presence, and we ask that you respect this. However, there will be plenty of opportunities for male participation. We particularly invite men to facilitate workshops about men confronting sexism.

Can younger / older activists attend the convention?

Yes! There are no restrictions on age.

Can non-Southerners run workshops?

Yes, anyone can run a workshop about any subject, provided that is relevant to young womyn activists. Please visit our workshop page to tell us your idea.

How much is the registration fee? What if I can't afford it?

The registration fee is $15, which includes the three day convention, all meals beginning Friday evening and ending Sunday afternoon, housing, and admission to shows on Friday and Saturday nights. Good deal, huh? If you can't afford this price but would still like to attend, please give what you can. No one will be turned away if they can't afford the fee, but we need you to put in a registration form even if you can't afford the fee in order for us to be sure that we can accomodate everyone who arrives. Click here to register.

Will there be childcare available?

Yes!

Why are you calling this a "Girls'" convention when the word "girl" has been so long associated with women's subordination?

We asked Robin, an organizer of the original convention in Memphis, why they decided to use the word "girl" in the name instead of "woman." This is what she said:

We opted to call it a girl's convention for multiple reasons. We are all about the reclamation of the word girl; taking it back and consequently helping to take away its negative connotation. Also, when we organized the conference, I was only 19 and I completely identified as a girl. Most of the people who came to the conference were in my age group. Because two years have passed, of course my identity has evolved a bit- but that doesn't mean that I have no girl identity whatsoever. Also, I definitely think that we would have attracted a different audience had we called it the "Southern Women's Conference" or the "Southern Radical Women's Convention" or anything else. My suggestion would be to phrase it to attract whatever kind of women/girls that you feel you'd like to attract; whoever you feel needs it the most. I will say this though- in a climate like Memphis, I doubt that young girls would have felt comfortable or even interested in attending a "women's conference".

I am anti-abortion. Can I attend?

This is definitely, 100%, and without a doubt a pro-choice event. You can attend, but anti-abortion proselytizing is not permitted. There are other events for that.

Where can I find press information?

At the Press Information Center on this page

Questions we haven't answered?

Please contact us and we will try to get you an answer as quickly as possible! You may also want to check the FAQ section on Ailecia's page to see if it has questions we haven't covered here.