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Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the Convention?

SGC 2005 will be held on the weekend of Friday, June 17 - Sunday, June 19, on the campus of Louisiana State University, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Check-in will begin at 4pm on Friday afternoon. There will be entertainment and social events (such as live music and movie shows) on Friday night. Sessions will begin on Saturday morning at 9:00 am and continue until 5:00 pm Saturday evening. For entertainment and socializing there will be live music and movies shows again on Saturday night. Sessions will begin at 9:00 am on Sunday morning and will continue until 3:00 pm on Sunday afternoon.

Why a Southern Girls Convention?

The history of the South is a history of oppression--of misogyny, militant white supremacy, classism, homophobia. But it is also a history of radical resistence: the home of Sarah and Angelina Grimké, Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Casey Hayden and Rita Mae Brown. As Southern feminists that history is our history; and the realities we confront in our lives today come out of those two sides of the South. Southern Girls Convention is devoted to exploring those two sides and coming together to change them from within.

We are holding a Southern Girls Convention because we choose to embrace our history of struggle and to join it. We refuse to write off the South, and as Southerners we refuse to let the bullies and tyrants of history act in our name. Deep in the heart of the so-called Red States we are working together to continue the South's unique history of struggle, to make our home a more free, safe, and just place to live. To build the Beloved Community. Because the free and constructive flow of ideas, questions, and information about our lives and our communities, without fear of ridicule or backlash, will benefit our communities--and people everywhere.

We are holding the Southern Girls Convention because we need to unite, create a network, and become empowered. Because the South is our home. Our struggle is here. Our time is now.

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

Yes! This will be the seventh annual Southern Girls Convention. The original inspiration for Southern Girls Convention came from Women's Action Coalition in Memphis, Tennessee, and the first convention was held in Memphis in 1999. Each convention since then has been hosted in a different Southern community by different local organizers; conventions have been held in Louisville, Kentucky (2000); Auburn, Alabama (2001); Athens, Georgia (2002); and Asheville, North Carolina (2003). The convention returned to its birthplace, Memphis, in 2004. This year it will be held in Baton Rouge, Lousiana.

For all the details, you should check out our page on the history of SGC.

Who is the convention for?

Anyone interested in the Southeastern United States, social justice, activism, and the empowerment of young women, regardless of where you live.

Can boys attend the convention? Younger activists? Older activists? Non-Southerners?

Yes, everyone is welcome.

Can non-Southerners run workshops?

Yes, we invite everyone to run workshops, provided that is relevant to girls in the South. Please visit our workshops page to tell us your idea for a workshop.

Is this a trans-welcoming event?

Definitely! Trans and genderqueer people are encouraged to come to the convention. As feminists, we are committed to combatting the stagnant binary gender system that is so oppressive to women and girls. We encourage participants to facilitate workshops on gender identity and issues facing trans and genderqueer people.

How much does the convention cost?

To help make SGC 2005 happen, and to keep it grassroots-funded and -supported, we ask for a $20.00 sliding-scale registration fee, to help cover the cost of meals and housing. If you can't afford the fee, we just ask that you contribute whatever you can afford. All money will be used for the Southern Girls Convention, and anything left over after the convention will benefit local battered women's shelters and women's groups, and provide seed money for next year's Convention.

Where will I stay?

There will be four major housing options in Baton Rouge:

  1. you can locate a hotel room or a place to stay on your own,

  2. we can try to find floor space for you in a local supporter's home,

  3. we can try to find space for you to camp outside, or

  4. we are currently trying to secure housing in an auditorium setting with bathroom facilities at a church on campus. This is the equivilant of indoor camping in that you bring your own sleeping bags and pillows and everyone sleeps together in large rooms. We are trying hard to make this happen so that everyone can get housing on campus and for free. As soon as we have the plans confirmed we will post an update on the website. If you know that you need housing, be sure to register ASAP so that we can make sure your needs are taken care of and find you a place to stay before you arrive in Baton Rouge.

What will I eat?

Some vegan and vegetarian meals will be provided at the convention. Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings will be fruit, (apples, oranges, banannas) juice, coffee, and bagels or some type of bread item. Saturday and Sunday lunch will be vegan red beans and rice. We are currently soliciting donations from local restaurants and grocery stores, and based on their responses, we should be able to provide meals on Friday night and Saturday night. Also, if we have enough money from fees, we will make meals on those nights a priority. We will also have a station set up throughout the convention with food items for people to eat, such as peanut butter and jelly and bread and drinks, so that if you need to grab a bite, it will be available to you at any time.

We will also provide a guide to several local restaurants.

Will there be childcare at the convention?

Yes! It will be available during the sessions all day Saturday and Sunday morning. We will have a professional childcare provider who is CPR certified as the primary caregiver, and convention attendees who volunteer to help assisting the primary person. There will a a room set up specifically for childcare with toys and games for entertainment.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide care for infants under the age of one year. We don't have the resources necessary for this. Also, unfortunately, we will only be able to provide childcare during sessions--not during Friday night or Saturday night after-hours functions, or during meal times. But your children are welcome to be with you at all times and in all places.

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

A few years ago we asked Robin, an organizer of the original convention in Memphis why they decided use the word girl in the name instead of woman. This is how she explained it:

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.

Any other questions you may have?

Don't hesitate to contact us with your questions, comments or concerns. We will get back to you ask quickly as possible about any questions you may have.