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Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the Convention?

This year's Southern Girls Convention will be held from Friday, June 23 – Sunday, June 25, 2006 in Houston, Texas. A welcome party and registration will be held Friday at the Artery art space. On Saturday and Sunday events will be located at the University of Houston's UC Underground.

For more information, see our page on Getting There.

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 eighth 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. Last year (2005) it was held in Baton Rouge, Lousiana. This year it will be held in Houston, Texas.

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 2006 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?

We are currently working on securing free housing for people attending the convention. Please watch this space and check back later to find out more, or contact the organizers with any questions.

What will I eat?

There will be vegan meals provided for the convention. We're still working out the details. Please check back later for more information, or contact the organizers with any questions.

What should I bring with me?

Will there be childcare at the convention?

Yes! There will be childcare provided at the event. Right now we are not sure of the details, or of what ages we can guarantee childcare for, so please watch this space and check back later for more information. You can contact the organizers with any questions.

What is there to do in Houston?

When the organizers of this year’s SGC brainstormed a good time to have the convention we all thought that the last weekend of June would be just perfect. Why’s that? Well every summer we have a huge [queer] Pride Parade down the streets of Houston that even our mayor marches in! (This year's parade will be held Saturday night, June 24th.)

Now, it may be a big corporate sponsored event but it still can be really amazing to see, smack dab in one of the reddest states around, thousands of queer people and queer allies partying long into the night! As for the stuff we have to do year round, well, Houston has some really cool museums, amazing vegetarian/vegan restaurants, and other stuff that will be featured in a zine you’ll get when you check in.

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.