Countdown To The 2016 LGBT Media Journalists Conveming

One month from now, I'll be up in Baltimore attending the 7th annual LGBT Media Journalists Convening with many of the top LGBT journalists in the country.

It's sponsored by the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr Fund and the NLGJA, and the purpose of it is to build and diversify LGBT media capacity, help us get better versed in writing and talking about the issues germane to our LGBT community and foster improved working relationships between those of us involved in LGBT media.

This will be my fourth one. The first LGBT media event for me was the 2013 Philadelphia one after inexplicably missing the one that was in my Houston backyard in 2012.  I was in the house for the Washington DC edition in 2014 and last year's return to Philly.

This 2016 edition of the convening will take place March 18-20.  Once again I'll be in the house hanging out with my fellow journalists, getting my learn on during our all day panel sessions on Saturday, and enjoying the opening reception with our yet to be revealed #LGBTMedia16 keynote speaker.

Last year we had the honor of hearing and I had the honor of getting reacquainted with the Rev Dr. William Barber.  I'd met him in Louisville at our Unity Dinner back in 2005, which he remembered when I got to chat with him after his speech was concluded.

I also got to ask him a question during the post keynote Q&A about where the national NAACP stands when it comes to standing up for the human rights of trans people.

It's one in the wake of the unjust anti-trans legislation being passed in South Dakota that cries out to be asked again.

I also enjoyed that moment in which the trans feminine contingent of the LGBT Journalists Convening took that group photo in front of what was once known as Dewey's Lunch Counter a few weeks before the 50th anniversary of the April-May 1965 trans human rights sit in and protest that took place there. .

I also enjoyed the first ever LGBT women's journalists meeting we had Saturday night coordinated by Trish Bendix and cutting up with birthday girl Faith Cheltenham, Berlin Sylvestre in the hotel lobby after I'd polished off a cheesesteak that wasn't from Pat's or Geno's.

Hope we have another one of those LGBT Women's Journalist meetings planned for the Baltimore event because I learned so much in that multi-generational conversation last year.

Looking forward to seeing who our keynote will be for this year's event, who is coming for this year's edition of the LGBT Media Journalists Convening, and tearing into some crab cakes..

And hopefully we'll have some nice weather for it as well.