Chrissy Ghephardt is on the forefront of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender politics, since she came out in the 2004 presidential democratic primary as the openly lesbian daughter of Congressman Dick Gephardt. She is the first openly gay family member of a presidential candidate in history. Recently, Gephardt continued her involvement in LGBT and youth politics through her work as the director of the Grassroots Campaign Corps for the National Stonewall Democrats, America’s only grassroots Democratic LGBT organization. She is also on the board of directors of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, an organization that is committed to increasing the number of openly gay and lesbian elected public officials at the federal, state, and local levels of government. Gephardt is a 1995 graduate of Northwestern University and completed her Master of Social Work in 2001 from Washington University in St. Louis. She currently resides with her partner in Washington D.C.

Plenary 2
Thursday, September 27
3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
International Ballroom
Sponsored by Dell

Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon is a singer, composer, scholar, and social activist, who founded the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock in 1973. Reagon retired from the group in 2004. Reagon was an active participant in the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s as a member of the Freedom Singers. She is a specialist in African-American oral history, performance and protest traditions. www.bernicejohnsonreagon.com

Toshi Reagon, the daughter Bernice Johnson Reagon and an out lesbian, has been performing music since she dropped out of college when Lenny Kravitz invited her to open for him on his first world tour, and has shared the stage with performers ranging from Ani Difranco to Elvis Costello. A musician known for her energetic performances, she has an exemplary gift for writing engaging songs that provoke listeners to think and have fun at the same time. Her band, BIGLovely, has been performing together since September, 1996. www.toshireagon.com

John Amaechi made history In February 2007 when he became the first NBA player to ever come out publicly. His new book, Man in the Middle, published by ESPN Books, details his life story and unique perspective as a gay man and a professional athlete. Born in Boston but raised in Manchester, England, the 6’10” Amaechi played professional basketball for ten years in the National Basketball Association (the Houston Rockets, the Orlando Magic, the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers) and in Europe playing for teams in France, Italy, Greece and England. Amaechi, now retired from professional sports, is a philanthropist, psychologist, social advocate, author and spokesperson. www.johnamaechi.com