BECAUSE

BECAUSE (Bisexual Empowerment Conference: A Uniting, Supportive Experience) is an annual, national conference for the bisexual community and other bi+ people that takes place in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. It was founded in 1992. It has been organized by the Bisexual Organizing Project since 1999. The conference is "dedicated to building an empowered bisexual, pansexual, fluid, queer, and unlabeled (bi+) community." It is the longest-running and largest conference for bi+ people in the United States. History In 1991, the Gay and Lesbian Community Action Council (GLCAC) published a needs assessment for bisexuality in the Twin Cities. One of the needs identified in the study was more community events. As a result, the Bisexual Connection (Minnesota) sponsored the creation of BECAUSE, which stands for Bisexual Empowerment Conference: A Uniting, Supportive Experience. The first BECAUSE was held in February 1992 in Minneapolis. The planning committee consisted of eight people. Only approximately four others preregistered. On the day of the conference, approximately 120 people showed up. The speakers included Lani Ka'ahumanu, co-editor of Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out.