2026 Queer and Now Conference:
Queer Lineages to Liberation: Understanding our Queer History to Build a Queer Future
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.- Conference Rooms A&B, Campus Center, and 3-5 p.m. in the MCC
- Includes lunch, two-spirit drum circle, art workshop, DJ and drag show
- Keynote speaker: Rayceen Pendarvis, renowned event host, inspirational speaker and Washington, D.C.–based community activist
- Learn more about our speaker
Queer and Now is the annual LGBTQ+ conference at De Anza College that focuses on the larger and local LGBTQ+ community, student success, equity, intersectionality and social justice concerns.
This year, the 12th annual Queer and Now conference will focus on the theme, "Queer Lineages to Liberation."
Cosponsored by the Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education and the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program.
For questions or accommodations, please email Jamie Pelusi at pelusijamie@deanza.edu.
About the Speaker
Rayceen Pendarvis is an event host, community advocate, self-described gender-blender and lifelong
Washingtonian. As an inspirational speaker, enthusiastic promoter, renowned host of
numerous LGBTQ events and champion of many local causes in the nation's capital, Rayceen
has earned the monikers High Priestess of Love, Queen of the Shameless Plug, Empress
of Pride and Goddess of D.C.
Over the past five decades, Rayceen's advocacy has focused on causes including civil
rights, gender equality, LGBTQ liberation, safer sex education, healthcare, housing,
D.C. statehood and voting. Numerous honors bestowed upon this community leader have
included those from D.C. Black Pride in 1998 and Capital Pride in 2016. In 2021, the
D.C. Council passed the Rayceen Pendarvis Recognition Resolution, and the LGBTQ newspaper
the Washington Blade named Rayceen its Local Hero.
Rayceen continues to host Pride celebrations, community gatherings and other events,
often in partnership with Team Rayceen Productions, and is active on several social
media platforms, which are accessible via Rayceen.com.