DALLAS—Hot button issues will be the focus of the National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, organized by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Beginning Tuesday and continuing through Sunday, approximately 2,000 gay and lesbian activists will meet for support of, debate over and speeches about gay rights.

“We have some really tough issues on the agenda, and we’re making some progress on the local level and the state level and even the federal level on a whole range of issues” said conference director Sue Hyde.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policies will be discussed among participants in addition to updates on the California trial attempting to overturn the state’s same-sex marriage ban

“We are delivering the message to our neighbors and co-workers that the idea that they’ve had about marriage can be expanded, and it will not hurt them” Hyde said.

Other topics of discussion will include workplace equality, HIV in older adults, and environmental safety for gay youths.

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