Unity, hope and action are the keys to creating change

Creating Change is coming to Detroit, but it's not just about a conference. It's an attitude. A commitment to action. Creating change – the idea and the event – is about having hope in the toughest of times. And, with any luck, it's the direction our entire country is going.
With the slew of primary elections, debates and political discussions peppering the media recently, one thing has become apparent: Americans are ready for a change. No, not just a change of president (although that's a good start), but a complete overhaul of the way we think, act and treat each other. It's a national (or even global) movement, but it starts at home.
Michigan has been in the negative spotlight for a while, and recently fuel was added to the fire with Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's bedroom – and courtroom – scandal. More than a disappointment, it brings to light what those on the outside must see us as: A lost cause. It is, perhaps, also the way other countries see America.
But the fact is, there's hope for Detroit, for Michigan and for the U.S., but nothing can happen unless everyone does his or her part to create change.
This conference is a good reminder that everyone can be an activist, showcased by the fact that whether you are new to activism, slightly experienced or a leader, Creating Change has something to teach everyone. First, there are the classes, which cover every topic of possible concern to the LGBT community, or to any activist. But there's also the idea of unifying voices, meeting those outside of one's realm of comfort and listening to new ideas, in and out of the classrooms.
But that's just the start.
This revolution is going beyond individual communities, sexual orientation, social statuses and politics. The change that America, Michigan and the LGBT community are all looking for is an end to divisiveness. For all three, it begins at conferences like the one happening here next week.
But it's also happening at the polls. In South Carolina, the number of voters who cast their ballots for Barack Obama this month almost equaled the total number of votes in the state's entire 2004 primary elections. In Iowa, the polls saw 100,000 more voters. This proves that apathy and fear as a political strategy are dead.
Things have been tough in the last decade, locally, nationally and within the gay community. Scandal, a looming recession, a raging war and negative opposition are enough to make anyone believe that there's no point in fighting. But the Creating Change Conference, the excitement building over the upcoming election and the fact that millions of people still believe in Michigan show that hope is not lost.
Where there's hope, there's action. And where there's action, there's change.