Students, educators, and community members from all over California and the nation will gather at UC Riverside Feb. 21, 22 and 23 for the 14th Annual Conference and General Assembly of the University of California Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Intersex Association.

Approximately 425 people have registered to attend the conference, which will include three days of dialogue, workshops, speakers, films, and performers, funded in part by The California Endowment.

"The conference theme, "Coming Home Queer," reflects our diverse experiences within our cultures, faiths, and families of birth and choice," said Nancy Tubbs, director of the UC Riverside Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center. "Whether we are lesbian, transgender, gay, intersex, queer, bisexual, two-spirit, same gender loving, or an ally... we have stories to share, issues to rally around, and support to offer each other," she said.

She noted that this year UC Riverside marks the 10th anniversary of UCR's LGBT Resource Center. UC Riverside was the first UC campus to create a professionally staffed LGBT resource center in January 1993.

"We hope UC Riverside alumni will choose their own "homecoming," returning to share their experiences now and out of the past with the campus community," said Tubbs.

The registration deadline is Feb. 14. Cost is $35 for the community, $30 for UC staff and faculty, $20 for UC students or UCR Alumni. Registration includes breakfast and a box lunch Saturday and a brunch on Sunday.

Registration forms are on the web at http://cominghomequeer.ucr.edu Additional information is available at (909) 787-2267 or via email at lgbtrc@ucr.edu

The University of California, Riverside offers undergraduate and graduate education to nearly 16,000 students and has a projected enrollment of 21,000 students by 2010. It is the fastest growing and most ethnically diverse campus of the preeminent ten-campus University of California system, the largest public research university system in the world. The picturesque 1,200-acre campus is located at the foot of the Box Springs Mountains near downtown Riverside in Southern California. More information about UC Riverside is available at www.ucr.edu or by calling 909-787-5185. For a listing of faculty experts on a variety of topics, please visit http://mmr.ucr.edu/experts/.