About this Event
11th Annual Live Out Loud Berkshires Conference Celebrates LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Collaboration & New Initiatives in Challenging Times
The 11th annual Live Out Loud Berkshires Conference will bring LGBTQ people and allies from all over the Berkshires together on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM at Hotel Downstreet (40 Main St, North Adams, MA 01247) to celebrate growing intergenerational collaboration and new community initiatives in challenging times.
Live Out Loud is Berkshire County’s annual community conference to strengthen people’s understanding and advocacy of the LGBTQIA+ community. This year’s theme is celebrating and fostering intergenerational collaboration, featuring:
- an intergenerational panel with voices from Q-Mob, Rainbow Seniors, and NBCC youth,
- an exploration of the preservation of stories through art communities,
- an exploration of the evolution and impact of identity labels within our community,
- an exploration of building a queer movement in the Berkshires through the efforts of local business, organizations, and politics
- a Youth Space with low-sensory & crafting activities
This event is free and open to the public. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. All are welcome. Registration is encouraged: https://forms.gle/hCDookABXf8z6zJr8.
Participants are invited to attend engaging workshops, meet new people, and explore a community resource fair featuring local organizations and partners. This conference proudly showcases the work of undergraduate students from Berkshire Community College (BCC) and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), in addition to other workshop facilitators from the community at large. Their voices and contributions reflect the intergenerational core of this event: visibility, empowerment, and belonging.
Following the event, attendees are encouraged to explore the many queer-owned businesses in downtown North Adams, with some offering discounts for conference attendees. A final list of participating businesses will be made available at the conference at the registration table.
Jay Miller was a Live Out Loud workshop facilitator in 2024 and served on the organizing committee from 2022-2025. When asked what he admires most about this event, Miller shared:
Live Out Loud brings together local queer folk of all walks of life – from young to old, Berkshire natives to transplants, and creatives, entrepreneurs, educators, community leaders, and so many more. It’s a space to embrace our diverse community while being uniquely tied to our region, and a great way to meet and network with other LGBTQIA+ people with rural New England life experience.
Live Out Loud is a placemaking initiative launched in 2014 in response to the interconnected challenges of building community in a rural region. Despite geographic isolation, limited resources, and demographic shifts, Live Out Loud is an intentional space for community members to foster connections, develop meaningful relationships, promote social cohesion throughout the region, and expand networks of support.
BCC has partnered with MCLA for over a decade to co-host this annual LGBTQIA+ conference—now in its 11th year, with a bright future ahead. Together with the commitment of local organizations such as Northern Berkshire Community Coalition (nbCC), Berkshire Pride, QMoB, Rainbow Seniors, and volunteer support, this longstanding event creates a vital space for LGBTQIA+ students, community members, and allies to connect, learn, and celebrate.
Questions? Contact Erica Barreto, Student Diversity Programs & Belonging and Queer Student Association (QSA) Club Advisor at [email protected]
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Hotel Downstreet, 40 Main Street, North Adams, United States
USD 0.00
