People from around the nation and Canada will flock to Iowa State for the nation’s longest-running and largest student conference focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender concerns.

The Midwest Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Transgender Ally College Conference will take place this weekend in Ames.

“In the last two years, there have been more incidents of violence on campus towards members of the LGBTA community than in the last six years I’ve been on campus,” said Scott Reichmann, co-chair man of the Midwest Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Transgender Ally College Conference planning committee.

This trend also holds true throughout the United States with increased amounts and severity of violence, he said.

Todd Herriottt, adviser for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Ally Alliance and chairman of logistics and operations of the Midwest Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Ally College Conference, said this year almost 1,200 students, faculty and staff from across the Midwest are expected to attend.

More than 210 different organizations are registered to attend from 120 different colleges, he said.

The annual conference moves from campus to campus each year and conference attendees vote which campus the conference will be located at next year, Herriott said.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Speak Up, Speak Out.”

“It’s about being more active, being heard and making positive change,” he said.

Ellen Daly, junior in women’s studies, will be a presenter and volunteer for the conference, she said.

“It’s my first college conference, and it’s exciting to know that there are that many people in the Midwest who have the same vision for social justice,” she said. “It’s a great way for networking and creating communities throughout the Midwest. It’s reassuring to know there is a larger community outside of ISU.”

She said the conference is a great way for students to feel more empowered on their own campus and bring more attention to “queer activism to ISU.”

Krista Weber, member of the Midwest Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Transgender and Ally College Conference programming committee, said the conference will be a chance for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and ally community to interact with people it normally doesn’t pay attention to.

“It’s a chance for people to really see the diversity in the LGBTA community — there is no one stereotype, each person is an individual. Hopefully, the rest of campus will notice that,” Weber said.

This is a unique opportunity for all ISU students, Reichmann said.

“This is a chance to reach out to people we have a hard time reaching out to in both the LGBTA community and the ISU community,” he said.

The conference should bring energy and lasting effects to Iowa State, he said.

“This is a chance for us to look beyond our own small groups.” Reichmann said. “[Participants] should be able to be the person they are and not be afraid that someone down the street will hit you in the head with a brick.”

This year, students who would like to participate can register at the door until 1 p.m. Friday in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. They can register until the middle of Saturday at the check-in desk in the Memorial Union.