Convergence is an annual North American social gathering of gay men of size (chubs) and their admirers (chasers). The event is considered the longest running social gathering of its kind in North America and serves a particular community, also known as the
Chubs and Chasers community; a vibrant sub-culture of the gay community at large. Convergence is held during the USA Labor Day holiday weekend. The event has a history that goes back to 1986, when the first Convergence was held in Seattle, Washington. Since then, the event has been hosted annually in different cities across North America.
Location
Convergence is a "floating" event; the location for each year is determined by the
Big Gay Mens Organization
Big or BIG may refer to:
* Big, of great size or degree
Film and television
* Big (film), ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks
* ''Big!'', a Discovery Channel television show
* ''Richard Hammond's Big'', a television sh ...
(BGMO), formerly known as Affiliated Bigmen's Clubs (ABC), and originally associated with local
Girth & Mirth chapters.
Past Convergences have been held in:
*1986
Seattle[Suresha, Ron Jackson (2002). ''Bears On Bears: Interviews & Discussions''. Alyson Publications. ] Mayflower Park Hotel August 28 - September 1, 1986
*1987
Washington D.C. at the Vista September 3-7, 1987
*1988
New York City at the Mackelow September 1-5, 1988
*1989
Los Angeles Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel August 31 - September 4, 1989
*1990
Chicago at the Holiday Inn August 30 - September 3, 1990
*1991
Boston at the Swissotel August 29 - September 2, 1991
*1992
San Francisco Cathedral Hill Hotel September 3-7, 1992
*1993
Washington D.C. Embassy Suites September 2-6, 1993
*1994
New York City at the Millennium September 1-5, 1994
*1995
Seattle at the Westin August 31 - September 4, 1995
*1996
San Diego Radisson Hotel Circle
*1997
Philadelphia at the Holiday Inn
*1998
Reno at the Sands
*1999
Denver at the Adam’s Mark Hotel
*2000
Montreal at the Holiday Inn
*2001
Dallas at the Sheraton
*2002
Minneapolis at the Millennium
*2003
Washington D.C. at the Grand Hyatt August 28 - September 1, 2003
*2004
White Plains at the Crown Plaza
*2005
New Orleans - Cancelled due to
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
*2006
Houston at the Marriott Medical Center
*2007
Minneapolis at the Hyatt Nicollet Mall
*2008
Washington D.C. at the Marriott Gateway August 28 - September 1,2008
*2009
Las Vegas a.k.a. "BiggerVegas" at the Tuscany Suites and Casino
*2010
Orlando at the Doubletree (formerly International Plaza)
*2011
Boston at the CoCo Key Resort and Waterpark (North shore)
*2012
Chicago at the Renaissance Chicago, Northbrook
*2013
New Orleans at the InterContential
*2014
Scottsdale at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Paradise Valley-Scottsdale
*2015
Seattle at the DoubleTree Hilton Sea-Tac September 2–7, 2015 http://emeraldcityconvergence.com/#!/?page_id=13
*2016
Orlando at the Wyndham Orlando Resort International Drive August 30 – September 5, 2016 http://www.orlandoconvergence.com/
*2017
Las Vegas at the Luxor Hotel & Casino
*2018
New York City at the Pennsylvania Hotel
*2019
San Diego at the Marriott Mission Valley
*2020
St. Louis at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel
See also
*
Chub (gay slang)
A chub is an overweight or obese gay man who identifies as being part of the chubby culture. Although there is some overlap between chubs and bears, chubs have their own distinct subculture and community. There are bars, organizations and s ...
References
External links
Big Gay Mens Organization (BGMO)New Orleans Convergence 2013Scottsdale Convergence 2014
{{DEFAULTSORT:Convergence (BGMO convention)
Gay events
Bear (gay culture)
Fat fetishism
LGBT organizations in the United States