The WRC 2025-2026 theme is "Connecting Our Purpose: Liberation as a Place We Make Now," which encapsulates a profound call to action rooted in intersectional feminism and queer world-making. 

Inspired by Black queer feminist texts like the Combahee River Collective Statement, we emphasize the interconnectedness of struggles against various forms of oppression and recognize that true liberation can only grow from the fertile ground that we sow. Queer worldmaking imagines new ways of being that challenge restrictive normativity and insists that struggling for a world where we merely survive is not enough.

Drawing from Ruth Wilson Gilmore's concept of social justice as geography, our theme posits that liberation is not merely a destination but a dynamic process of actively reshaping our social and cultural landscapes. Collective action and community-building are essential to creating spaces where all folks can thrive.

Central to this theme is the belief that feminism is inclusive and accessible to all, echoing bell hooks' assertion that "feminism is for everybody." Like Mariame Kaba, we see hope as a discipline, not as a passive sentiment but as an active commitment to transformative change. Hope guides us in making this place and joy is foundational in this process.

By “connecting our purpose," we refuse to abandon our marginalized communities and struggles, understanding that our shared humanity binds us together in a common fight for justice. Queer theorists like José Esteban Muñoz teach us that a future-oriented liberation fails to free us in the here and now. We must actively engage in the ongoing work of creating a more free world. By committing to this collective journey, we plant the seeds of liberation today, nurturing the hope that our shared efforts will bloom into a more just and joyful world.