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Serving Gay & Lesbian Mormons and their Family and Friends Since 1977
by Olin Thomas, Senior Assistant Director Affirmation Conference 2003 is drawing ever nearer. My airline reservations are made and the hotel room is booked. My vacation request was completed months ago. For me, this is one of the highlights of the year. This is so not because I don't have a social life, but because I have learned that Conferences are simply a wonderful, sometimes magical experience. When I first joined Affirmation (way back in the late 1980's), I didn't even consider going to the conferences. I lived on the East Coast -- it was too long of a trip and too expensive. I didn't have the disposable income or the vacation time, I reasoned. But in 1993 my partner died, living me alone and very, very lonely. I decided to go the 1993 Conference in San Diego to get away for a few days. I expected to enjoy myself, but I did not expect to meet so many wonderful people, many of whom I still know to this day. I did not expect to be moved to tears in more than one event. I found laughter, comfort and spirituality -- so much that I pledged to never miss Conference again. I have only missed one since -- in 2001 -- the unfortunate side effect trying unsuccessfully to fly out of Washington two days after 9-11. In the subsequent ten years I have found new friends, new experiences, cultural enlightenment, and even a bit of romance at conference. I have meet celebrities big and small. And at every conference I have been deeply moved at least once.
There is magic at Conference, if you are open to it. My budget has survived as
well, because the registrations have been amazingly reasonable compared
to other types of conferences or recreation, and room sharing
has become a way to have fun as well as to save money. Now, both my partner
and my employer know that I must have a few days off whenever Conference
is planned -- it's my first priority. It's the best spent two or three days
of vacation (one day will do it in some cases) I take all year. I can't
promise that you will have the same experiences I do --- but I can promise
you will have your own incredible experiences, if you just come and open
your heart and mind and join in the camaraderie of Affirmation Conference.
Information and registration forms for the 2003 Affirmation Conference are available at our website or by requesting them at Affirmation's P.O. Box. Join us in Salt Lake City on October 10-12 for our annual family gathering. Affirmation Chat will be back on Sunday, September 7, at 6:00 PM Pacific Standard Time (9:00 PM EST). The event will be held at the Q-Saints chatroom. You must first join Q-Saints in order to be able to chat.
by Duane Jennings, Conference Chair Join us October 10-12 (Columbus Day Weekend) as we gather for our annual conference to be held in the heart of Mormondom. "Charting New Courses" is this year's theme. We will discuss the unique issues facing GLTBI people from Mormon backgrounds and celebrate both aspects of our dual identity-Peculiar/Queer and Mormon. The conference will be held at the Guesthouse on the University of Utah Campus in Salt Lake City. For registration and additional information on the conference, visit the conference page at www.affirmation.org. Preliminary Program Friday, October 10
2:00 - 5:00 Leadership Meeting Saturday, October 11
8:00 - 8:30 Breakfast Sunday, October 12
9:30 - 10:00 Music and the Spoken Word - Temple Square Excursion leaves at 8:45 am Friday Afternoon Events The Friday opening will include entertainment, a few serious words, and how could any Mormon related event be complete without refreshments! The serious part of our opening event will be a look back at our past and the challenges we face in our future. The opening will also include entertainment and we'll be learning some Latino steps by members of the Mexico City chapter. NOTE: Affirmation leaders and members are strongly encouraged to attend a leadership meeting from 2 to 5. Saturday Workshops & Free Time Saturday morning we will enjoy a number of workshops on a variety of topics relating to the gay Mormon experience. For the complete list of workshops, visit the conference webpage. Saturday lunch is on your own. Gamofites (Gay Mormon Fathers) will gather for lunch at 1:15 pm at the Heritage Commons. The afternoon has been set apart as free time. Information will be available for groups interested in touring Temple Square, the City Cemetery, the Salt Lake Masonic Temple, and the Family History Library.
Affirmation is pleased and excited to announce that international writer and comedian Sue-Ann Post will share her talents and thoughts at the Saturday Night Awards Banquet. Sue-Ann or Posty, is a comic with a past. She has left church activity (the Mormon one), she has come out (she's gay) and she's told everyone about it. Since Sue-Ann launched onto the scene with her multi award winning solo show, A Bit Of A Post-Script, she has been creating her own brand of information charged comedy that has shocked and delighted audiences around Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Posty is possibly the only comic to perform for the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and the World Council of Churches in the same week--and she was cheered at both events! Her autobiography, "A Bit of a Postscript," is available through Penguin Books.
From the banquet we will be traveling down to lower campus and joining the LGBT campus community for the Rainbow Ball and entertainment. Affirmation is in for a treat as the Saliva Sisters make a repeat performance at their third Affirmation Conference (previous conferences were 1997 in Salt Lake and 1998 in Portland, Oregon). The Saliva Sisters are an unnatural act. Who would have supposed a girl group singing parody songs about fiber, bidets, and bras would have survived, let alone flourished, in Utah? Well, they have. In fact, they've become an institution. In 20-something years of melody, mirth and mucous, they have performed for groups as varied as the Western Republican Governors and the Gay Rodeo. As their performance list attests, they also get around. People who have seen them in their natural habitat import them to parties, conferences and cheap motels all over the country. Music, Devotional, Luncheon Excursion to Music and the Spoken Word at the Tabernacle on the LDS Temple complex and the annual Affirmation Sunday Devotional. This will be followed up with the traditional Sunday Closing Luncheon. But conference participants are highly encouraged to extend their weekend through Monday. For a few lucky ones, Monday will be a day off from work as it is Columbus Day Weekend. The extended conference activities include the following:
Utah Premier of "THIS obedience" followed by a discussion on Soulforce (www.soulforce.org) and Mormonism mid-afternoon. "THIS obedience" is an emotional journey through one of the most contentious justice issues of our time. In an act of "ecclesiastical disobedience," a Lutheran congregation in Minnesota ordains the Rev. Anita C. Hill, a lesbian pastor in a committed relationship, who refuses the requirement of celibacy for gay clergy. Over the following months Hill and her congregation find themselves at the center of the public debate over homosexuality and the church. As the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in American) prepares for a decision, hopes and dreams hang in the balance. See www.thisobedience.com for additional information. Sunday Evening Affirmation is cosponsoring the quarterly Family Fellowship Forum. Family Fellowship is an organization dedicated to strengthening LDS families with gay and lesbian members. This event will start at 5:00 pm at the University of Utah's Social & Behavioral Science Auditorium, and will feature a recently made film dealing with homosexuality and the LDS church. The film's main purpose is to educate members and leaders to be more aware and capable of providing support to lesbian and gay members of the church.
If you are 21+, join us Sunday evening at Club Splash in downtown Salt Lake. The inside is smoke-free! The party will start around 7:00 pm, Sunday evening after the Family Fellowship Forum at 404 South West Temple.
by Hugo Salinas At orbitz.com and travelocity.com you can find specials offered by many airlines. And if you're the adventurous type, consider making a reservation at hotwire.com. Hotwire provides some excellent deals, especially if you're flying from the East Coast or the Midwest, but alas-you'll find out your itinerary and the name of your airline only after purchasing the ticket. Finding a Roommate We are creating an electronic roommate finder for those interested in sharing their hotel room with another conference attendee. The Roommate Finder will be posted on the conference webpage at www.affirmation.org by September 1st.
Charting New Corsets! The rumor that Imelda will perform a musical number at the Affirmation Annual Conference has been spreading in gay Mormon circles like wildfire. "Yes, it's true," wrote the diva in a message emailed from her bungalow hideaway in the Pacific. "I'll be there in black fringe." Join us in Salt Lake City. Enjoy the Utah landscape. Experience gay nightlife in the heart of Mormondom. And learn about the new courses GLBTI Mormons are charting for themselves.
The Affirmation Charter provides a one calendar year term of office for the Executive Director. This means that Scott MacKay's term of office will expire on December 31st, 2003. Having served 6 terms in the last 9 years, Scott has announced that he will not run for re-election. Any Affirmation member interested in serving as executive director must submit a declaration of candidacy by mail or by email to Affinity editor Hugo Salinas by September 20. Only current dues-paying members can run for office. The declarations of candidacy will by published in the October issue of Affinity. Candidates will also be presented with an opportunity to speak at the Conference in October. They should be prepared to outline their vision and goals and to answer any questions. Anyone who is even slightly interested in running is urged to place their name into candidacy. Affirmation benefits when we can choose among a variety of candidates who care about moving Affirmation forward. Please do not be deterred by the responsibility of the office. Affirmation does not depend on one person alone; as many executive directors in the past have found, there are many who are willing to help. To place your name into candidacy, please submit your name and a statement by mail or by email
to . Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons P.O. Box 46022 Los Angeles, CA 90046 National Phone Line: (323) 255-7251 To see a directory of current Affirmation chapters, visit www.affirmation.org/chapters Executive Director: Scott MacKay AFFIRMATION GAY & LESBIAN MORMONS is a non-profit support group serving
Gay and Lesbian Mormons, their families and friends since 1977. AFFINITY
is the official publication of the Affirmation National Executive Committee.
About AFFINITY and E-AFFINITY AFFINITY is available both as an email text and as a web-based document. Although both versions are free of charge, we encourage you to become a dues-paying member and thus help us advance Affirmation's important mission. If you wish to receive a text version of AFFINITY by email, simply
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and should be limited to 250 words. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, national committee or publisher, but rather
the individual writers. The Editor reserves the right to edit any material
deemed offensive, libelous, grammatically incorrect or lengthy. www.affirmation.org
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