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Editorial: Conference is the Highlight of the Year—And It’s Here! By Olin Thomas, Executive Director We are in the final days of registration for the annual Affirmation Conference. Conference begins September 30 at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in beautiful downtown Denver, Colorado and we want as many people as possible to be able to attend. Therefore the conference committee is pleased to announce that the post-September 1 price increase in the registration cost has been canceled. You can still register for only $189. This may seem like a lot to some of you, but it does include three meals and a reception. Food is the largest single cost item. If you have never attended an Affirmation conference before and would like to experience one, we have an even better offer—join us in Denver for only $169. It is our belief that once you experience the warmth and camaraderie of a conference, you’ll want to come back in future years. If you have been delaying registering for any reason, jump up right now and get that registration in the mail. Why should you come to conference? There are many reasons. When I talk to people about membership in Affirmation, two types of people emerge. First is the person who has successfully integrated their gay identity into their overall life, but who misses certain aspects of their days in active church membership. They are looking for social connections with other similar people and for fond remembrances of their Mormon heritage and traditions. You will certainly find this at the Conference. It is a place to build enduring friendships with people who understand your journey. The other type of person has been more successful at maintaining their Mormon identity and struggles to understand how they can be gay and still Mormon. They do not wish to become inactive, or maybe reduce activity in the Church but still uphold many LDS practices that seem to conflict with society’s view of being gay or lesbian. How can they do this? At the conference this person will be able to attend workshops by active Church members talking about just this conflict. They can spend quiet minutes and hours visiting with dozens of other people in similar situations and asking “how do you cope?” They can attend a devotional organized by people who are gay AND Mormon and not ashamed of either. One of the highlights of the Conference is the Saturday evening banquet. Our keynote speaker, Dr. Don Johnson, will address us then, speaking about his journey from active Church participation and leadership through coming out and establishing a successful life as an openly gay man, including receiving high recognition from PFLAG for his efforts to help gay youth and others on this journey. I was intrigued recently when I reviewed part of a book just being published titled Conservative Christian Identity & Same-Sex Orientation. Chapter six is titled “The Case of Gay Mormons.” It was so interesting to read some of the quotes the author used, including one from the November 1991 Affinity when he quoted a writer who was protesting the choice of keynote speaker at the 1991 Conference. The writer said: “How can the [keynote speaker], a non-LDS individual, enlighten us on the plight of gay Mormons? I feel as though the general authorities had invited Oral Roberts or Billy Graham to offer the opening address at General Conference.” He went on to say he wanted to hear stories of other gay Mormons and how they have been able to integrate their sexuality with Mormonism. While I believe there is much non-Mormon speakers can teach us, even about our own journeys, I do understand this comment from fourteen years ago. Mormonism is very different from the general protestant or Catholic experience in America. That is why our conferences are so important to me. I can hear my doubts and fears and worries being discussed and find ideas on how to live my own life-–without first filtering the ideas through the Mormon conversion program. Then, for the other side of my personality (the gay and proud side), we will have a 45-minute performance by the highly acclaimed Denver Gay Men’s Chorus singing songs of pride and affirmation. I also look forward to the annual presentation of the Mortensen Award. This is Affirmation’s highest honor, given once a year to one person. As a member of the selection committee, I am deeply touched by the stories of personal dedication and commitment that come in each year. This year also marks the first time we have had nominations from Affirmation chapters outside the United States. Conference is best when there are many friends there. Your presence will add so much to the experience. It’s just a three day weekend of your time, but it will seem like a much larger experience. Come, take the plunge and reach for new heights by coming to the 2005 Conference!
Important Conference Information
Don't Miss the World Premier of “Lost Tribe” Our conference in Denver will open on Friday night with a reception followed by the showing of a recently completed video documentary called Lost Tribe. This was filmed mostly in Salt Lake City in 2003 at the Affirmation Conference that year as well as a Reconciliation Meeting following that, and some scenes from Australia. The story follows Australian professional comic Sue Ann Post, a former Mormon and a lesbian, as she accepts an invitation to speak at the Affirmation Conference and finds herself dealing with long buried emotions surrounding her Mormonism. It is beautifully produced and extremely pertinent to our group experience. If you have even a little Affirmation experience you'll recognize many or most of the people in the film. Affirmation Gay & Lesbian Mormons is pleased to be able to offer the first large scale public screening of this film. You won't want to miss it!
by Olin Thomas It does not seem possible that another year has gone by and that Affirmation's annual conference will be upon us in just a month. Although the term of office for Executive Director runs from January 1 to December 31, it really seems to run from conference to conference. We announce candidates for executive director at the conference and they address the attendees, outlining their vision and goals and answering any questions. The position of Executive Director is the only elected position in Affirmation, outside of individual chapters. The executive director then appoints two assistant directors. These three people form an executive committee that conducts the business of Affirmation. Also appointed by the executive director are associate directors, the treasurer, Affinity editor, webmaster, endowment committee, and a host of special positions such as youth services, women's concerns, and transgender concerns coordinators. We are now accepting nominations for Executive Director. The schedule requires candidates to declare their candidacy no later than the end of the first day of the Conference (September 30), but earlier submission is preferable. Only current dues-paying members can run for office. Affinity's editor accepts nominations. To place your name into candidacy, please express your intent by September 30 by sending a statement by email to at AffirmationLDS  earthlink.net, or in person at the Denver conference. You must submit a full statement of candidacy to Hugo Salinas by October 4, either or regular mail: Hugo Salinas P.O. Box 46022 Los Angeles, CA 90046-0022 The statements will be published in the October/November issue of Affinity. Please consider placing your 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 help. If you would like to be one of those who help Affirmation survive and flourish, also consider offering yourself as a candidate for assistant director or one of the other positions. We have not made this request in past years, but I suspect many possible future executive directors are out there, waiting for the moment they are ready to take the plunge. Better than diving in the deep end is wading into leadership first. Grow into the role and learn about Affirmation from more experienced leaders by accepting the appointed positions first. If you're interested in accepting a leadership position, please send me (olin affirmation.org) or a letter:Olin Thomas P.O. Box 77504 Washington, DC 20013 Ballots for the election of the executive director will be mailed to all current dues paid members following the Conference and the results will be announced in December. Date & Venue for Salt Lake City Vigil Announced A Salt Lake City suicide vigil will be held Wednesday, September 7, at 6:30 P.M. in Memory Grove, around the Meditation Chapel. The event will focus on the harmful effects on sexual minorities when powerful forces within a culture send damaging messages by their actions and words. The vigil will highlight the power of love and education to overcome the resulting problems and to strengthen the families affected. For more information, contact : Wasatchaff aol.com.
Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons P.O. Box 46022 Los Angeles, CA 90046 National Phone Line: (661) 367-2421 To see a directory of current Affirmation chapters, visit www.affirmation.org/chapters Executive Director: Olin Thomas 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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