|
|
 |
|
Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons—Serving Gay & Lesbian Mormons and Their Family and Friends Since 1977
AleX Dean |
Building a Stronger Community for All LGBT Mormons
by AleX Dean, director of Transgender and Intersex Issues
I grew up in SE Idaho in a community that was almost entirely LDS. At the age of 24, I left the LDS church because of doctrinal differences. That was in 1982. When I was a church member, it was unthinkable for me to consider that I might be lesbian. After my departure, it was only a short time until I figured it out. I soon entered into a committed relationship with another woman. We were together for 20 years. A few months after our separation was finalized, I realized that I was actually transgender. I did a lot of research on physically transitioning, and talked to many people. That summer, I began the process of physically transitioning from female to male.
While I was born into a body that had the outer physical appearance of being female, internally, I am male. By physically transitioning, I am changing my physical appearance, my gender presentation, to match my internal gender. This allows me to live more authentically and congruently. Changing one’s gender presentation is a process much like going thru puberty, and takes several years to complete.
Gender can be viewed as a variable scale, as opposed to a binary situation of either male or female. Some people are born into male bodies and identify as male. Some are born into female bodies and identify as female. There are many people who identify somewhere in the middle of the scale and whose outer bodies may or may not match their inner gender, or their gender identity. Gender variant is a term used to describe those of us who identify other than strictly male or strictly female. One who is gender variant can also identify as a transgender person. One does not have to physically transition, or alter their gender presentation in any way in order to identify as transgender.
While I had visited Affirmation from time to time after leaving the church, it has only been over this past year that I have become an active member. I enjoy the community of Portland’s local chapter. After attending last year’s conference in Salt Lake City, and seeing all the good work that they do, I felt that I also wanted to contribute. It was an honor and a great opportunity for me to be asked to accept the position of Director of Transgender issues.
My vision for Affirmations transgender program is to provide various types of resources for education and support for ourselves, as well as our friends and families. My goal is to work to enhance understanding of transgender issues, so that pain may be lessened, compassion developed, and family relationships improved.
I would like to build a stronger community by providing a place for us to share our stories and to be able to interact with each other online. This community is inclusive of those who are gender variant in any way, regardless of whether or not they chose to physically transition. It is also inclusive of those who are active, those who are inactive, and anywhere in between. This space will be developed in a way that will protect anonymity if one desires.
This program is for you. I invite you to begin participating by submitting your stories, submitting articles and resources, and freely offering your ideas and suggestions. You can email these to me. I look forward to serving in this position, and getting to know each of you better.
Affirmation Calendar 2010
January 20 - February 13
“Facing East” to Be Staged in Richmond, VA
January 24 - 30
“8: The Mormon Proposition” to premiere at Sundance
|
|
February 3-7
Creating Change Conference in Dallas
March 12-14
Executive Committee Meetings in Kansas City
October 8-10
Annual Conference in San Francisco
|
Dale Barton |
|
Join us for STAND UP! the 2010 Affirmation Conference
It Will Be Held in San Francisco, October 8-10
by Dale Barton
This past New Year’s Eve, I was mesmerized by a huge, bright moon and realized it was the first Blue Moon to fall on New Year’s Eve in 32 years. Despite temporary setbacks in “liberty and justice for all,” I felt a personal shift of hope and change as we closed the book on a difficult year and began a new decade of justice and equality. The first federal hearing on marriage equality and the legality of Proposition 8 begins in San Francisco this January, and the premier of the documentary film “8: The Mormon Proposition” will occur at the Sundance Film Festival. We are at the dawn of a new era where we can help create a better world.
You have the opportunity to take part in making positive change in the world. San Francisco has been the stage of some of the most dramatic developments around gay rights and marriage equality. Last year, many people realized what a crucial role the LDS Church is playing in the fight against equality. This October, we will gather in San Francisco to show the gay community and the world that not all Mormons are anti-gay and that, in fact, Affirmation is standing up for marriage equality. We will stand with our friends, allies, and all those who believe in justice and respect for all human beings.
This is your chance to STAND UP! for respect, justice, and equality for all people. Registration will begin soon, so make plans now to join us at the Market Street Westin Hotel for STAND UP! the 2010 Affirmation Conference.
Executive Committee Meetings Scheduled
It Will Be Held in Kansas City, March 12-14
Affirmation’s Executive Committee will be meeting March 12, 13, and 14, in Kansas City; as always, all Affirmation members are invited to attend. The weekend will also include and activity with the Kansas City Affirmation Chapter. Among other topics to be discussed will be the 2010, 2011, and 2012 conferences. If you or your chapter would be interested in hosting or assisting with a conference, please contact David Melson prior to the March meeting.
In addition to the March meeting, there will also be a conference call meeting in January and a “mini-EC” meeting in Dallas on Wednesday, February 3. Please contact David, George, or Micah for information on either of these meetings, or if you would like to serve on a sub-committee or as a leader.
Brus Leguás Contreras |
Afirmación Gran Valparaíso Kicks Off the New Year as a Family
Chilean Gay Mormons Share Meal, Exchange Gifts
Brus Leguás Contreras
On January 2, fourteen Affirmation members gathered at my home to celebrate the New Year. Politics dominated the discussion, since we just had presidential elections, and the runoff will be held next week. The conservative coalition has taken a homophobic stance, and we worry what their potential triumph could mean for LGBT rights—how that could reverse all the progress made in recent years.
We started the meeting with a welcome, a prayer, a spiritual thought, and an animated discussion. We then exchanged gifts in a much loved tradition that we started five years ago. Finally we shared a simple potluck dinner and talked about many different issues. For dessert, we shared a delicious cake.
Our next meeting will be January 24. On that day we will celebrate the birthdays of Marco Antonio and Gregory, which fall on the same day. In February we will celebrate Valentine’s Day. We do not have plans yet to go to church as a group, though that’s something we have discussed in the past and have not yet discarded.
Alan Michael Williams |
Affirmation Member Publishes Gay Mormon Novel
Alan Michael Williams Releases “Ockham’s Razor”
Alan Michael Williams, a gay Mormon man from Seattle, has published Ockham’s Razor, a novel with a gay Mormon theme. Set in Tacoma, Washington, Ockham’s Razor follows the relationship between Micah, a young gay man who no longer identifies as a Mormon, an Brendan, a college junior who still feels a strong connection with his LDS faith.
“I'm no longer a practicing Mormon, but I recognize that the Church is a healthy place for many same-sex attracted people,” says Alan. “As same-sex attracted Mormons negotiate with their feelings in more self-conscious ways -- remaining single, telling their mates about their attractions before marriage, and the less ‘Gospel-affirming’ choices (which this book is about) -- they increasingly have shared tools: blogs, support organizations, novels. I wrote Ockham's Razor because I know there can be danger when one gets trapped in fixed meaning (I was stuck in it myself for some time). I thought an unconventional love story might help break down some of that fixedness.”
“I'm not sure Church leaders are equipped to provide the fluid meaning necessary for engaging with same-sex attraction because of how wrapped up Mormon doctrine is with heterosexuality,” Alan adds. “Same-sex intimacy (by which I mean love, sex, possibly raising children together) tends to be unapproachable. Narration is perhaps the best way to approach these themes.”
For more information about this novel, or to order a copy, visit www.amwilliams.com.
Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons
P.O. Box 1435
Palm Springs, CA 92263-1435
National Phone Line: (661) 367-2421
To see a directory of current Affirmation chapters, visit www.affirmation.org/chapters
Executive Director: Dave Melson
Senior Assistant Director: George Cole
Assistant Director: Micah Bisson
Associate Director & Affinity Editor: Hugo Salinas www.affirmation.org/contact/affinity
Send Us Your Submission!
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.
Submissions are welcome and should be limited to 250 words. To contact us, visit www.affirmation.org/contact/affinity. 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.
About 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 send a request to Hugo Salinas by visiting www.affirmation.org/contact/affinity. If you are a dues-paying member and do not have Internet
access, you may request a printed version that will be sent to you by
mail.
|
|
|
