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Join Us for the First Affirmation Conference Outside the U.S.!
Hearts Knit Together in Unity -- Mexico City, April 8-11, 2004

Views of the Hostel












Printer-friendly registration form
Conference co$t
Tentative program
If you're flying before Thursday or leaving after Sunday
Finding inexpensive airfares
Frequently asked questions
New Fund to Help Chapter Director Travel to Mexico
Brush Up Your Spanish

Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons invites members in the U.S. and elsewhere to join us in Mexico City on April 8-11, 2004, for the first Affirmation conference outside the U.S. This regional conference is being planned jointly by Affirmation's Mexico Chapter and national leaders across the U.S.

With the theme "Hearts Knit Together in Unity" (see Mosiah 18:21), we will gather at the Anglican Hostel and Conference Center in Mexico City for four days of sharing, bonding, and fun.

Conference Co$t

The registration fee includes 3 nights lodging at the Anglican Center, all meals, and all tours as described in the conference program; it does not include the fare from the airport to the Anglican Center.

Price: $300.00

The taxi fare from the airport to the Anglican Center is approximately $30.00 each way. Ride with a friend! On Thursday, the Mexico Chapter will have a Welcome Team waiting for international visitors at the airport. Please inform us of your itinerary as soon as you purchase your ticket.

Registration

Printer-friendly registration form

Tentative Program

Thursday, April 8
2:00 - 8:00 pm: Registration, check-in, room assignments
6:00 - 7:30 pm: Welcome & "buddy" assignments
7:30 pm: Welcome dinner with mariachis

Friday, April 9
8:00 - 9:00 am: Breakfast
9:00 - 1:00 pm: Workshops at the hostel
1:00 - 2:00 pm: Lunch
2:00 - 6:00 pm: Bus tour through historic downtown Mexico City, with bilingual guide: Reforma Avenue, Alameda Central, Calle de Madero, Plaza de la Constitución, Palacio Nacional, Catedral Metropolitana, etc.
7:00 - 8:30 pm: Dinner at the hostel
9:00 pm: Disco night, tour through gay Mexico City

Saturday, April 10
9:00 - 10:00 am: Breakfast
10:00 - 11:30 am: Tour through the San Ángel neighborhood, arts and crafts at the Jardín del Arte
12:00 - 6:00 pm: Bus tour to the pyramids of Teotihuacán, lunch by the pyramids
8:00 pm: Dinner

Sunday, April 11
8:00 - 9:00 am: Breakfast
9:00 a 10:30 am: Devotional at the hostel's chapel
11:30 am: Wrap up & farewell



Room at Hostel San Sebastián
If You're Flying before Thursday or Leaving after Sunday

The Anglican Hostel will not be available except during the days of the conference. If you are arriving before the 8th or leaving after the 11th, please consider staying at Hostel San Sebastián, an inexpensive hostel strategically located in Zona Rosa, the main commercial & touristic area in downtown Mexico City.

Room Costs:

Single:  110 pesos (Approx. $11.00)
Double: 160 pesos (Approx. $16.00)
Suite:    220 pesos (Approx. $22.00)

Reservations can be made online.

Because of some safety concerns, the conference planning committee encourages attendees to take a taxi from the airport to Hostel San Sebastián--especially if you have heavy luggage or are traveling alone. We will soon post the costs. However, the Hostel San Sebastián in downtown Mexico could be reached by subway (you are discouraged from taking the subway if you're traveling with heavy luggage or alone). Itinerary: At "Terminal Aérea" take the train that goes to the Pantitlán Hub; from there, take Line 1 (color pink) towards the Observatorio; get off at Insurgentes. The subway fare is 2 pesos (approximately 20 cents).

The Anglican Center can be reached only by taxi (or by bus).

If you are planning to be in Mexico City by Wednesday afternoon, consider attending, along with members of the Mexico chapter, a show by the internationally renowned Ballet Folclórico Nacional de México. The show starts at 8:30 pm, but you must arrive at the theater before 8:00. If interested in getting a ticket, please send an email to Michael. More information about the ballet will be posted soon.


Find Muy Baratos Airfares

by Michael, January 27, 2004

A few people are beginning to purchase their airline tickets to the Mexico City conference in April. Below are some example prices that I looked at today from four major Internet retailers. Naturally, these prices change depending on origin, date and even the moment you ask for the price via the Internet. Prices below are round-trip airfare.

Portland, Oregon (PDX) to Mexico City, Mexico (MEX - Benito-Juarez International Airport):
Hotwire.com: $610.00
Orbitz.com: $560.00
Travelocity: $650.00
Cheaptickets.com: $559.00

Houston, Texas (IAH) to Mexico City, Mexico (MEX - Benito-Juarez International Airport):

Hotwire.com: $283.00
Orbitz.com: $291.00
Travelocity: $290.00
Cheaptickets.com: $291.00

The one individual I know of who has purchased his ticket to Mexico is flying via San Francisco on April 8th, United Airlines flight 1011, departing at 11:45 a.m. and arriving at 6:00 p.m. Others may want to coordinate a similar itinerary - whether on United or another airline - to arrive at a similar time. We would like to coordinate with the Mexico City chapter members to meet as many of us at the airport as possible. Return flights will probably vary as some people may want to spend extra time in Mexico, past the April 11th end date of the conference (I, myself, plan on traveling a bit in Central Mexico after the conference. If there are any of you desiring to travel a bit more, I am happy to travel in a group.)

Again, for those of you planning on attending the conference, be sure to send your Registration Form to Michael Miner with your $250.00 - $300.00 conference fee as soon as possible. Also, if you make airline reservations please share that information with me so I may help coordinate with the Mexico City chapter regarding schedules and people arriving in Mexico.

Any question please feel free to contact me.


Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Contact the Planning Committee in the U.S.?

Send an email to Michael.


Can I Receive Conference Updates Via Email?

Yes--send an email to Michael and ask him to include you in his mailing list.


What Documentation Do I Need to Travel to Mexico City?

When traveling by air between the United States and Mexico or beyond 30 miles of the border, citizens are required to produce evidence of citizenship. U.S. Citizens need to bring:
  • Valid U.S. passport, or
  • U.S. state or federal government-issued birth certificate with government-issued photo ID such as un-expired driver's license or military ID.
  • Notarized photocopy or notarized fax copy of the above birth certificate with government-issued photo ID.
For more information, please visit uscis.gov/graphics/travelMexico.htm


Top 10 Things You Can Do to Brush Up Your Spanish before the Mexico Conference

by Hugo Salinas

  1. Take a few Spanish lessons at <www.studyspanish.com> or <www.lingolex.com/spanish.htm>.

  2. Learn about mormones gays and mormonas lesbianas at <www.afirmacion.org>.

  3. Read some articles from Mundo Gay Magazine <www.mundogay.com/magazine/>.

  4. Visit the website of Afirmación Chile at www.affirmation.org/chile.

  5. Read some Church news at the website of la Iglesia Mormona.

  6. Turn on the TV and tune in to Univisión

  7. Rent a Spanish video or DVD (subtitled, rather than dubbed), such as Y tu mamá también, La virgen de los sicarios, or Yo, la peor de todas.

  8. Subscribe to the mailing list of Afirmación México <www.affirmation.org/mexico> and make a friend there.

  9. Chat online in Spanish with other gay Mormons (subscribe first to Mormones Gays de España; chat is Sundays at 5:00 pm Central Standard Time).

  10. Visit the website, Ser Gay Online <www.sergay.com.mx>.