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Judy Finch

New Frontiers
Plan to join us September 12-15 in Salt Lake City for our Annual International Conference

by Randall Thacker

New Frontiers is about expanding our vision around the unknown possibilities and opportunities for LGBTQ/SSA Mormons. We will explore how we can come together as a community of LGBTQ/SSA Mormons, partners, spouses, families, friends, and church leaders. How we can support each other in realizing our full potential as children of God, be empowered to make valuable contributions within and outside of the Church, and find purpose and integrity in our unique journeys.

Workshops and activities will focus on individual growth, family acceptance, creating strong partnerships/marriages, how to be an ally, how members and church leaders can be more inclusive, reconciling one’s spirituality and sexuality, living a fulfilling and joyful life as a LGBT Mormon, advocacy, and more!

Judy Finch, mother and grandmother of 3 gay Mormons and whose video is probably the most affirming on the new MormonsAndGays website will be speaking at conference. Read the moving talk she recently gave at a Young Single Adult fireside in the Bay Area and watch her video at the bottom of this section of MormonsAndGays.org.

Dates, Costs, and Transportation

The 2013 Affirmation conference will be more fun, musical, spiritual, and educational than you can imagine! A local opening event will be held on Thursday evening, September 12. The leadership and board meetings will take place Friday morning and early afternoon, and the rest of the conference will officially kick off late Friday afternoon, with an excellent social with even dancing Friday evening. The rest of the weekend will include workshops, activities, and a devotional and testimony meeting, lasting through Sunday. More details will be announced in the coming months, including some additional amazing keynote speakers.

Be sure to mark the date on your calendars and join our Facebook event. Online registration will become available soon. This year’s conference registration fee will be only $99. This is a major reduction in cost from previous conferences. We also negotiated an especially low rate for the hotel: $99 for 2 people, $109 for 3 people, and $119 for 4 people per night.

For the first time ever, you will be able to travel from the Salt Lake City airport to the conference without a taxi or a rental car: The city is expanding the light rail system to the airport, and getting to the University Guesthouse will be as simple as hopping onto the light rail and changing from the green line to the red line at the Courthouse station in downtown Salt Lake.

With activities and workshops specifically for parents, families, youth, friends, and church leaders, the 2013 Affirmation conference will be more fun, musical, spiritual, and educational than you can imagine! An opening event will be held on Thursday evening, and the conference will officially kick off Friday afternoon, lasting through Sunday.

The Planning Committee is hard at work, and we expect to open registration soon. If you have suggestions for conference speakers or events, this is the time to share them with us. Contact Doug Balls or talk with the committee in person at the April 5 social to be held in Salt Lake City.