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Frequently Asked Questions What is Affirmation? Affirmation is an educational, social, and spiritually supportive self-help group made up of active, less active and former members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) who are gay or lesbian, together with their supportive friends and family members. Affirmation members come from every walk of life, and serve or have served in virtually every position in the church. We affirm that we are children of Heavenly Parents who love us the way we were created and that we will be judged, not on our sexual orientation, but on what we make of our lives here and how we treat our sisters and brothers. What's Affirmation's membership makeup? A survey of 104 Affirmation members who attended the 2008 Affirmation conference in Los Angeles gave the following results:
How and when did Affirmation begin? Affirmation was founded in 1977 in Salt Lake City by Matthew Price. Affirmation grew out of very quiet meetings he and other students had been holding at church-owned Brigham Young University. Other chapters quickly followed in Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington DC, with growth continuing to this day. 
More on our history
Where does Affirmation have local chapters? See current list of chapters and area contacts. Affirmation also has service groups for women's concerns, youth services, and transgender issues. What do local chapters do? Affirmation chapters meet at least once monthly in an open spirit of honesty and mutual respect for each other. Meetings may be social, educational or spiritual in nature, depending on what best serves the needs of its members. Examples of meetings include: open discussions, formal meetings where there is a speaker, potluck socials, outings to an event, and spiritual meetings, such as scripture study, prayer or singing. The purpose of all meetings is to provide a positive and beneficial experience to those attending. Does Affirmation provide religious services? No, Affirmation is not a religion or church, so it does not perform or officially endorse priesthood functions. Members who request such services are normally referred to local churches. What does Affirmation believe? Affirmation believes that homosexuality is an inherent and normal variation of human sexuality. We recognize, however, that many harmful misconceptions persist regarding homosexuality. We help our members work toward reconciliation by affirming both their sexuality and their spiritual values. We believe that through affirming our Mormon cultural, spiritual, and religious heritage, we move the work of reconciliation forward. At the same time, we seek, through education and outreach, to eliminate the prejudices and misconceptions about homosexuality that harm both gay and straight people in the church. What is the relationship between the Mormon Church and Affirmation? There is no official relationship. We are completely separate and independent. From Affirmation's perspective, however, we have always been open to and continue to seek dialogue with church leaders. From the official church's perspective, we are largely unacknowledged. Nevertheless, individual church leaders and congregations have periodically welcomed Affirmation and its members in formal and informal study groups and church activities. Does Affirmation have an official publication? Yes, Affirmation publishes a monthly electronic newsletter called Affinity. Some local chapters also publish their own local newsletters. How much traffic does your website handle? The Affirmation national website (www.affirmation.org) receives an average of 6,552 hits (visits to individual pages) per day. The Spanish site (www.afirmacion.org) receives an average of 955 hits per day (information updated on June, 2008). Who are Affirmation's leaders? Affirmation is governed by its members, under the direction of an Executive Director and two Assistant Executive Directors. The current Executive Director is David Melson and his two assistants are Micah Bisson and George Cole. Pictures of some of our current leaders
How do I contact Affirmation? If you are a reporter and would like to get in touch with us, please visit this page. How often does Affirmation have conferences? Affirmation conferences are held once a year in the summer or the fall. The location varies with most conferences being held in the West. The 2009 conference will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Regional conferences, known as Cornerstones, are held twice a year in different parts of the country. How do I arrange interviews with specific persons (e.g., leaders)? Contact Affirmation's Director of Public Relations, who will gladly help you find any party you wish to interview. Feel free otherwise to request an interview from anyone you can contact directly.
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www.affirmation.org