Where “These Are My People” Begins: Affirmation’s Affinity Groups

For many LGBTQIA+ current and former Latter-day Saints—and the families and friends who walk with them—the first time they exhale is when they find a space and think:

“These are my people.”

At Affirmation, those moments often happen in Affinity Groups—communities built around shared experiences, identities, and journeys of faith. Today, more than 4,400 people are part of these groups worldwide. As we move into Giving Tuesday, we’re shining a light on these spaces and inviting you to help sustain them year-round.

What Are Affinity Groups?

Affinity Groups are special communities within Affirmation where people connect around similar life experiences, backgrounds, or identities.

Some focus on faith journeys, others on gender and gender identity, age or ethnicity, or relationships, marriage, and family. All of them exist to create communities of safety, love, and hope for LGBTQIA+ people with Latter-day Saint ties and those who love them.

Together, these groups now connect over 4,400 members seeking understanding, connection, and community.

You can explore all of our Affinity Groups here:
affirmation.org/communities/#affinity-groups

Below is a snapshot of several Affinity Groups and what they offer.

Faith Journeys: Holding Many Paths with Care

For some, staying in the Church is the right path. For others, stepping away is an act of survival, peace, or integrity. Our Faith Journeys Affinity Groups recognize that there is no single “right” way through.

Journeys
A community of safety, love, and hope for LGBTQIA+ individuals, their families, and friends who are transitioning out of Latter-day Saint orthodoxy or are former members of the Church. Members support each other through faith transitions and share what they’re learning as they rebuild.

Living Waters
A space for active LDS LGBT people, parents, family, and friends who want to talk about sexuality, gender, and faith from a believing Latter-day Saint perspective. The group is rooted in the call to “mourn with those that mourn” and “comfort those that stand in need of comfort.”

Prepare
A community for LGBTQIA+ individuals who believe in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and want to remain involved in church life. Some are single, some are in same-sex or mixed-orientation relationships, and some are living celibate/abstinent lives—all seeking support while honoring each other’s choices.

Together, these groups make room for people navigating different paths in or beyond the Church, without forcing them to choose between faith and identity.

Gender & Gender Identity: Living Our Truth Fully

Fathers in Affirmation
For anyone in Affirmation who identifies as gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning, or SSA and is or hopes to be a father. This group offers honest conversation and support around the joys and challenges of parenting as an LGBTQIA+/SGA person with a Latter-day Saint background.

Trans Mormons, Families & Friends
For transgender, transsexual, gender-fluid, and nonbinary people—and the friends and family who love them. It’s a welcoming, affirming place to talk about daily life, spirituality, and relationships with the Church, and to land, heal, share, and be authentic.

Women in Affirmation
A dedicated home for LGBTQIA+/SGA Mormon women to share their stories, connect as sisters, and make their experiences visible. Members laugh, cry, and walk together on this path, reminding each other: You have a home here.

Age & Ethnicity: Every Generation, Every Story

Affirmation’s Affinity Groups span generations and identities—lifting up the wisdom of elders, the vision of younger adults, and the experiences of people of color within our community.

Affirmation Millennials
For LGBT/SSA Millennials (generally born 1980–2000) who want a vibrant community focused on service, loyalty, personal growth, and fun. The group emphasizes using members’ gifts to bless others and build lives of passion, meaning, and love.

Affirmation Crossroads (18–25)
A young-adult community for LGBTQ+ or questioning people ages 18–25. Crossroads explores coming out, identity, finding community, and “new independence” together. It is deliberately designed as a safe, discussion-based space for people of all genders and orientations, especially people of color.
Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/197377183969927/

LGBT PGM/BIPOC Mormons and Allies
A space for self-identified people of color and allies exploring the intersections of race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and LDS faith. Members share stories, build solidarity, and deepen understanding at these powerful intersections.

Pioneers and Alumni
For LGBTQ people, their families, and allies who are Mormons or former Mormons and generally over age 50. This group centers the unique experiences of LDS/former LDS LGBTQ elders and offers a supportive community for those who have been walking this road for a long time.

Relationships, Marriage, and Family: Love in All Its Complexity

Asexual/Aromantic
A virtual space where Asexual/Aromantic Latter-day Saints can land, heal, share, and be authentic. Members tell their stories and connect around ace and aro experiences in a Latter-day Saint context.

Mixed-Orientation Families in Affirmation
For anyone whose family life is impacted by mixed-orientation marriage—married or divorced spouses, adult children, people in or out of the LDS Church, and those from other faith traditions. The group provides a safe, affirming space to process hard realities, share stories, and support a wide range of families.

Parents and Allies
A growing community for parents, family members, and supportive friends of LGBTQIA+ loved ones with Latter-day Saint ties who are trying to reconcile what they’ve been taught with their desire to love and affirm their child, sibling, or friend. It’s a place to ask hard questions, share fears and hopes, and learn from other families walking the same road. Through online spaces and conference sessions specifically for families and friends, Affirmation helps parents and allies realize they are not alone and connects them with resources to understand and support their LGBTQ loved ones.

How You Can Support Affinity Groups This Giving Tuesday

Affinity Groups don’t just “happen.” They’re made possible by:

• Trained, compassionate volunteer leaders

• Safe online platforms and in-person gatherings

• Ongoing support from Affirmation’s staff and global network

This Giving Tuesday, your gift helps keep these spaces alive for the next person who shows up wondering if there’s a place for them.

Make a Giving Tuesday gift to sustain Affinity Groups:
affirmation.org/donate

Explore or join an Affinity Group:
affirmation.org/communities/#affinity-groups

Thank you for helping us create and sustain communities of safety, love, and hope for the 4,400+ members already here—and those still on their way.