News from Affirmation
As general conference approaches, Affirmation President Carson Tueller shares his belief that God wants us to find and be our whole selves, and that includes embracing ourselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.
This year’s theme, “Journey Together,” underscores that while every LGBTQIA Mormon is on their own journey to determine their own identity and spirituality, we are all making this journey together. We have a great schedule and wonderful featured speakers lined up for this year’s conference.
Returned missionary. BYU graduate. Dancer. Acclaimed digital animator. Father. Husband. Gay. Emron Grover has a wealth of experience that he will be sharing at the 2018 Affirmation International Conference. He’s a Pixar animator who has worked on films like “Up,” “Brave,” “Inside Out,” and “Coco.”
Rev. Dr. Fatimah S. Salleh is the founder of A Certain Work, an organization dedicated to educating on issues of faith, diversity, equity, and inclusion. She received her Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Savannah Stevenson is a British television and theatre actress. She is best known for starring as Glinda in the London production of Wicked, playing the role for almost 3 years and at 1,000 performances. Savannah also portrays Mary, Mother of Jesus in the LDS Bible Videos.
We are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2018 Affirmation Annual International Conference. This year’s conference is taking place from July 20 to July 22 in Salt Lake City. Join with LGBTQIA Mormons, their family members, and friends from around the world at the 2018 Affirmation International Conference.
We wish to express that as LGBTQ individuals, we experience love most fully when our agency is honored, when our stories are heard and believed, and when the language we use to identify ourselves is used and respected. We in Affirmation extend a hand of collaboration to help meet the diverse needs of the members of the LDS church.
The Internet is the safest way for LGBT Mormons to access information that is literally life-saving. The stories of others like them help them to realize they are not alone, and to see diverse examples of others who are leading happy, healthy, productive, spiritual lives. Making sure that that content is accessible and easy to find and that it actually connects with our target audiences is crucial to our mission. This web team will serve our English, Spanish, and Portuguese communities, helping to expand the reach of Affirmation.
Laurie Lee Hall, trans activist and former LDS Church architect, and Jairo Fernando González Díaz, descendent of some of the first LDS converts in Colombia, are the newest members of the Affirmation Board.