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I carried around these ideas for a long time, constantly feeling guilty and ashamed of what I could not feel or desire. I was afraid of embracing my feelings because I didn’t want more church members looking down on me as a waste of space or failure. I never thought anyone would want to marry me. But most of all, I feared that God was angry at me for not being able to “get over it” and just be straight. I constantly read and taught stories of God healing other people – so why wasn’t He fixing me?
Blaire Ostler is a philosopher who is specialized in queer studies, and is a leading voice at the intersection of queer, Mormon, and transhumanist thought. She is an author publishing her first book, “Queer Mormon Theology: An Introduction.”
Unlike the Equality Act, the Fairness for All Act is a disingenuous attempt to manage LGBTQ people without having to respect them as a protected class under existing civil rights laws. This harmful work-around is supported by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and would protect its continued ability to discriminate against LGBTQ people in civil matters under the banner of religious freedom.
Affirmation offers its enthusiastic congratulations to Encircle on the announcement of eight new Encircle houses coming to various cities in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. The success of its first house in Provo, Utah helped uncover unmet needs in the local community, especially the need for a physical place of safety for LGBTQ+ youth to gather and make connections.
Over 370 religious leaders from across the world signed a declaration asking for forgiveness for harm caused to the LGBTQIA+ community, but the Church doesn’t practice what it preaches. It doesn’t say “sorry.”
I discovered that being trans isn’t a social choice, but the cure for a disease of the mind and body called gender dysphoria. It wasn’t until I acted in faith by trying a new name and pronouns in a limited setting that I started to taste the relief that was in store for me. It was a small and simple act of faith, akin to reading the Book of Mormon.
We were thrilled to have Dr. Ben Schilaty as our guest speaker and musical numbers provided by Sarah Joye Langford and Brandon Eric Langford for our first Affirmation LIVE Monthly Virtual Fireside of 2021!
All members of Affirmation are invited to review the organization’s current Charter and Bylaws and provide any written input they may have to the Governance Committee. If you are a current member of Affirmation, please check your email for information on how to provide written input on the organization’s Charter and Bylaws.
A new executive committee and four new board members began their service on January 1st. Learn more about these leaders and how they serve in Affirmation.