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The photo that accompanies the recent Atlantic article about the Church is the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, the design and construction of which was directed by Laurie Lee Hall, the former Chief Architect of Temples for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was forced from her position for no other reason than she was a transgender woman.
I do not think being gay and living in a monogamous relationship is anything remotely sinful. For me, it is simply politics, fear of change, and a too literal reading of the Bible that takes for granted historical changes in customs and societies. But here comes time again. We will need to wait.
There’s no doubt in my mind that pausing amid our daily activity to take note of what we have in our lives right now helps to calm and center us and renews our appreciation for what we might take for granted. Whether you share your gratitude for the world to see on social media or just silently count the blessings in your life, I hope you do find the healing power of gratitude as we begin the holiday season.
An August 2019 El Tiempo investigative report titled “Inclusive Religious Make Up the Resistance” and featuring Affirmation Colombia won a 2020 Ortega y Gasset Award. The report highlighted several religious organizations inclusive of sexual and gender minorities in contrast to the efforts of conservative politicians and organizations in Colombia marginalizing this community.
This year everything turned odd, quirky, strange or bizarre, even tragic—anything but normal, and by June, most of us were ready to give up on the year, flip the calendar, and move on to 2021. Gay Pride was no exception. Throughout the world, all things Pride were shut down, canceled, or reduced to a virtual reality online, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nathan Kitchen has been elected to a second two-year term as president of Affirmation, with Jairo Fernando González Díaz and Rebecca Solen named as his choices for senior vice president and vice president, respectively.
This discussion is intended to bring a greater understanding of what it means to be intersex. We’ll discuss the challenges of being at the intersection of being intersex and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and how the LGBTQIA+ community can ensure that it is inclusive of intersex individuals in its advocacy for all sexual and gender minorities.
To tell our youth that any sexual activity is tantamount to murder and to threaten them with God’s wrath is not only dishonest: it is destructive. Our youth want to do the right things; they believe their parents and church leaders. Their spirituality—like the emotional, social, intellectual and sexual aspects of their lives—is undergoing rapid and precarious development. These are not times for unfounded exaggerations and threats of damnation.
Course corrections come in all different shapes and sizes. A torpedo may look like it’s aiming directly for its target, but it’s actually a series of small course corrections back and forth to keep getting back on track until it hits the bullseye. I’m grateful for a God in my life who helps me make those course corrections and get back on track, and also for my drinking buddies* who are always there, especially when I need them the most and I don’t realize it.