Summary and recordings from 2024 Affirmation International Conference available
The 2024 Affirmation International Conference was held from October 11th through the 13th at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center in Ogden, Utah. This was the 45th annual meeting or conference of Affirmation since the first in 1979 in Los Angeles, California.
Since that first meeting, Affirmation has hosted an annual conference every year. Every conference is an opportunity for those within the LGBTQIA+ Latter-day Saint community to gather together from around the nation and world to support one another socially, mentally, and spiritually. The 2024 conference was no different. With the theme, “Joyfully Authentic,” conference organizers sought to create a space of safety, love, and hope where each individual’s journey toward authenticity could be celebrated.
A summary of the conference and recordings in English and Spanish from all plenary and select breakout sessions is now available.
“We are grateful to those who attended, whether in person or virtually, and those who supported the conference as sponsors, donors, or exhibitors,” said Joel McDonald, senior vice president of Affirmation. “This community of support makes this conference and what Affirmation does possible. What Affirmation and this annual conference provide is unique at the LGBTQIA and Latter-day Saint intersection. We recognize the need for a place to land as individuals face the challenges and trauma of being at this intersection and support as they move from trauma to healing and, ultimately, to authenticity. This conference was an opportunity to celebrate that journey joyfully, a journey we should celebrate every day.”
Founded 47 years ago in 1977 in Salt Lake City, Utah, Affirmation is approaching 50 years of support to LGBTQIA+ current and former Latter-day Saints and our families and friends. This upcoming landmark anniversary is sparking attention on preserving and sharing Affirmation’s history, a topic that was discussed throughout the 2024 conference and will likely have increased focus in the coming months and years on affirmation.org and Affirmation’s social media channels, including the reorganization and republication of conference reports from 1979 onward.