Affirmation
Affirmation Dominican leaders and other members have volunteered and joined forces to rent an office for The Rainbow Ark and have started program coordination, international affiliations, coordinating hosting and arranging visa process operations for incoming participants. For young adults 18+ and older The Organization will assist in work placement and provide help with accommodation, visas and relocation assistance.
“Laura, Bill and Justis bring skills, connections and perspectives I believe are essential for Affirmation to effectively serve LGBT Mormons, their families and friends throughout the world at this particularly critical and painful moment in the history of relations between LGBT people and the LDS Church,” said John Gustav-Wrathall, president of Affirmation.
Conference time is coming soon, and we are excited to have amazing speakers, programs and workshops focusing on youth empowerment, trans and genderqueer stories, self-care, intersectionality, finding an authentic spiritual path, and much, much more!
LGBT Mormons in Brazil began reaching out to Affirmation a couple years ago. They grabbed the attention of Affirmation’s international leadership team last summer when they posted a picture of the word “Affirmation” in Portuguese written in the sand and said “we are waiting for you!” We had been praying to find leadership in Brazil and they were the answer to our prayers. The conferences held these past two weeks in Brazil are the realization of a dream for many. One participant said, “It was like spending 3 days in the celestial room of the temple.”
There were so many souls with pain and hurt in our group. Pain that they have been hiding for years. Many still carried that pain with them. It filled my heart to see so many let go of pain and just be at peace with themselves. I have to wonder how many of us do the same thing with our lives? We carry unneeded pain that can be let go.
We desperately need an Affirmation that is united across the Church/faith divide, but just saying that we need it is not enough. If we really want it, we need to work at it. The tensions between folks on the opposite sides of that divide are very real.
The LDS Church’s January 27, 2015 statement on religious freedom and on anti-discrimination ordinances has attracted a fair amount of media attention and discussion, including interviews with a number of Affirmation members and leaders
By the Affirmation Executive Committee
Despite the struggles and rejection many of us have experienced in our home wards and stakes, many of us have testimonies of the Gospel and want to participate in the work of building the Kingdom of God both in and beyond the Church.
Many of us come to General Conference wondering if there’s a place for us in the church, and yearning for church leaders to speak to the doubt, pain, confusion and fear so many of us feel. Here are our take-aways from the 2014 October General Conference.
Affirmation – LGBT Mormons, Families and Friends in Mexico are excited to host the Third Annual Conference of Affirmation Mexico, which will be held from November 14 to 16 at El Ejecutivo Hotel in Mexico City, Mexico. Join us for a weekend of uplifting activities, including speakers, musical performances, a testimony meeting and visits to historic sites. Registration available now.