Posts
It seems fitting that Affirmation’s first larger-scale in-person activity as the threat and restrictions from COVID-19 decline was Salt Lake City Pride. With thousands of others, members from the Affirmation community participated in the Rainbow March and Rally on June 6th that began at the Utah State Capitol. Following the march and rally, Affirmation hosted a picnic at Winchester Park in Murray.
On June 6, 2021, Affirmation hosted our first virtual fireside especially for parents of LGBTQ kids. Nathan Kitchen, president of Affirmation, was the guest speaker for the fireside.
Blaire steps in and immediately discards the problematic dominant narrative that manages queer bodies in the church. She turns our attention to the theology of restoration and renewal that has always been with us. She lifts our chin and invites us to walk with her as she expertly shows us that in the absence of prejudice and folk tradition, there is not a significant difference between queer Mormon theology and Mormon theology.
Congratulations to Shane Price for submitting the winning design for the 2021 International Conference logo. Thank you to all who participated. A first look at the conference schedule has been published. Workshops and musical numbers still needed. Mortensen Award nomination deadline approaching.
Should church-owned or faith-based schools be able to receive federal funding and discriminate against their LGBTQIA+ students? A federal lawsuit filed in April is challenging exemptions given to these schools allowing sex-based discrimination and asking they be declared unconstitutional. The focus of the challenge is how this exemption is applied to LGBTQIA+ students.
We are seeking poetry and prose by queer BYU students and faculty (current and past) about their lived experiences at BYU. The purpose of this project is to give artistic voice to and honor the queer BYU experience by setting select texts to music which will be performed as a song cycle for soprano and piano.
We believe that there are countless and promising roads to travel, as well as thousands of opportunities present in the form of personal and collective challenges, where our greatest purpose is to be accepted, leading to greater possible realities, with full rights and equality for all.
This award is named in honor of Paul Mortensen, the first to receive it and one of the founders of Affirmation, and is the highest honor Affirmation can bestow upon an individual member. We call upon all members and supporters of Affirmation to nominate worthy candidates for this award for 2021.
The International Conference Planning Committee is seeking workshop and musical number proposals for consideration for inclusion in the 2021 Affirmation International Conference. The conference is being held virtually on September 11th, 12th, 18th, and 19th.