Inside This Issue Editorial: Why I Want Affirmation to Thrive Upcoming Events How We Made the Yuletide Gay: Reports from the Chapters News from the Trenches 2003 Conference Will Be Held in Historic Site

Olin Thomas

Editorial:
Why I Want Affirmation to Thrive

by Olin Thomas, Senior Executive Assistant

Greetings to everyone in Affirmation and all our friends as we move into another year! This is the first time I have been a member of the Affirmation Executive Committee and asked to write a message to our members, so I have given serious thought to what I would say--and that isn't intended to be "tongue in cheek." (Those who know me well realize that I love humor, especially sarcasm).

They also know that I care very deeply for Affirmation and want to see it survive and thrive--which brings me to the point of my message: Why DO I want to see Affirmation survive and thrive and, more importantly, why should you?

First and foremost is because the continued existence of Affirmation demonstrates the inaccuracy of the fundamental Church position that there are no such people as homosexuals, only people who "commit" homosexual acts. If we were only interested in sexual acts, it doesn't make sense that we would go through the great trouble of creating and sustaining an organization whose primary purpose is not to facilitate sexual meetings but to nourish friendships and spirituality. (The occasional hot-tub incident notwithstanding--though that was certainly friendly.)

Secondly, because there are still devout Mormons who are realizing, on an on-going basis, that they have same-sex attraction and, despite the increased acceptance of homosexuality in our society at large, the prospect of facing the Church, their families, and the unaccepting elements of society still deeply troubles these individuals. How much better it is for them to face that struggle with friends by their side, rather than alone.

But how will they find those friends--those fellow gay and lesbian Mormons who truly understand what they are going through--if there is no organization to contact? Some may know one of us--but many, many more would never find that still important support if Affirmation was not active--with a presence on the Internet, in the press, and in our cities.

Last, I miss the spirituality and camaraderie that I found in the Church when I was active. Affirmation helps fill that void for me, and I suspect for many others as well.

For these reasons and more, I see a need for Affirmation--a healthy, thriving Affirmation. If the Church taught me one thing, it was the importance of service to my brothers and sisters. I now commit myself to serving my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, and their families and friends, through my position in Affirmation and hope that my comments will invoke in you the desire to serve as well, through your continued support and participation in Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons. I hope to get to know a lot of you much better in the future, and wish everyone a happy and successful year in 2003!

Upcoming Events, 2003 March 1-2 Cornerstone(regional get-together) in Portland, Oregon June 8-9 Cornerstone (regional get-together) in Washington DC June Pride events held across the world October 10-12 2003 Affirmation Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah

Phoenix Chapter Hawaii Chapter Wasatch Chapter

How We Made the Yuletide Gay:
Reports from the Chapters

The Phoenix Chapter of Affirmation has been working diligently to rebuild membership and get the word out to potential new members of the existence and activities of the local chapter. Our first activity was a Thanksgiving dinner held in November. We had two December activities--this photo was a Christmas party held on the 15th. Several new faces were greeted by several Phoenix Affirmation alumni. We are excited about the interest in our chapter. Our first support group meeting will be held January 5th, and we are expecting as good a turnout for the support group meeting as we have seen in our activities. For further information and more pictures of other activities, please see www.phxaffirmation.com. --Bobby

Greetings from the Aloha State! Members of Affirmation Hawaii gathered at the historic, century old, Moana Surfrider Hotel, Waikiki Beach's first resort hotel. We all enjoyed an evening sunset with its flash of green just before the sun vanished over the ocean horizon. The buffet dinner was a fabulous assortment of eastern and western dishes, with meats, poultry, fish, and shellfish for the carnivores and vegetables for the vegetarians, followed by a delicious assortment of decadent desserts. Sitting in our wicker chairs on the veranda, we enjoyed great food, great friends, and great atmosphere. --James Kent

The Washington, DC Chapter carried on a long standing tradition (at least 18 continuous years), and held a Thanksgiving Potluck dinner November 24 at the home of Olin Thomas. On December 19 the Chapter will gather at the home of David Reichmann to celebrate Christmas with deserts (hey, we ARE Mormon ;) and fellowship, as well as another long standing local tradition--the White Elephant gift exchange. Members re-gift or otherwise rid their homes of various items they have been eager to part with by wrapping them and bringing them to the party. We take turns selecting gifts and unwrapping them. The next person can take any previously unwrapped gift or a yet to be unwrapped one. The competition for hot items can be fierce! Many hilarious gifts have been given over the years, adding to the oral history of the Chapter. --Olin Thomas

In the Portland Chapter we had a fantastic Thanksgiving activity. A small group of our Affirmation folk planned and hosted an entire Thanksgiving feast for all of Portland Affirmation. We ended up with a turn-out of over 20 people, and it was a terrific evening. --Jason Giles

Even though the Affirmation gang in Seattle didn't gather for a holiday celebration this year, several members of the group did find time to provide some valuable and rewarding community service. For the past few years, many members of Affirmation have been actively volunteering with a local non-profit AIDS service organization called Multifaith Works. On Tuesday, December 17, the agency provided a full turkey dinner for their clients and Affirmation provided support through donating money, food and time to that effort. Almost 100 people living with AIDS and their caregivers enjoyed an evening of great food and entertainment. The organizers of the event were so impressed (as always) with the hard work, generosity and positive energy displayed by the guys and gals from Affirmation. --Drew Smith

During the Christmas season, we had three special activities in the Wasatch Chapter of Affirmation. On December 15, we had a Christmas party at the home of Terry O'Brien in Provo. On December 22 we had a fireside in Salt Lake City, at the home of Troy and Ryan. This was a combined activity with Reconciliation, and some 50 people attended this event, which included caroling, a Christmas video produced by the Church, and food. Finally, on December 29, we had a "between the holidays" party at the home of Duane Jennings. We ate food and watched Moulin Rouge. As part of the activity, we collected toiletries and non-perishable food items for the Utah AIDS Foundation. -Hugo Salinas

Members of the LA Chapter of Affirmation enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner at the home of Glenn and a Christmas dinner at the home of Mike Miner. Affirmation provided the turkey and all the members helped with the potluck. For our Christmas party we also made white elephant gift exchange, which is a tradition in our chapter. Some 25-30 people attended this event. --Reported by Dan Cash

In Afirmación México we closed the year with a party. We have friends who, though not Mormon, enjoy coming to our meetings, and we invited them to the event. We had an animated dinner and we broke a piñata. Three new members came to our party. It's amazing how productive our meeting are--just by meeting together, our members feel support and have their burdens lightened. We talked about the importance of our group and its objectives. This was a good year, and we hope that we'll grow a lot more during 2003. Reciban un abrazo, Carlos A. Peralta

News from the Trenches

Compiled by Hugo Salinas

Phoenix Chapter Rises Anew

"The Phoenix AZ Chapter of Affirmation is alive and well and living at http://www.phxaffirmation.com," wrote Bobby on December 12. "We have several activities coming up over the next few weeks, so please check the website for details. The website also provides information on how to contact us and have your name added to our distribution lists for information and newsletters."

According to Bobby, "the group went through some re-organization over the summer, but we're back. The great news is some Phoenix Affirmation Alumni are helping us get the chapter up and running again."

Congratulations to Bobby and the Phoenix gang for their achievement.

San Francisco Chapter

San Francisco Chapter Launches New Website

Members of the San Francisco Chapter have also been busy expanding their Internet presence. Just a few weeks ago, Jason Firth launched a new website for the chapter. The new site includes a photo album, a calendar with upcoming events, and a handy guest book. Since its launching, they have received more than 225 visitors. Congratulations, San Franciscans! We invite all Affirmation members to visit their site and sign the guest book.

New Mailing List for Gay Mormons--En Español

A new mailing list has just been launched for Gay and lesbian Mormons who speak Spanish. The new list is called Mormones Gays de España. Although launched from Spain, the new list accepts all Spanish speakers, regardless of their nationality, who want to discuss the gay Mormon experience.

"I want to create a community where we can meet people and share experiences," says list creator Carlos Varela. "I want to help those who are gay and are still active in the Church and feel lonely." The page also aims at getting the attention of the church leaders, "so that they may know that we exist and that they should listen to us."

"I want the whole world to know that God has created us this way," says Carlos. "I know we're part of God's plan." This is the third gay Mormon mailing list lunched exclusively for Spanish speakers. Afirmación Latino, created by Michael McGrorty, has 91 members, and Afirmación España, created by Enós Pastrana, has 30.

Fort Douglas by the University of Utah

2003 Affirmation Conference Will Be Held at Historic Site

The brand new University of Utah Guesthouse is located at Fort Douglas, a place which has witnessed Utah's struggles between civil and religious power.

In the days of Brigham Young, when the federal government saw slavery and polygamy as "twin relics of barbarism," Abraham Lincoln established Fort Douglas at Salt Lake City, with its cannons symbolically pointing to the distant temple. But the cannons were fired only to salute the resolution of the conflict, when Utah finally attained statehood.

More recently the University of Utah built its Guesthouse at Fort Douglas to serve as an Olympic Villa during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Featuring 136 rooms, 5000 square feet of conference space, and surrounded by a rich history, the University of Utah Guesthouse will be the place for the 2003 Affirmation Annual Conference.

Join us in Salt Lake City on October 10-12, 2003 for a historic weekend.


Links:

The Spirit of Fort Douglas: A documentary prepared by the University of Utah

Fort Douglas Military Museum