Inside This Issue Editorial: A Light to the "Web-Wide" World Upcoming Events Afirmación México Visits Lodge for HIV+ People Gay Mormon Movie Premieres in Utah on March 1 Gamofites to Gather in Maryland, Idaho International Members Save Money for Conference

Editorial: A Light to the "Web-Wide" World

by Hugo Salinas, Associate Director

After a whole year of discussion and preparations, we are almost ready to unveil a new Affirmation website. Just like the current website, this new site will be "a city built on a hill" and "a light that cannot be hid" (Matthew 5:14). We are building this site on the firm foundation established by Henry Miller, who is also helping us design the look and the logo of the new website. Thank you, Henry, for sharing your insights and expertise.

We are calling this website new because we are reorganizing the contents and creating new navigational bars, but especially because we are adding some completely new features such as the Member-Only Area. Access to this area will be protected by a login name and a password. Invisible to the eye, we are also in the process of changing servers and reformatting every webpage with a more advanced code.

The Member-Only Area will allow members to renew membership online, register for the annual conference, see a limited member directory, and post and read personal ads. There will also be an area of the website where Affirmation friends can create a basic account free of charge and use some limited features.

I see the new website as a milestone in the history of the organization. It will never replace the local chapters or the experience of meeting face-to-face; but hopefully it will help us reach out to each other, celebrate our rich legacy, and be a light to the whole "web-wide" world.

Upcoming Events, 2003 April 11-13 Gamofite Retreat in Ellicott City, MD May 16-18 Gamofite Retreat in Lava Hot Springs, ID 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

Afirmación México Visits Lodge for HIV+ People

By Carlos A. Peralta, Coordinator for Affirmation Mexico

Lodge in Ajusco, Mexico

In January some members of our chapter visited a lodge sponsored by Albergues de México, a support organization for people who are HIV+. The lodge is located in Ajusco, outside Mexico City, and it can be reached only by a rocky dirt highway. Surrounded by pine trees and mountains, the wooden cabins of the lodge are a place for retreat and reflection. Every second Sunday of the month the lodge holds a spiritual meeting, and a member of our chapter, Felipe, had been invited to conduct one of these events. We talked about our beliefs and we bore our testimonies. Despite the freezing cold, it was a very warm meeting and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Gay Mormon Movie Premieres in Utah on March 1

By Hugo Salinas
February 19, 2002

When then BYU film student Brad Barber had to choose a topic for his senior project, he decided to go home for the Christmas break; there he filmed his own family, which includes his parents, his siblings--and his gay brother Troy. The result is Troy through a Window, a feature-length documentary exploring the dynamics of an LDS family where a model son, Eagle Scout, and returned missionary, also happens to be gay.

The movie will premiere at The Tower Theater (876 East 900 South) in Salt Lake City on March 1 at 1:00 PM. Admission is $5.00; a Q&A session will follow.

"On the day Troy came out as a gay man, it was as if a window had dropped through our household" says Barber, "placing Troy on one side, siblings and parents on the other."

One of the most interesting aspects of this movie is the fact that the filmmaker had such intimate access to his subjects. "This is an extremely personal film," says Barber. "I'd say we are a little nervous [about the release]; it's not easy to feel at ease pouring out your soul in front of a camera and an audience of strangers."

"My views [on homosexuality] have been changing for the last nine years ever since Troy told us he was gay," says Barber. "I met a lot of people who really impressed me in terms of their ability to listen, show respect, and try to understand gays and lesbians in a Christlike way."

Barber hopes the film will "open up some meaningful and much needed dialogue between gays and lesbians and their families." "So far, I have gotten warm responses from both camps," he says.

Brad says his BYU advisers were very supportive of the project. Brad's brother Troy currently lives with his partner in Oakland, California.

People interested in purchasing the documentary may contact Brad Barber.

Gamofites to Gather in Maryland, Idaho

Gamofites (Gay Mormon Fathers) will gather in two Spring 2003 retreats. One of the retreats will be held April 11-13 in Ellicott City, Maryland; the organizer is Larry Mann. Another retreat will take place May 16-18 in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho; the organizer is Karl Bennion.

More information about Gay Mormon Fathers is available on the official website.

International Members Save Money for Conference

Every year the Affirmation Conference attracts members from distant lands, but this year international attendees might set a new record. The Mexico Chapter of Affirmation has just announced that a group of 6-12 members will make the trip to Salt Lake City on October 10-12. Nefi Rodríguez, one of the organizers, is promoting a saving plan that will help chapter members complete the difficult trip, which involves buying expensive plane tickets, processing a passport, and obtaining a visa. Nefi himself experienced his first national conference six months ago, when he traveled to the event held in Las Vegas.