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By Rebecca Nay, Affirmation Coordinator for TGI issues Affirmation has traditionally served the needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual Mormons. In recent years our scope has widened as we have recognized the specific issues and needs of transgendered (TG) and intersexed (I) people who come from a Mormon background. In my observation, there is lack of understanding by many in the gay community as to what it means to be transgendered or intersexed. There are many understandable reasons for this, which are beyond the scope of this article. It is my intent to help Affirmation members understand our TGI brothers and sisters. The most appropriate place we can start this journey is by reaching a consensus on definitions. The term "transgender" has a lot of flexibility and its definition will vary in some social circles. However, most generally accept "transgender" as an umbrella term for transsexuals, transvestites, cross-dressers, drag queens/kings and anybody else whose gender identity or behavior runs counter to societal norms. The differences between these social categories are vivid, but not easily defined. Wesley Snipes in Too Wong Foo… (1995) as the fabulous Noxeema Jackson puts it into perspective: "When a straight man puts on a dress and goes on a sexual kick, he is a transvestite. When a man is a woman trapped in a man's body and has a little operation, [she] is a Transsexual. When a gay man has way too much fashion sense for one gender, he is a drag queen. And when a tired little Latin boy puts on a dress, he is simply a boy in a dress!" [Pronouns edited]The term "intersexed" generally refers to people who have the reproductive organs, chromosomes and/or secondary sex characteristics of both sexes. The historically popular label for intersexed people is "hermaphrodite". However, this label is a mythological term that portrays a person as fully male and fully female; which is physiologically impossible. What exactly does it mean to be transgendered or intersexed? Does it have anything to do with sexual orientation? I certainly asked myself this at one time. After disclosing my true identity to my mother, her initial response was "are you this way because you're gay?" It's quite the contrary. Most gay or lesbian people are confident in their identity as a man or woman after they come out. For some, their orientation is a reinforcement of their own gender identity. For transgendered and intersexed people; there is a constant conflict between gender identity, biology and cultural norms regardless of their sexual orientation. With the successful emergence of TGI Mormons, the future of Affirmation shows an increased presence of TGI people within our ranks. In order to enable Affirmation's efforts to expand beyond our traditional identity, an understanding of these issues is necessary. Resources to Learn More about Transgender Issues Affirmation's Transgender Page www.affirmation.org/transgender TGI Mormons Mailing List groups.yahoo.com/group/tgimormons Stories  Mommy, Are We There Yet?Utah Organizations Transgender Education Advocates of Utah www.tea-utah.us  Engendered Species www.geocities.com/westhollywood/castro/6809/ National Organizations Gender Public Advocacy Coalition www.gpac.org Gender Education & Advocacy www.gender.org The Transgender Network www.tgender.net Transgender Law & Policy Institute www.transgenderlaw.org
Some Would Like Affirmation to Adopt a More Inclusive Name Dear Members: We are sensitive to the fact the some of the people in Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons do not identify as gay or lesbian. Over the years many transgender, intersex, and bisexual Mormons have joined our organization. About two years ago we started a section on our website dedicated to transgender issues, and we have been excited to see Rebecca Nay start a mailing list that today includes some 200 transgender Mormons. In the past, Scott MacKay and other leaders have wondered whether Affirmation should adopt a more inclusive name to reflect the fact that we represent transgender, intersex, and bisexual Mormons as well. The issue has a number of facets and implications--philosophical, legal, and practical. The process to legally change our name could be quite long and complex. I want to ask every Affirmation member to (wot3  aol.com) and share your opinion on this matter. If you feel we should change the name, please let me know what alternative name(s) you propose and why. If you feel we should maintain the current name, please explain to me why as well. Some possibilities might be "Affirmation, GLBTI Mormons" or simply "Affirmation." Please see this survey as a informal first step. Depending on the input I receive, we might begin a more systematic discussion. Wherever the discussion takes us, we will not change the name of our organization unless we present this matter for a vote by all members, which our General Charter defines as Affirmation's "ultimate governing authority" (Article IV). Whatever the outcome of this discussion is, we hope that bisexual, transgender, and intersex Mormons will continue to feel welcome in Affirmation. BTI Mormons have already made enormous contributions to our organization, with one of our past executive directors identifying as bisexual and another one as intersex. No matter what name we adopt, we hope these sexual minorities of Affirmation will continue to be a vital part of our family. Sincerely, Olin Thomas, Executive Director
It Will Be Held June 3-5, 2005, Near Portland Make your reservations and mark your calendars! The Affirmation Women's Retreat will be held June 3-5th at Menucha Retreat and Conference Center outside of Portland, OR. Cost will be $180 per person and includes all meals, lodging, and retreat activities if you register before April 15th, 2005. $200 for late registration (April 16th-May 1st). Please (971-506-7540 or alyson affirmation.org) for details and to reserve your space. Retreat is limited to 20 participants.Alyson Bolles Report of last year's retreat
With a Special Call for New Affirmation Literature Affirmation is pleased to announce the sixth year of the Affirmation Writing Awards Contest! The contest rules and entry form are now online, at www.affirmation.org/writing_contest. The deadline for submitting entries is August 1, 2005. As is our custom, the winners will be announced at the Affirmation Conference in Denver. This year's contest has a special purpose. As always, we welcome non-fiction submissions of various kinds: letters, personal narratives, op/ed pieces, scholarly essays. In addition, this year's contest includes a special call for brochures and pamphlets that could be distributed as Affirmation literature. Over the years, Affirmation has produced now classic pamphlets such as Prologue, Homosexuality and Scripture, and All about Excommunication. As times have changed, new needs have arisen. Affirmation would like to use this year's contest to solicit new ideas for brochures and pamphlets on topics impacting GLBT Mormons today. Additional information about Affirmation's needs for new literature will appear in the April 2005 issue of Affinity. Note that while we are especially interested this year in brochures and pamphlets, all genres of non-fiction writing are eligible for an award. For half a decade now, the Affirmation Writing Awards Contest has recognized and promoted non-fiction writing on a variety of subjects important to members of the GLBT Mormon community. We look forward to another year of quality submissions! To see winning entries from previous years, visit www.affirmation.org/voices/award.shmtl.
You Are Invited to Help Us Pay for Ad Dear Friends: We have learned that the Advocate issue which hits the newsstands on March 29 will have as its cover story an article examining the Church’s role supporting efforts to pass anti-gay (which the Church calls “pro-family”) legislation. The article will include the human interest angle of how this affects gay people who are giving a lot for the Church-–recently returned missionaries, for example. Because this is a rare opportunity to be noticed by gay and lesbian Mormons within the gay community, the executive committee has decided to place an advertisement in this issue. National advertisements are expensive, however, and we invite you to support this outreach effort by making a special one time donation (tax deductible!) to Affirmation. The advertisement will cost $2,295.00, with the ad design and graphics work being donated by a supportive graphic designer. If you can help, send a check to: A.N.O. P.O. Box 6369 Long Beach, CA 90806 Write “advertising fund” in the memo area or cover letter. You may also write a letter authorizing credit card charges. We encourage all Affirmation members to check out this issue of the Advocate. Olin Thomas, Executive Director Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons
Evergreen and Deseret Book Are Still Selling Their Book by Jason Clark 27 February 2005 Martha and John C. Beck, the authors of a Deseret Book publication that dubbed homosexuality "an addiction" are now living openly as homosexuals. "While Dr. [Martha] Beck is now highly critical of the Mormon Church, in 1990, she and her husband, John C. Beck, had a book published by a company owned by the Mormon Church arguing that homosexuality is a compulsive behavior that can be overcome," wrote Edward Wyatt in the February 24 edition of the New York Times. "After leaving the church, however, the Becks divorced and have lived openly as homosexuals, something each acknowledged in interviews." In their 1990 book Breaking the Cycle of Compulsive Behavior, the Becks follow the well-established LDS rhetoric of lumping homosexuality together with alcoholism and drug addiction as "addictions" or misguided compulsive behavior that must be controlled. Despite the fact that the Becks have since embraced their own homosexuality, Evergreen International, an organization for gay Mormons who want to remain celibate, is still selling the book. LDS-owned Deseret Book is also selling the book, along with other anti-gay titles such as Dean A. Byrd's Homosexuality and the Church of Jesus Christ and Joseph Nicolosi's A Parent's Guide to Preventing Homosexuality. Martha Beck's credibility as an author is now in question, as her forthcoming Leaving the Saints is already being criticized for its alleged inaccuracies. In her shocking memoir, Beck recounts how in 1990 she recovered memories of being sexually abused between the ages of 5 and 7 by her father, renowned LDS scholar Hugh Nibley. Beck claims that her father, unable to defend Joseph Smith's translation of the newly rediscovered Book of Abraham papyri, went crazy and began to ritually abuse her, possibly wearing some kind of Egyptian garb. According to Sunstone reviewer Tania Rands Lyon, Beck "first wrote Leaving the Saints as a 500-page novel," but was later "redirected by her editors to own her story and call it a memoir" (Sunstone, March 2005, p. 74). Leaving the Saints official site 
Nibley family response to Leaving the Saints
Nibley's biographer Boyd Jay Petersen responds to Leaving the Saints
This year you can stay in the Affirmation conference hotel like a queen yet pay the rates of a commoner! Rates for conference-goers at the beautiful Adam's Mark Hotel will be $109 a night for single/double room and $119 for triple/quadruple room. Concorde Level rooms are $134/$144. We have also negotiated special rates on suites--an Executive Suite is $150. For the very pampered conference-goer, a Tower Deluxe or Plaza Deluxe Suite is $300. Rates will be honored for three days before and after Conference for those wishing to make a vacation in Denver. The Adam's Mark is the biggest hotel in Denver. Amenities include a year-round swimming pool, sauna, and state-of-the-art fitness center. You can enjoy three restaurants, two lounges, and one exciting nightclub without ever leaving the grounds. Located in the heart of downtown Denver, the Adam's Mark is four blocks from the Convention Center, and within walking distance of exciting visitor locations such as the Denver Art Museum and the state capitol. Join Us in Portland to Plan Affirmation's Future Leadership Meetings Will Be Held April 1-3 The Affirmation Executive Committee will meet April 1-3, 2005 in Portland, Oregon. We would like to invite members of Affirmation to submit questions, comments and suggestions for consideration. Those who are currently part of Affirmation leadership at any level, or are interested in becoming so involved, are welcome to attend in person. Friday evening we will have a potluck social with members of the Portland Chapter at the home of Mark and Mark. Business meetings will take place Saturday at the home of Alan Blodgett. To submit items for the meeting agenda or for more information, please contact at olin affirmation.org or at alysonaffirmation.org. Yours, Olin
It Will Be Held April 3 in Salt Lake City By Duane Jennings Wasatch Chapter, Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons 801-486-6977 UtahSoulforce aol.com Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons and Reconciliation announce their annual fireside and mission reunion. The event will take place April 3, 2005, in Salt Lake City at the Metropolitan Community Church, 823 South 600 East. The mission reunion will start at 5:30 with a potluck, followed by a fireside that will feature actor and writer Steven Fales. Please bring a favorite casserole, salad, or desert for the potluck. Drinks provided by the chapter. Steven Fales is best known for his one-man play Confessions of a Mormon Boy, which has garnered critical and popular acclaim across the country. He most recently played a sold-out run in Chicago, where the Chicago Tribune called the play "an uncommonly powerful, gripping, and very moving piece of theatre." He will be playing San Francisco this spring and San Diego this summer before opening Off Broadway in the fall. (See www.mormonboy.com for more information.) The Wasatch Chapter aims to provide a safe, inclusive space for GLBTI people from Mormon backgrounds who live along the Wasatch Front. We affirm that life as a GLBTI person can be positive and is not incompatible with spirituality. At the same time, we are a diverse group who embrace a variety of lifestyles and hold a variety of attitudes towards spirituality, religion, morality and politics. We are united chiefly by our desire to interact with others who share our dual background -- Mormon and GLBTI--and who therefore share the unique struggle and blessings which that duality engenders. For more information, visit Affirmation on-line at www.affirmation.org. Also, you can check out press photos on Steven's web site: www.mormonboy.com. Report of last year's missionary reunion
Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons P.O. Box 46022 Los Angeles, CA 90046 National Phone Line: (323) 255-7251 To see a directory of current Affirmation chapters, visit www.affirmation.org/chapters Executive Director: Olin Thomas AFFIRMATION GAY & LESBIAN MORMONS is a non-profit support group serving
Gay and Lesbian Mormons, their families and friends since 1977. AFFINITY
is the official publication of the Affirmation National Executive Committee.
About AFFINITY and E-AFFINITY AFFINITY is available both as an email text and as a web-based document. Although both versions are free of charge, we encourage you to become a dues-paying member and thus help us advance Affirmation's important mission. If you wish to receive a text version of AFFINITY by email, simply
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