Joan Atkinson, James Kent, and Ben Jarvis are scheduled to be the speakers during the Los Angeles Conference Sunday morning devotional. Joan raised a family in the LDS Church and recently completed a mission to New Zealand with her husband. As the unofficial “Mom” to the Los Angeles Chapter of Affirmation, she provides a much needed bridge between the active LDS community and the Gay Mormon world. Two of her children, a son and a daughter, are gay. James Kent will handle the memorial portion of the devotional. “My comments will focus on being of good cheer,” says Ben Jarvis, “being thankful for our current blessings and being a positive force in the world around us, even as we fight like heck against upcoming ballot measures that would strip us of our civil rights.” “This is not a time to be timid nor is it the time to shun the fight. We've been shown our so-called weaknesses, and in true Book of Mormon fashion, we've turned those ‘weaknesses’ into strengths.” |
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© 2008 Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons www.affirmation.org |