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    Starting an Affirmation Chapter
 Dear Friend,
 The following information will help you form an Affirmation chapter. If you are intersted in staring a chapter, please inform us of your intent. We can help you contact Affirmation members and friends in your area. We will need your contact information so that we may be able to keep in touch and promote the new chapter.
 Please feel free to contact us for additional help and information if needed. We wish you the best of luck and pray for the success of your new chapter.
 Sincerely,

Joshua Behn        Randall Thacker Robert Moore
President      Senior Vice President      Vice President 

Hello Everybody!
 Look around your own circle of friends and acquaintances. Would they be interested in helping form the chapter? What talents or skills do these people have? Who is good with people? Are they reliable and excited about Affirmation as you are? Always find out what resources you have close at hand.
Setting Up Shop
 Once you've established that you have enough interest to set up a local chapter, take the following steps:
1.Frequently, people cite confidentiality as their main concern when first coming out. It's important therefore to have a procedure to protecting the confidentiality of your mailing list. This means that ordinarily only one or two trusted people should have access to the mailing list.

2.Set a date, time, and place for the first meeting. Send the information to the  Affirmation webamster so that it can be announced on the national website.

3.The main topic for the first meeting should be a discussion of the purposes and mission of Affirmation. Have copies of the Charter and Bylaws available for this purpose. Send out a mailing to everyone on your list with this information. Follow this up with phone calls, and place announcements in newspapers or bulletin boards as you are able. Don't forget to have a few friends help you so they get used to being involved.

4.Establish an email or mailing address for the chapter so people will know how to reach you.

5.Advertise your chapter in the local media. While you should definitely include announcements in the gay media, we strongly suggest "alternative media," such as weeklies, as well. This is because people first coming out often do not consult the gay media first. They may be too afraid to pick up a gay newspaper. Lists of newspapers and examples for advertising are available from the Affirmation Public Relations Director.
After you have done all the above, you're ready for your first meeting. Be sure to welcome everyone warmly. Make clear that Affirmation is a safe place, where people are free to share their experiences and feelings without judgment or criticism. Remind everyone that we respect their confidentiality and expect those who attend to do the same. You should also have introductions. This can be done by asking people to tell a little about themselves, e.g., how they heard of Affirmation or what they hope to gain from participating. Introductions can be fun too. Ask people to relate something funny that happened to them recently, or what their most favorite vacation was. Be creative—the point is to get people to talk a little and break the ice. Once people are a little more relaxed, announce the topic and hand out copies of the Charter and Bylaws. Be prepared to talk about what Affirmation is (and is not). The emphasis should be on questions and discussion. Before concluding, ask for volunteers to help with positions, until you can have an election. Don't forget to encourage people to become members of Affirmation.
Elections & Charter
 Please view Affirmation's Charter and Bylaws. Your new chapter is expected to know and follow the guidelines in the Charter. While your chapter has great freedom to run its internal affairs, the Charter sets out our purpose and all chapters are required to accept and support this purpose. The Bylaws provide the mechanics for running Affirmation, and must also be followed. Be sure to provide a copy to each of your chapter members.
More Considerations
 Here are some other points to keep in mind:
1.Brochure: it will be helpful to make up an information flyer or brochure to give to new people and inquirers. We suggest you use this brochure (available also in black and white).

2.Finances: By now you will probably have expenses. Besides the dues paid by members to the national organization, local chapters can establish additional dues and find other ways to raise funds. If your chapter is handling funds, open up a club-type checking account to serve as your treasury.    Read more

3.Records: Please set up and maintain a complete set of correspondence. Affirmation files and records are strictly confidential. They should be started immediately and maintained so that future leaders can easily use them.   Read more

4.Website and Newsletter: We strongly encourage chapters to start and maintain a simple website. You may publish some sort of periodical or start a mailing list in order to keep your chapter members informed of what is going on in your area.    Read more

5.Meetings: The kind and number of meetings depends in large part on what your local needs are. We suggest chapters to have at least one meeting a month. In setting up your meetings, keep in mind the purposes of Affirmation. We are here to educate, support and encourage positive growth and self-esteem. Don't let the focus of meetings turn negative or unproductive. While many of us have good reason to feel angry or betrayed, our goal should be to help others move toward inner strength and healing. More than anything, your meetings should meet the needs of your members. Be sure to ask them often what they want. Not everyone will have the same needs or interests. Most chapters will offer various meetings, including a social, a discussion night and a spiritually focused "fireside" meeting. Don't forget that just because we're gay or lesbian doesn't mean we don't have the same needs for social, educational and spiritual support as before.    Read more

Help Is Available
 By now, you may feel overwhelmed! Relax. These steps don't all have to be done at once. Some will come naturally as your chapter begins to grow. Please keep this sheet and refer to it often. This should be the first item in your chapter files. If you have any questions or problems, feel free to contact the Chapter Development coordinator. The Executive Committee will do all they can to help. Also know that Affirmation holds leadership conferences for chapter directors and other leaders to share ideas. One is always held in conjunction with Affirmation's annual conference. There's never a need to feel like you're out on your own. Affirmation leaders are always available to help others.
One last thought. Don't forget the work of the Spirit. There is real need for prayer and reflection in the work you are carrying out. We believe that Affirmation has a place in Heavenly Father's plan for his gay and lesbian children. We can only find that place, however, to the extent that we seek his guidance and listen to the voice of the Spirit. The Spirit is closest when we work toward our goals, mindful of the needs of our sisters and brothers, and of the love that the Saviour has for each of us, whether lesbian, gay, bisexual or straight.
Again, good luck and God bless you. You will soon know the appreciation of many for your courage and determination.





 
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© 2012 Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
 www.affirmation.org
 PO Box 898
 Anoka, MN 55303
    
 

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Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
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WE ARE






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FOR YOU






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Chapters & Groups
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Starting a Chapter
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Activity and Lesson Ideas
Activity Ideas
 Some Information & Ideas for Planning a Suicide Vigil
Lesson: Understanding and Combating Homophobia
Lesson: Patriarchy, Discrimination, and Women's Issues
Lesson: A Mormon Concept of Human Sexuality
Lesson: Do I Leave or Do I Stay? The Debate on Remaining Active in the LDS Church
Lesson: What Do the Scriptures Really Say about Homosexuality?
Tips for Respectful Discussion
 Scriptures and Theology

For other enlightening lessons of LDS theology, go to  Reform Mormonism Gospel Doctrine, a site sponsored by ReformMormonsim.org.









 
WHO WE ARE
Who We Are
Faces of Affirmation
2013 Leadership Team
Board of Directors
Our History
Where We Are ESPECIALLY FOR YOU
Youth
Parents & Friends
Women
Missionaries
Transgender
International  EVENTS
Calendar
Conference
Newsletter
The Messenger
Newsroom RESOURCES & LINKS
 Resources
Links  BECOME INVOLVED
Renew Your Membership
Become a Member
Find Local Chapter/Group
Attend Conference
Affirmation Store
 DONATE

     
© 2012 Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
 www.affirmation.org
 PO Box 898
 Anoka, MN 55303
    
 

      International Pages        Visit Us on Facebook    Visit Us on Twitter    Check Out Our Videos    Visit Our Blog    

    

Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
WHO
WE ARE






 ESPECIALLY
FOR YOU






 EVENTS
& NEWS




 RESOURCES
& LINKS


 BECOME
INVOLVED






 
  DONATE  
 



supporting LGBT Mormons, their families, and allies by encouraging spirituality, providing information resources, and working for inclusiveness and equality


prev
next






         
 SOMEONE TO TALK TO
a listening ear for times of crisis  EXPLORE AFFIRMATION
discover what Affirmation is  FIND LOCAL RESOURCES
Affirmation chapters, groups,
and community resources 
         


Calendar
December 16
ALL Phoenix - Friends & Family Group to Gather
December 16
Holiday Sing-Along in New York City
December 18
BYU-Idaho Students to Wear White
December 21
Winter Solstice Christmas Party in Highland, UT
December 21
Navidad en Afirmación en Valparaíso, Chile
December 22
"Sit With Me" Sunday
December 22
Affirmation Family Home Evening Group to Gather in Utah
December 29
Affirmation Family Home Evening Group to Gather in Utah
February 8, 2014
Affirmation Conference in Mexico City
May 2-4, 2014
Affirmation Retreat in Nauvoo
September 12-14, 2014
Annual Affirmation Conference in Salt Lake City

     Resources for Allies
• Packet of Materials to Share
• Podcast with the Montgomerys - Part 1, 2, & 3
Recent Messages & Stories
• Believe in Yourself and God's Love for You
• “Not Only for Yourself, but for the Entire Tribe”
2013 Conference
• Report    • Photos    • Videos    • Audio Files
• Mortensen Award• Allies Awards
• Media Coverage
News & Events
• Affirmation to Sponsor Service Activities
• Affirmation to Hold Conference in Mexico
• Conference on Healing Available As MP3 File
• BYU Students Speak about Suicide
• New Affirmation Video
In the News
• One Voice Choir Performs on Good Day Utah
• Transgender LDS Hopes Church Will Accept Her
• ENDA Finds Support in Mormons
• LGBT: How Mormon Hearts Are Changing
• Keeping The Faith, And Loving Your Gay Son
• BYU Students: Attitudes Are Changing
• GSA Approved at American Fork HS
• Mormons Push Church Stance on LGBT
• Will Exodus’s exit affect Evergreen?
• Some Mormons to Show Support for Gays

  On the No More Strangers Blog
• Response
• Timeline: Mormons & Homosexuality
• Perspectives on Doctrine and LGBT
• More Understanding of the Proclamation
• Enduring Frustration and Ensuing Testimony
• God’s Affirmation
• The Gay Law of Chastity
• Young Gay Man’s Struggle with Suicide
• John Dehlin Delivers a TEDx Talk As an Ally
• Meeting With the Bishop (*cue dramatic music)
• Robin Linkhart Celebrates LGBT Inclusion
 

  TOP VIDEOS  


          
  UNCONDITIONAL LOVE   BYU: IT GETS BETTER   NATHANIEL EGGLESTON: PRIDE  
  Andrea Carver, who has a gay brother, prayed when she realized that her son was also gay. The response, she says, was to love her gay sibling and her gay son unconditionally.   A message of hope and love to LGBT Mormon youth from the students of USGA (Understanding Same-Gender Attraction) which is an unofficial group of BYU students & friends.    “Finding happiness is a lot of defining yourslef and knowing who you are. The closer you are to yourself and who you are, the happier you can be.”    

WHO WE ARE
Who We Are
Faces of Affirmation
2013 Leadership Team
Board of Directors
Our History
Where We Are ESPECIALLY FOR YOU
Youth
Parents & Friends
Women
Missionaries
Transgender
International EVENTS
Calendar
Conference
Newsletter
The Messenger
Newsroom RESOURCES & LINKS
Resources
Links BECOME INVOLVED
Renew Your Membership
Become a Member
Find Local Chapter/Group
Attend Conference
Affirmation Store
 DONATE

    
© 2012 Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
www.affirmation.org
PO Box 898
Anoka, MN 55303
    


      International Pages        Visit Us on Facebook     Visit Us on Twitter     Check Out Our Videos     Visit Our Blog     
    
    
 

Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
WHO
WE ARE






 ESPECIALLY
FOR YOU






  EVENTS
& NEWS




 RESOURCES
& LINKS


 BECOME
INVOLVED






 
  DONATE  
 



 
supporting LGBT Mormons, their families, and allies by encouraging spirituality, providing information resources, and working for inclusiveness and equality



prev
next






 
         
 SOMEONE TO TALK TO
a listening ear for times of crisis  EXPLORE AFFIRMATION
 discover what Affirmation is  FIND LOCAL RESOURCES
 Affirmation chapters, groups,
 and community resources 
         

 

Calendar
December 16
ALL Phoenix - Friends & Family Group to Gather
December 16
Holiday Sing-Along in New York City
December 18
BYU-Idaho Students to Wear White
December 21
Winter Solstice Christmas Party in Highland, UT
December 21
Navidad en Afirmación en Valparaíso, Chile
December 22
"Sit With Me" Sunday
December 22
Affirmation Family Home Evening Group to Gather in Utah
December 29
Affirmation Family Home Evening Group to Gather in Utah
February 8, 2014
Affirmation Conference in Mexico City
May 2-4, 2014
Affirmation Retreat in Nauvoo
September 12-14, 2014
Annual Affirmation Conference in Salt Lake City

     Resources for Allies
• Packet of Materials to Share 
• Podcast with the Montgomerys - Part 1, 2, & 3
Recent Messages & Stories
• Believe in Yourself and God's Love for You
• “Not Only for Yourself, but for the Entire Tribe”
2013 Conference
• Report    • Photos    • Videos    • Audio Files
• Mortensen Award • Allies Awards
• Media Coverage
News & Events
• Affirmation to Sponsor Service Activities
• Affirmation to Hold Conference in Mexico
• Conference on Healing Available As MP3 File
• BYU Students Speak about Suicide
• New Affirmation Video
In the News
• One Voice Choir Performs on Good Day Utah 
• Transgender LDS Hopes Church Will Accept Her
• ENDA Finds Support in Mormons 
• LGBT: How Mormon Hearts Are Changing
• Keeping The Faith, And Loving Your Gay Son
• BYU Students: Attitudes Are Changing
• GSA Approved at American Fork HS
• Mormons Push Church Stance on LGBT
• Will Exodus’s exit affect Evergreen? 
• Some Mormons to Show Support for Gays

  On the No More Strangers Blog
• Response
• Timeline: Mormons & Homosexuality
• Perspectives on Doctrine and LGBT
• More Understanding of the Proclamation
• Enduring Frustration and Ensuing Testimony
• God’s Affirmation
• The Gay Law of Chastity
• Young Gay Man’s Struggle with Suicide
• John Dehlin Delivers a TEDx Talk As an Ally
• Meeting With the Bishop (*cue dramatic music)
• Robin Linkhart Celebrates LGBT Inclusion
 

 
  TOP VIDEOS  


          
  UNCONDITIONAL LOVE   BYU: IT GETS BETTER   NATHANIEL EGGLESTON: PRIDE  
  Andrea Carver, who has a gay brother, prayed when she realized that her son was also gay. The response, she says, was to love her gay sibling and her gay son unconditionally.   A message of hope and love to LGBT Mormon youth from the students of USGA (Understanding Same-Gender Attraction) which is an unofficial group of BYU students & friends.    “Finding happiness is a lot of defining yourslef and knowing who you are. The closer you are to yourself and who you are, the happier you can be.”    

 
WHO WE ARE
Who We Are
Faces of Affirmation
2013 Leadership Team
Board of Directors
Our History
Where We Are ESPECIALLY FOR YOU
Youth
Parents & Friends
Women
Missionaries
Transgender
International  EVENTS
Calendar
Conference
Newsletter
The Messenger
Newsroom RESOURCES & LINKS
 Resources
Links  BECOME INVOLVED
Renew Your Membership
Become a Member
Find Local Chapter/Group
Attend Conference
Affirmation Store
 DONATE

     
© 2012 Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
 www.affirmation.org
 PO Box 898
 Anoka, MN 55303
    
 

      International Pages        Visit Us on Facebook     Visit Us on Twitter     Check Out Our Videos     Visit Our Blog     
    
    
 

Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
WHO
WE ARE






 ESPECIALLY
FOR YOU






  EVENTS
& NEWS




 RESOURCES
& LINKS


 BECOME
INVOLVED






 
  DONATE  
 



  


Faces of Affirmation
About this Project
Evan and Brian
Trey and Guy
Brett and Jeff
Paul and Tony
 Send your story to Mark!

  
Mark Schneider
Mark Schneider


About This Project
Evan and Brian
Trey and Guy
Brett and Jeff
Paul & Tony
 Send your story to Mark! 


LGBT Mormons Represent Through the “Faces of Affirmation” Project
We are looking for people of all stripes to tell their stories as it relates to issues of LGBT identity and the Church
 by Mark Schneider
 March 2013
 Send your story to Mark!
 It seems that Mormons, LGBT or straight, can never escape the burden of representing. We like to put on black name tags and march around town in formal wear, so everyone around can raise their gaze and say, “Yep, there’s the Mormons.” It’s not everyone that gets so dressed up for Popeye’s Chicken. We like to inconspicuously place “pass along” cards in returned library books and think giddily of who they might reach, who might join the Church – maybe even the librarian (he would make a great member). Does that Book of Mormon that I tossed to you like it was something you’d wash your car with have an elaborately and punctiliously written testimony in the front cover with a picture of my gorgeous and happy family? I never knew!
 Yes, Mormons do their fair share of representing. Of course, discovering that you are LGBT and Mormon can put a damper on your zeal. Suddenly, the thought occurs to you that that male librarian might be gay and might be better off never hearing about the restored Gospel. You think this because, notwithstanding any positive impact on your life, you think you might have been better off without it. Some of us continue to believe, walking the tightrope, and some of us quietly walk away, hoping to never have to represent again, at least not Mormonism.
 But I contend that the burden to represent does not end for any of us, LGBT Mormons of belief or of background. Though our various representations might be different depending on where we situate ourselves, it is important to stand up and be counted. To be counted is to reflect the kind of culture we would like to see in the Church: a culture where LGBT people not only want to stay but would want to come and Church members could feel comfortable inviting them (indeed, sharing the Gospel). To be counted is also to clearly mark the paths available for LGBT Mormon youth, so they do not struggle to the same extent as people once did. Finally, to be counted is to make the world a more inclusive, friendlier place to be LGBT.
 So how can you be counted? How can you represent? For our purposes, to represent is to tell your story. We are looking for people of all stripes to tell their stories as it relates to issues of LGBT identity and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Paul has already told his as has Brett, so check these out to see what kind of stories are being told. We are very interested in diverse perspectives and, particularly, in voices that we don’t hear as often: lesbians, transgender people, LGBT Mormons from around the world, and allies in the Church. If you would like to submit a story, reach me out by email.
 This is what we are calling the “Faces of Affirmations” project. You better represent.














 
WHO WE ARE
Who We Are
Faces of Affirmation
2013 Leadership Team
Board of Directors
Our History
Where We Are ESPECIALLY FOR YOU
Youth
Parents & Friends
Women
Missionaries
Transgender
International  EVENTS
Calendar
Conference
Newsletter
The Messenger
Newsroom RESOURCES & LINKS
 Resources
Links  BECOME INVOLVED
Renew Your Membership
Become a Member
Find Local Chapter/Group
Attend Conference
Affirmation Store
 DONATE

     
© 2012 Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
 www.affirmation.org
 PO Box 898
 Anoka, MN 55303
    
 

      International Pages        Visit Us on Facebook     Visit Us on Twitter     Check Out Our Videos     Visit Our Blog     
    
    
 

Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
WHO
WE ARE






 ESPECIALLY
FOR YOU






  EVENTS
& NEWS




 RESOURCES
& LINKS


 BECOME
INVOLVED






 
  DONATE  
 



  


Who We Are
Who We Are
2013 Leadership Team
Board of Directors
Our History
 Find a Chapter
 Become a Member

   
Board of Directors

Carol Lynn Pearson
Carol Lynn Pearson
 Carol Lynn Pearson’s first contribution to the LDS gay community came in 1986 with the publication of her book Goodbye, I Love You, which tells the story of her marriage to Gerald Pearson, a homosexual man, their divorce, ongoing friendship, and her caring for him as he died of AIDS. The book is credited by many as opening the conversation in many homes about the subject of AIDS and about homosexuality in general.
 Since then Carol Lynn has spoken to and encouraged thousands of LDS gays and lesbians and their families, as well as educating church leaders about the damage being done through inaccurate and unloving teachings about this important subject. In 2006,...
 More about Carol Lynn    
Jorge Valencia
Jorge Valencia
 Jorge Valencia has served since 2007 as the Executive Director of Point Foundation. The organization empowers promising LGBTQ students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential ­ despite the obstacles often put before them ­ to make a significant impact on society. He brings to this job a wealth of experience in managing and growing nonprofit organizations, a proven ability to design and manage the infrastructure of expanding organizations and extensive experience with, and sensitivity to, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth issues.
Before coming to Point Foundation, from 2001 - 2006 Jorge was the President and Executive Director of ...
 More about Jorge    
Judy Finch
Judy Finch
 A convert to the church, Judy Finch is retired from a long career in elementary education. For nearly twenty years Judy has had a private psychotherapy practice, currently from her home office in the Oakland hills. Judy and her husband Richard have blended their family of six children in three states, soon-to-be 12 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
“My interest and commitment in Affirmation results from a gay son and two gay grandsons who have all left the church,” says Judy. “Having negotiated the rocky path of parenting gays, I feel excited about positive changes in our society and our Church. I feel part of a beautiful process guided by our Heavenly Father to promote understanding and unity.” 
Greg Prince
Greg Prince
 Dr. Gregory A. Prince was born and reared in Los Angeles, California. He attended Dixie College from 1965-67, graduating as valedictorian. He attended the UCLA School of Dentistry from 1969-73, again graduating as valedictorian. He received a Ph.D. in Pathology from UCLA in 1975, studying respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the primary cause of infant pneumonia worldwide. Over a period of fifteen years at the National Institutes of Health and Johns Hopkins University, he and his co-workers developed the thesis that RSV disease could be prevented by administering antiviral antibodies to high-risk infants. He co-founded...
 More about Greg
Yvette Zobel
Yvette Zobel
 Yvette Zobel is originally an Idaho girl who spent her growing up years in Idaho Falls, Idaho . She journeyed next door to the state of Utah to attend Utah State University and has a degree in music with an emphasis in piano. After great adventures living in Washington, Oregon, and California, she and her family now reside in Highland, Utah. She has taught piano in her private piano studio for many years. She considers teaching music one of the most joyful professions possible! She is a wife and the mother of 4 children including a wonderful gay son. Yvette is an active and devout Latter-day Saint.
 Yvette has deep love and respect for LDS LGBT individuals. She serves on the board of LDS Family Fellowship, a support group for friends and family of LGBT’s. Her passion and love for...
 More about Yvette      Contact Yvette 
Doug Balls
Doug Balls
 Doug Balls is a man who loves the lessons of history and the world of travel. He grew up in the Cottonwood area of Salt Lake City. As a youth he spent his summers working on a ranch in the mountains of Northern Utah for his father. It was here that he acquired a deep appreciation and love for horses and the beauty and creation of nature. He served a mission for the LDS church in Scotland, attended the University of Utah, and later went onto embark on several entrepreneurial ventures mostly in the hospitality, travel and entertainment industry. Realizing his talents in event production and venue management, he has spent almost thirty years managing some of the finest venues in the world.
 Doug knows that understanding is less important than...
 More about Doug     Contact Doug
Wendy Montgomery
Wendy Montgomery
  Wendy Montgomery was born and raised in Southern California. She has always been a member of the LDS Church. She and her husband were married in the Los Angeles Temple in 1995. They had 5 children in 7 years – not recommended. They found out in January of 2012 that their oldest son (13 years old at the time) was gay. It has at times been unbearably painful. But it has also been an enlightening, spiritual and joyful journey. Wendy has many new LGBT-supportive heroes in the LDS community. The Montgomery family lives in Central California. Wendy is a voracious reader, loves history, and is doing everything she knows how to make the LDS Church more welcoming and inclusive of its gay members.
 Contact Wendy 
Ron Schow
Ron Schow
 Ron Schow splits his time between residences in both Pocatello, Idaho and Salt Lake City. He is Professor Emeritus at Idaho State University (ISU) where he has taught since 1975. Although semi-retired he continues to teach some in the School of Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences in the Division of Health Sciences.
 A fifth generation Latter-day Saint with ancestors from Denmark and England, Ron grew up in Preston, Idaho. He served a mission for the LDS Church in the Central Atlantic States Mission (Virginia/N. Carolina, 1961-63). Later he graduated in Biology at Utah State University and then earned a Ph.D. in Audiology from Northwestern University in 1974. Before coming to ISU, he taught at Illinois State University (1972-75).
 More about Ron     Contact Ron 
Fred Bowers
Fred Bowers
 Frederick “Fred” Bowers has been a part of Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons for over 20 years. Fred has served in leadership roles at the chapter and national levels for many years including: Washington DC Chapter Director; Chapter-at-Large Director; Assistant Vice President for Strategy and Development; Affirmation National Board of Directors; Conference Director; and founder and current Director of the Affirmation People of Color and Allies Group.
A former career U.S. Air Force Financial Management Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, Fred is currently employed as a management and technology consultant for a leading international consulting firm and is involved with...
 More about Fred 
Sam Wolfe
Sam Wolfe
 Sam Wolfe is a civil rights lawyer with the Southern Poverty Law Center where he helped launch the LGBT Rights Project and continues to help lead the nation-wide project. Sam’s work, often set in the deep south, focuses on achieving greater respect and equality for gay and transgender people. The project’s cutting edge legal action has been reported on the front page of The New York Times, CNN Presents, Rolling Stone Magazine, and in an hour long program for Anderson Cooper 360.
Previously, Sam was a litigation associate at a leading international law firm in New York City where his pro bono practice focused on representing LGBT clients. He is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and is a member of...
 More about Sam    
Tom Christofferson
Tom Christofferson Tom Christofferson lives in New Canaan, Connecticut, with his partner of sixteen years, Clarke Latimer. Tom’s career in asset management and banking has given him opportunities to live and work in Europe and the US. He has twice served on the global diversity council for his firm, and continues to be a senior sponsor there of its Pride business resource group. He is currently a member of the advisory board of his firm’s political action committee.
 Tom was born in Utah and grew up in New Jersey, Illinois and Utah. He served as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Canada Montreal Mission. Before and after his missionary service, Tom ...
 More about Tom 














 
WHO WE ARE
Who We Are
Faces of Affirmation
2013 Leadership Team
Board of Directors
Our History
Where We Are ESPECIALLY FOR YOU
Youth
Parents & Friends
Women
Missionaries
Transgender
International  EVENTS
Calendar
Conference
Newsletter
The Messenger
Newsroom RESOURCES & LINKS
 Resources
Links  BECOME INVOLVED
Renew Your Membership
Become a Member
Find Local Chapter/Group
Attend Conference
Affirmation Store
 DONATE

     
© 2012 Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
 www.affirmation.org
 PO Box 898
 Anoka, MN 55303
    
 

      International Pages        Visit Us on Facebook     Visit Us on Twitter     Check Out Our Videos     Visit Our Blog     
    
    
 

Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons
WHO
WE ARE






 ESPECIALLY
FOR YOU






  EVENTS
& NEWS




 RESOURCES
& LINKS


 BECOME
INVOLVED






 
  DONATE  
 



  


Who We Are
Who We Are
2013 Leadership Team
Board of Directors
Our History
 Find a Chapter
 Become a Member

   
2013 Leadership Team
Randall Thacker
Randall Thacker
 President
 Randall Thacker grew up in Taylorsville, Utah, the youngest of three children. He recognized his attraction to the same sex when he was about 8 years old. He grew up focusing prayers, fasts, and birthday candle wishes on removing this attraction.
 Not long after returning from a Spanish-Speaking mission to North Carolina, he reached out for help to his BYU bishop who referred him to counseling. The counseling focused on changing Randall’s orientation because he longed to create an ideal Mormon family with many children.
 After graduating from BYU with a B. A. in History,...
 More about Randall     Contact Randall

John Gustav-Wrathall
John Gustav-Wrathall
 Senior Vice President
 John Gustav-Wrathall is an adjunct professor of American Religious History at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. He is the author of Take the Young Stranger by the Hand: Same-Sex Dynamics and the Young Men's Christian Association (University of Chicago Press, 1998). He has also published articles in Sunstone and Dialogue on being gay and Mormon, and is the author of the Young Stranger blog. Though excommunicated from the LDS Church, John has a testimony, and has been active in his south Minneapolis ward since 2005.
John became an activist for greater understanding of LGBT people at the University of Minnesota in the late 1980s, and was instrumental in the establishment of one of the first university-based LGBT programs offices in the U.S. He pioneered the establishment of an inter-faith LGBT ministry at the University of Minnesota. John became an activist...
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Tina Richerson
Tina Richerson
Vice President
 Tina Richerson, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, grew up off the grid (without electricity or running water) in a part-member LDS home in rural Washington state, where her mother taught her faithfulness, charity, and to follow Jesus Christ. At age 13, while praying, Tina received a spiritual confirmation that, just like her uncle Michael, she too was gay.
Tina is classically trained in saxophone performance. Two years after receiving a Masters degree in Music from the University of Washington, she joined The Tiptons Saxophone Quartet and Drums. The group is named after jazz musician Billy Tipton, who lived and worked as a man. Upon his death in 1988, paramedics discovered, to the shock of his 3 adopted sons, that Tipton was female. When Tina is not touring with the Tiptons, she can be found playing with her own jazz quartet in New York City.
 More about Tina      Contact Tina 
Karin Hendricks
Karin Hendricks
 Spiritual Director
  Karin Hendricks grew up in Logan, UT in a loving and devout LDS family, and currently lives in Indiana with her spouse Tawnya. Karin has delighted in being a “mother” and “grandmother” to thousands of children and youth through her work as a music teacher and university professor. She and Tawnya also work locally, nationally, and internationally as researchers and advocates for music education, women, LGBTQ individuals, and youth.
 Karin knew from an early age that she was “different,” and in her teens she began to privately meet with church leaders to find a way to change her sexual orientation. For the next 22 years...
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Tawnya Smith
Tawnya Smith
Teleconferences on Healing
  Tawnya Smith serves Affirmation as the moderator of the Teleconference Series on Healing. Tawnya became affiliated with Affirmation through her partner Karin Hendricks, the Spiritual Director of Affirmation. Tawnya is an arts educator with training in expressive arts therapy, and is currently conducting interdisciplinary research concerning spirituality and states of conscious awareness in arts learning environments.
 Tawnya currently identifies herself as inter-spiritual, however, she grew up in and was a member of the Church of the Brethren in her youth. In her early twenties, at the time she came out to herself, she stopped attending church and began to study other religious traditions. During her late twenties and early thirties, she continued this intellectual study of the world’s religions and attended the Unitarian Universalist Church. Later she began to attend a Mennonite Church (a similar denomination to the Church of the Brethren) where she began to...
 More about Tawnya     
David Baker
David Baker
 PR/Media Director
 David Baker grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah and Amarillo, Texas with dreams of becoming an Air Force pilot probably inspired by the movie Top Gun. It was watching that beach volleyball scene that he should have realized his sexuality, but instead he went on to keep his attractions repressed until his freshman year at BYU when, after conferring with his bishop it was determined it was best if he didn’t continue his education at BYU.
 David spent the better part of 3 years struggling to accept his sexuality as a part of his life instead of continually repressing it. The repression took the form of Evergreen-supported counseling to try to change my orientation, deep depression, and a suicide attempt. David rose out of his despair...
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Todd Richardson
Todd Richardson
 Outreach & Membership
 Todd Richardson grew up in Grand Junction, Colorado. He comes from a large family, the eldest of 6 kids and 2 loving parents. Growing up, Todd realized he was attracted to the same sex but was convinced that when he found “the right girl,” the “problem” would go away.
 After serving a mission and graduating from BYU, Todd moved to New York City to teach at a middle school. He busied himself with as much church service and work as possible, so as not to have to worry about his sexuality. Having no intention of ever coming out of the closet, focusing on other aspects of life seemed like the best use of his mental energy. However, randomly watching a YouTube video of a gay Mormon touched him deeply. It prompted him, for the first time in his life, to truly seek divine guidance with an open heart and mind. Self-acceptance came as he felt the...
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Kathy Carlston
Kathy Carlston
 Podcast
  Kathy grew up in the Denver area. After graduating with a degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development from BYU, she went back to school to study Animation & Visual Effects in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since then, she's been making things look like they blow up in feature films.
 Kathy is a very out lesbian who also finds talking in the third person to be oddly fun. She's also currently an active member of the LDS church. She cohosts the Affirmation Podcast with Peter van der Walt, and is helping in the filming process of a new video campaign, walkwithyouproject.org along with helping out with other various film projects.
 Contact Kathy
Trevor Cook
Trevor Cook
 Outreach & Membership - Asia; Writer
  Trevor grew up in Mesa, Arizona, served a mission in Calgary, Canada, and graduated from BYU in International Relations and Linguistics. He used the time he saved not going on dates or having much of a social life to learn Chinese and continues to be fascinated by things China. He spent a year between Nanjing and Hong Kong after graduation and now is living a dream working at the US consulate in scenic Shenyang, Liaoning.
 Although he enjoys the Middle Kingdom, Trevor misses hanging out with his five younger siblings and their growing families. He is grateful for...
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Fred Bowers
Fred Bowers
 Strategy & Organization Development
  Frederick “Fred” Bowers has been a part of Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons for over 20 years. Fred has served in leadership roles at the chapter and national levels for many years including: Washington DC Chapter Director; Chapter-at-Large Director; Assistant Vice President for Strategy and Development; Affirmation National Board of Directors; Conference Director; and founder and current Director of the Affirmation People of Color and Allies Group.
 A former career U.S. Air Force Financial Management Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, Fred is currently employed as a management and technology consultant for a leading international consulting firm and is involved with its LGBT business resource group. He also is involved with Out and Equal Workplace Advocates as part of their People of Color Advisory Committee. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from John Brown University, and a dual master's degree in Public Administration and Management from Webster University. Fred is a native of Fort Worth, Texas, and currently resides in Arlington, Virginia.
Lismarie and Michael Nyland Lismarie & Michael Nyland
 Family, Friends, and Allies   Mike and I met in 1995 while attending BYU in Provo, UT. We were married in 1997 and graduated together in 1998, Mike with a BA in Geography and Lismarie with a BFA in Design and Photography. We currently live in Bremerton, WA (a ferry ride away from Seattle) and stay busy raising two girls and two boys.
 2012 was an eventful and busy year for our family as we became involved with Mormons for Marriage Equality, marched in the Seattle Pride Parade, and attended the Affirmation Conference in Seattle. We continue to support the cause of full acceptance and equality for all of our LGBT brothers and sisters.
 Contact Lismarie 
Colby Goddard
Colby Goddard
 Events Planning; Outreach & Membership
  Colby Goddard, (26) from Utah. Currently a senior at Southern Virginia University studying family and child development. Colby served a mission in Rome Italy from 2006-2008. Colby came out to himself, friends and family 3 years ago. “I realized that this was something I couldn't change about myself” he says “although coming out at the time was extremely nerve wreaking and scary, my life has improved so much. I have come to know that God still loves me and has a place for me in his kingdom.” Colby hopes to be a helping hand and support for future LGBT Mormons as they come out to themselves and others.
 Contact Colby
Suzi Fei
Suzi Fei
Family, Friends, and Allies  Suzi Fei lives in Portland, Oregon, and is a wife, a mother of one young daughter, and an active and devout Latter-day Saint. She has a Ph.D. in computational biology and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon Health & Science University studying cancer genomics. Over the years, she has served in many callings in the church including Relief Society presidencies and Oregon State University Latter-day Saint Student Association president.
 Suzi has a deep love for LGBTQ Mormons and serves in several capacities that aim to increase love and acceptance within the church. She's on the steering committee for Mormons Building Bridges and the ally committee for Affirmation. She also formed a local group for gay Mormons in Oregon and SW Washington. Her husband, Yiyang, is on their stake’s high council and works with their stake president to train leaders and members in how to be more loving to gay members.
Duane Andersen
Duane Andersen
Family, Friends, and Allies   Duane Andersen is a film producer, writer, and director. His films have been released theatrically throughout the world and have played at major festivals such as Sundance and South by Southwest. Films he has produced include White on Rice, Surrogate Valentine, Last Kind Words, Congratulations, Daylight Savings, Crazy Beats Strong Every Time, and others. He is also CEO of the start-up company Brainwave Accounting Systems which is developing accounting software for independent media projects. He received an MFA in painting from State University of New York at Buffalo and taught as an adjunct art professor at Brigham Young University for nine years.
 While Duane works professionally out of Los Angeles, he lives in...
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Peter van der Walt
Peter van der Walt
Communications; Writer; Podast Peter van der Walt lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. He grew up in various small towns in a relatively staunch Calvinist family. He realized he was different at age four… and at age fourteen, in a conservative, Afrikaans high school, came out. After reading the Book of Mormon, pondering about its relevance to him as an out gay South African man and praying (for the first time in years), he had to come out again… but this time as a Mormon.
 He began his career as clown at a local steakhouse… no, seriously. Since then he’s been a waiter, a ...
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Mark Schneider
Mark Schneider
Blog Strategy and Coordination Mark Schneider grew up in western Pennsylvania as a 2nd generation Mormon, the third of four siblings. An idealist at heart, Mark took his faith seriously and sought to please all the right people by doing all the right things, sometimes at the expense of being true to himself. At nineteen, he went on an LDS mission to Florida where he learned valuable lessons from the Haitian community there: levity in the face of hardship, faith in God’s ability to communicate with His children according to individual need, and how to eat enormous amounts of rice in one sitting.
 Upon returning from his mission, Mark envisioned a typical LDS life for himself, one with a wife, kids, and a church calling. Instead, God put him on the eye-opening path of the gay Latter-day Saint. He learned what it meant...
 More about Mark     Contact Mark
justin Keyes
Justin Keyes
Communications and Events Planning   I grew up in the Pacific Northwest in a relatively traditional Mormon family. I served a mission in Hiroshima, Japan and graduated from BYU with a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, as well as a minor in World Dance. While at BYU I went on several international and domestic tours with the BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble. I now work for a major engineering and design firm in Seattle, Washington. I became actively involved in Affirmation after having an incredibly positive and uplifting experience attending the annual conference held in Seattle in October of 2012.
 Contact Justin
Olin Thomas
Olin Thomas
Special Assistant - Charter & Bylaws   Olin Thomas, from the Washington DC Chapter of Affirmation, has broad experience in the leadership of Affirmation, having served for many years in his local chapter, one year as associate director (2003), and five years as executive director (2004-2008). During 2012, he served as Affirmation's executive secretary.
 In 2002 Olin received the Mortensen Award for outstanding service and leadership in Affirmation.
Sam Noble
Sam Noble
Outreach, Spirituality, and Strategy/Organization Development  Sam Noble grew up in Muncie, Indiana, served a mission in Taiwan, studied business strategy at BYU, and has recently worked in Minneapolis for two years. Mark Twain said “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” Sam has found that to ring true in his life as he’s successfully sought out opportunities to travel the globe since his mission, including working at the Beijing and London Olympics.
 Although aware from a very young age of his attraction to other boys, Sam repressed his sexuality until after his mission. He then spent...
 More about Sam      Contact Sam
Justin Justin
 Outreach/Membership - UK & Ireland   Justin hails from Fairfax, Virginia, and before that, Texas. He served an LDS mission from 2006-2008 in Seoul, Korea. In 2011, he received his BA from BYU and began the program he's currently in--graduate studies at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada. One of his favorite experiences there was working as a peer support volunteer on campus both in and out of the gay community, offering a listening ear, support, and resources to those seeking it. He currently resides in Dublin, Ireland.
 He came out to his family on Christmas in 2004, when he was a freshman at BYU. It was his Christmas present to himself. Since then,...
 More about Justin
Prince Prince Winbush
 Outreach/Membership  Prince Winbush III, 19, was born in Plano, Texas and grew up in suburban Chicago. He’s currently in his first year at Harold Washington College in Chicago, Illinois, studying Business Administration and Economics. Prince joined the LDS Church in 2008 with the full support of his Catholic family.
 Prince came out to himself in late 2008 and struggled to tell his family for 4 years, but finally made the announcement in December of 2012. “I knew who I was and I knew my family still loved me, so I took the plunge,” Prince says.
 Prince is still considering the next step--whether to...
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MelanieMelanie Carbine
 Outreach/Membership Melanie Carbine moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan from Salt Lake City when she was 10. Fortunate to have grown up in a self-selected Mormon community of liberals and intellectuals, she has always been able to appreciate her religion for its spiritual benefits and community. Ironically, even though the first two people she saw kiss in public were women, she didn't realize her bisexuality was notable or different. She assumed all people's sexuality was as fluid as hers and would regularly conform to social expectations.
 This understanding changed when she studied English Literature and Asian American Studies at the University of Michigan, studying also with...
 More about Melanie
RobertRobert Moore
HIV/AIDS Awareness & Support  Robert grew up in Oregon and is 7th generation Mormon. When his family found out that he was gay, he was kicked out and disowned. He took what little money and clothing he had and bought a Greyhound bus ticket to Portland, Oregon.
“My first night sleeping on the street was very cold and rainy. On my second night in an effort to try to sleep indoors out of the cold put me in a situation that ended with me being raped." A few days later he was able to find a shelter for homeless youth. In the following months he found a paid internship and permanent housing.
 Robert moved to San Francisco in 2007. Since the passage of Proposition 8 in California he has traveled the country fighting for Full Federal Equality for the LGBTQ community. Robert is an activist at heart and has stood up for...
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PeterPeter Howland
 Development/Grants Writing Lead  I currently work as a data entry specialist for a non-profit organization in Salem, Oregon, while residing in McMinnville, Oregon. I have attended Affirmation conferences since 2009, which is shortly after I became honest with myself and acknowledged that I am gay.
 My spiritual journey continues to evolve. I am currently inactive in the LDS Church, but still (as far as I know) on the Church membership rolls. My path has led back to the Episcopal Church, which was the church my parents attended while I was growing up. Currently, I serve my local parish as a member of the vestry (the governing board of the parish).
 I have no desire to completely sever my ties with the LDS church, and I fully support the members of Affirmation in whatever relationship they choose to have with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joining the LDS Church after missionary service age, I have not served a mission. However, I did host missionaries in my home for three years, which was an interesting experience. 
MelanieRapha Fernandes
 Outreach/Membership Rapha Fernandes, 22, lives in Guarujá, on the coastline of Brazil near São Paulo. He knew he was gay since he was a young boy. At age 17, Rapha fell in love with a returned missionary. They dated and lived together for a long time.
 The relationship eventually fizzled out, and Rapha returned to his parents’ home. “I had my first interview with the bishop in the Church [and] my parents together, and the stake presidency and the bishop began ‘the therapy’ without much result,” says Rapha. “Today I live a normal life, I am happy, I love making friends and meeting new people. I love doing different things, traveling going to the movies, theater, and the beach.”
Trying to reconcile his orientation with the gospel was...
 More about Rapha
Kufre Ekpenyong
Alasdair Ekpenyong
 Outreach & Membership;
Writer
  Alasdair Ekpenyong is an undergraduate student at Brigham Young University. He is the first to admit that he does not have all the answers, and it is this sense of awareness that leads him to so value the work of creating safe spaces for spiritual growth and exploration.
 He believes that everyone can stand to benefit in some way from such practices as prayer, study, conversation, and introspection--everyone can stand to benefit from reflecting on past and present truths and discovering new truths.
 Though well-versed in Mormon history and theology, Alasdair also studies many other forms of theism and nontheism as a participant in the interfaith academic community. He enjoys using the methods of postmodern critical theory to better understand the place of...
 More about Alasdair        Contact Alasdair





















 
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