Affirmatn, the gay Mormon support group, has seen a ‘sea change’ s 40 years

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A muny of support for Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr and Queer Mormons and those who love them.

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AFFIRMATN, THE GAY MORMON SUPPORT GROUP, HAS SEEN A ‘SEA CHANGE’ S 40 YEARS

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It hosts annual meetgs several natns as well as a global gatherg Provo Fay FellowshipLnched 1993 by several sets of parents wh gay children, LDS Fay Fellowship staged nferenc and quarterly foms and sent a monthly newsletter, which clud “personal stori of LDS fai tryg to unrstand homosexualy as they nonted the disnnect between church teachgs and the realy of their liv. Ne Allgood of Mama Dragons giv out a ee hug at the Provo Pri Ftival 2013, a group of eight fairly tradnal Latter-day Sat moms created a private Facebook page to discs how bt to love and accept their lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr kids. Founr Allison Dayton grew up wh parents who bravely navigated lovg and supportg their openly gay son.

Affirmatn, a support group for gay Mormons, was born 1977, at a time when admissn of same-sex attractn among the LDS fahful was a matter of ner turmoil, ep shame and relig rejectn — even a e for the time, the LDS Church viewed their sexualy as perverse and sful, and their love as unholy. Any acceptance of gays had to be, 40 years later, hundreds the church’s LGBTQ muny, their fai and iends, are celebratg Affirmatn’s anniversary openly and wh gto at a three-day nference at the Utah Valley Conventn Center Provo — many embracg their gayns and their group has a full-time paid executive director, John Gtav-Wrathall, members more than a dozen untri and, by the end of 2017, will have hosted 19 events cludg regnal nferenc and this annual natnal this meetg, which began Friday, there were ssns for youths, mothers, fathers, alli, advot, people of lor, spo and LDS lay lears.

”The group has seen a “massive sea change, ” Gtav-Wrathall says, the relatnship between The Church of J Christ of Latter-day Sats and s gay members.

GAY SUPPORT: WHERE TO FD LGBT HELP AND SUPPORT GROUPS

Affirmatn, a support group for gay Mormons, was born 1977, at a time when admissn of same-sex attractn among the LDS fahful was a matter of ner turmoil, ep shame and relig rejectn — even a e for suici. * gay lds support groups *

”Affirmatn began as a simple effort by activists at Brigham Young Universy: Assure gay Mormons they were loved and not alone, while strivg to stop them om killg themselv. “You were eher ex-gay and Mormon or ex-Mormon and gay, ” says Gtav-Wrathall. ”Even when parents were acceptg of their gay children, he says, “ was rare for them to bee public advot.

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Gay Support: Where to Fd LGBT Help and Support Groups | HealthyPlace.

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