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About
Affirming Connections was created to strengthen and amplify the affirming voice and actions of fully inclusive faith and spiritual communities in Calgary. Together, we will proactively reach out and work alongside allies and individuals in the LGTBQ2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Two Spirit) community. We value activism, affirmation, and advocacy. We believe in the full inclusion of all LGBTQ2S+ people in the life and ministry of any faith community.
Affirming Connections seeks to support and enhance the positive voices of people of faith, ministries, and organizations who work to eliminate religious discrimination and to provide safe and brave spaces for people to explore their spirituality, without any fear of exclusion.
Our hope is to be on the ground here in Southern Alberta to support existing Affirming Ministries in living out their active affirming work, provide those who are in process some partnership opportunities, give a signal boost to positive events and people, and to be in the public square, advocating alongside values-aligned community organizations to further the message of love and inclusivity.
This initiative is supported because a large group of people believe wholeheartedly in the full equality of all people to be able to access the spirituality that resonates with them, and to be celebrated, not just tolerated. The scope is large and this is an evolving adventure where we are breaking ground. We will be imperfect, but our hope is to learn, grow, and support each other as we explore the amazing possibilities that abound.
Gender & Sexuality
Age Group Served
Services & Programming Offered
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List of Affirming, Welcoming and Inclusive Faith Communities
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"What the Hell?" Video Project
Is a short video project that addresses the fear of hell that is still prevalent in some religious communities, and interrogates the roots of this fear. We interviewed clergy and community leaders across Canada to ask - what the hell?! And we find some life-giving and unique answers! Our work at the intersections of faith and the queer community, reminds us daily that the concept of hell and eternal punishment is leveraged to control people’s lives and to attempt to restrain or change their inherent sexual orientation or gender identity.In our video, you'll hear from people and all over the country —clergy and community leaders, queer people and allies, of various backgrounds — and each one of them has poignant, funny, insightful things to say on the subject of hell.
Watch for the special release with accompanying discussion guide coming in March - just in time for National Affirming/PIE Day 2021, and will be free for you to screen!
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Celebrate National Affirming/PIE Day (March 14, 2021)
PIE = Public. Intentional. Explicit. Those are the standards we hold ourselves and our welcome to when we seek to live into being Affirming, Welcoming, or Inclusive people and communities.
This year we are going to celebrate with PIE recipes created by you! How do you want to fold in Public, Intentional, and Explicit (PIE) elements? It could be more traditional or it might have a twist in the ingredients...two cups of inclusion, a tablespoon of sparkle, a quarter cup of love - you get the idea!
Think about how your faith community could continue to build your PIE, or how you are starting to cook something up.