Celebrating
Celebrations were a central part of Affirmation's mission to support and advocate for LGBTQIA+ Methodists. These celebrations were especially important in light of discriminatory practices within The United Methodist Church. By celebrating their history, accomplisments, and unions, Affirmation provided a lifeline for joy for LGBTQIA+ Methodists.
(Click on the images to expand.)
Blair Blurbs volume 1, issue 1, Fall, 1975.
Blair Blurbs
Like many Methodists, Affirmation found inspiration for their work in the life and ministry of Methodism's founder, John Wesley (1703-1791). Affirmation, celebrating their work as part of the legacy of Wesley's ministry to a man named Thomas Blair, titled their first newsletter Blair Blurbs. They devoted a portion of the first issue of Blair Blurbs to explaining the story and claiming it as part of their heritage.
Blair Blurbs cited the story of Wesley and Thomas Blair as told in V. H. H. Green's The Young Mr. Wesley: A Study of John Wesley and Oxford. Page 184 detailed some of the story.
John Wesley and Thomas Blair
While at Oxford University, Wesley and his companions, derisively called the Holy Club, came under scrutiny for ministering to a young man named Thomas Blair, who was accused of sodomy. Rather than abandoning the young man to mistreatment, Wesley and his friends supported Blair. To those who opposed Wesley and his Methodists - also a derisive term, originally - the support for Blair was just another example of Wesley's folly. In time, however, Wesley's concern for the downtrodden and ostracized members of society helped launch the Methodist movement across the globe.
Letter from Stephen Webber explaining how lesbian and gay Methodists could see their ministries as part of John Wesley's vision.
Following John Wesley's Example
Members of Affirmation also saw themselves as fulfilling John Wesley's vision of small groups committed to supporting one another and serving the vulnerable. Where the established church excluded gays and lesbians from full participation, Affirmation launched networks and programs to bring together the marginalized and celebrate their lives and ministries. These small communities eventually grew into local chapters of Affirmation.
A map of local Affirmation groups, 1996.
Building Local Communities
Local Affirmation groups facilitated a sense of community and belonging across the United States. The extensive network of local groups allowed people to gather together as frequently as they could to support and celebrate one another. The message to those feeling alienated by The United Methodist Church was clear: you are not alone!
An article encouraging "an attitude of celebration, claiming wholeness, power, and the capacity to give and receive gifts."
Joy and Tears
By celebrating their place in The United Methodist Church and Methodist history, Affirmation refused to allow LGBTQIA+ Methodists to be excluded from the life of the church. No matter what The United Methodist Church's policies were, Affirmation would celebrate and encourage LGBTQIA+ Methodists. This support strengthened LGBTQIA+ Methodists as they challenged the discriminatory policies and practices of The United Methodist Church. In the face of discrimination, Affirmation promoted celebrations as acts of both belonging and resistance.
A resolution calling for the recognition of committed lesbian, gay, and bisexual relationships.
Celebration and Resistance
Among the celebrations that were also acts of resistance were the celebrations of committed unions. Even when unions were not recognized by the nation, a state, or the church, Affirmation celebrated and affirmed the unions and called for the end of discriminatory laws, policies, and practices.
A press release and event announcement concerning actions after the 1996 General Conference banned clergy in The United Methodist Church from celebrating same-sex unions.
Catalysts for Change
Celebrations of unions were particularly emphasized after the 1996 General Conference banned clergy in The United Methodist Church from officiating same-sex unions. Clergy who participated in these unions faced significant repercussions, including the loss of ministerial credentials. Instead of being silenced, Affirmation expanded its celebration of committed unions and called upon clergy to defy policies that marginalized and excluded LGBTQIA+ people. In response to the 1996 General Conference, Affirmation formed the Covenant Relationships Network (CORNET) to recognize these unions and support clergy who defied the ban.
The cover of Affirmation's 1998 Valentine Book, edited by Alice G. Knotts, which celebrated committed lesbian, gay, and bisexual unions.
People, not Issues
Affirmation and CORNET gathered stories of committed unions in defiance of The United Methodist Church's bans and celebrated them in various publications. These stories, like those contained in Affirmation's Valentine Book, drew attention to the lives affected by discriminatory policies within The United Methodist Church. For members of Affirmation and the LGBTQIA+ people they served, unions were not issues to be debated but rather human relationships to be celebrated and affirmed.
Celebrations created opportunities for the marginalized to feel hope and joy, and also strengthened resistance to discriminatory policies and practices. This mix of hope and resistance was particularly tested as LGBTQIA+ Methodists and affirming clergy faced backlash from The United Methodist Church.