On Saturday March 8th, 2014 the first annual Lavender Convention will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Fresno, CA. The convention is an all-day interfaith event aimed at bringing the LGBT community and faith based organizations together in learning and celebration of spirituality in the LGBT community. It will be day of honoring and affirming each individual’s spiritual nature. The convention welcomes all who are interested in connecting with themselves at a deeper level, including those with no formal religious or spiritual beliefs or affiliations. The convention is an opportunity for each individual to explore their own values and beliefs in a friendly, supportive and safe environment. Although local affirming congregations and organizations will be represented at the convention, the convention is not meant to recruit new church members, but rather to allow attendees to receive information and participate in experiences to assist them on their own individual spiritual journey.
Our Mission Statement is as follows:
The Lavender Convention is a positive response to the historical exclusion of LGBT people from religious institutions. The Lavender Convention seeks healing and transformation by inviting the LGBT Community to a celebration of its spiritual essence. It is a forum for LGBT affirming communities of faith to come together for fellowship, learning, and worship. The Lavender Convention is designed to touch the spiritual nature of LGBT individuals and create a vision of a community and society that includes everyone who seeks a spiritual pathway.
The Convention will run from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The keynote speech is by Father Geoffrey Farrow former priest of the Newman Center of Fresno who lost is position after is public opposition to Prop 8. It will also consist of an interfaith opening ceremony which honors diverse religious and spiritual traditions, a faith leader’s discussion panel, break-out sessions with informational and experiential workshops, lunch, and a closing ceremony.
The Lavender Convention’s home and registration page can be found at http://tinyurl.com/TLCFresno
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LavenderConventionFresno
