People have been asking about the hosts of our new video, who take us through what PIE means, and spend a lot of time eating pie. And our new 15 minute free video on a Public, Intentional, and Explicit welcome for LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit people also features five Affirming ministries from BC, Alberta, Ontario, and PEI. Learn more about them all here! (What’s “Affirming”? Learn more here.)
Running time: 15 minutes. Download or stream and enjoy: https://vimeo.com/320966739
Thank you to Gifts with Vision and all who support Affirming Connections and Affirm United/ S’affirmer Ensemble with your time, love, and resources. Read on to get to know our storytellers, and please share the video widely.
In the video:
Stéphane Youdom is a mathematician, designer, artist, and playwright. His roots arose
from a beautiful village in the west Cameroonian mountains called Batié. As a racialized, queer, non-gender conforming individual, he knows there is much to be done, and his Christian faith fuels his work.
He has worked with Vielbunt and Homosexuel und Kirche, two associations dedicated to educate people about the LGBTQ2S+ in Germany, Rainbow of Africa – an afro- Caribbean LGBTQ+ association in Montreal, and now with the Francoqueers de l’Ouest in Edmonton, Alberta.
“I advocate for the education of francophone communities, schools and entities across Alberta so the rainbow community can be understood, respected and be proud. I feel pride when I cross the doors of affirming churches. Because they’ve made the commitment to embrace diversity in every form and shape, every colour and shade and came out as affirming. We cannot stop coming out. We have to keep raising the flag high and affirm that God loves us as we are. That everyone is enough, just as God made them, and that LGBTQ+ community knows they belong.”
Pam Rocker is an atypical activist, 
award-winning writer, musician and speaker. Pam is most well known for bridging the imposed binaries of queer and faith identities, by working alongside faith leaders and communities who want to become more Affirming, and working with queer folks who desire to practice their faith and to live in the fullness of their identity. She has been doing this work for almost a decade. She is currently the Director of Affirming Connections, an organization that fosters values of advocacy, affirmation and activism within faith communities in the Calgary region.
She was chosen as one of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 and her play, heterophobia, was recently made into a music video to the song “Don’t Ever Look Back” by Canadian band Shred Kelly.
Affirming ministries in the video- and some of their videos
Kamloops United Church on being intentional about being Affirming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b89XHqGJ2ZQ&
McKillop United, Lethbridge, AB on public witness:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4yi95qaAvE
Hillhurst United Church, Calgary AB
Riverside United Church, London ON: Being an Affirming church: https://youtu.be/lcx6cImMlhY
Trinty-Clifton Pastoral Charge, Charlottetown PEI