SpiritPride, now in its 4th year, is a spirituality conference for members of the LGBT Community and their allies to celebrate LGBT Spirituality and to explore our identity & grow spiritually. This year’s theme is Celebrating our Gifts, an opportunity to move beyond seeking acceptance and affirmation, to actively embracing and living out the gifts we bring to our spiritual and social communities.

SpiritPride welcomes the LGBTQ2 community, as well as LGBTQ2 allies, friends and family, and members of churches and spiritual groups seeking to be more affirming and inclusive.

The conference will be held on the first weekend of Vancouver’s Pride Week, July 27 - 29, 2018, and is open to the public. The conference will include keynote speakers, concurrent workshops, a concert evening, a joint Sunday morning Worship Service and evening Meditative Service at St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church, and time for making new friends and networking - including a SpiritPride picnic in Stanley Park.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Jennifer Knapp is an award-winning musician, singer and LGBTQ advocate. Her Inside Out Faith events present music and storytelling seeking to actively engage faith communities in order to educate, affirm, and foster support of LGBT persons and their allies. As Jennifer says “It is simply untrue that coming out is the end of a fruitful,   spiritual life. It is only the beginning. Today, in most every faith tradition, including nearly every Christian denomination you can think of, there are active, thriving and openly celebrated LGBTQ inclusive groups. The challenge is being heard above all the   negativity.” Jennifer rocked religious conservatives in 2010 when she revealed she was   gay. In doing so, she experienced, first hand, the devastating effects religious prejudice   has on the LGBTQ community and recognized something needed to change to   turn the tide. In an effort to encourage constructive and uplifting dialogue in matters of LGBTQ faith, Jennifer established and now speaks on behalf of Inside Out Faith Foundation. Through her passionate music, and disarming charm, she speaks of the challenges she has faced in claiming her unique identity. It is the story of an honest, vulnerable and questioning soul, living out a journey of life, love and faith. Jennifer recently graduated from Vanderbilt Divinity School with a Masters in Theology, and is “fueled up’ for her work advocating for LGBTQ faith equality.

Michelle Douglas

In November 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered an apology on behalf of all   Canadians for past discrimination against public servants and members of the military because of whom they loved. Michelle Douglas was discharged from the Canadian Forces in 1989 for being "not advantageously employable due to homosexuality’. She took the Canadian Military to court and, twenty-five years ago, the Federal Court of   Canada ordered the Canadian Forces to cease its discrimination. Michelle is now Chair of the Reconciliation Panel for Federal LGBTQ2 Apology which was set up to help determine continuing efforts to be funded following the apology. Professionally,  Michelle is Director of International Relations at the Canadian Department of Justice,   and a Recipient of Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for her active contributions to humanitarian and justice organizations including WE Charity, 519 Community Center, and the Foundation for Equal Families). Come to hear Michelle speak about her journey from rejection to apology, and how she learned a new way to serve her country.

Matthias Roberts is a writer, consultant, and host of Queerology: A Podcast on Belief and Being. His work has been featured in HuffPost Religion, Believe Out Loud On Faith, and The Oregonian. He holds an MA in Theology and Culture and an MA in  Counseling Psychology. Matthias lives in Seattle and spends his time helping LGBTQ   people of faith and allies live confidently.

MORE INFORMATION AND EVENT SCHEDULE

Visit our website for the detailed event schedule and more information on the conference, speakers, and themes at spiritpride.org

If you would like to attend this event but cannot afford the fee, there are discounts and funding available. Simply email [email protected] to request a discount/funding code.

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