COME JOIN & FEEL SAFE Affirmation Hawaii Chapter presidency says its goal is to create a safe, welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ students and ohana BY LISI TIAFAU
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team of four BYU–Hawaii students and one faculty member lead the Affirmation Hawaii Chapter. As one of the international chapters of the Affirmation organization, the Affirmation Hawaii Chapter is for all of Hawaii to support LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters in the Church and at BYU–Hawaii, according to the chapter presidency. The president, Hao Le, a senior from Vietnam majoring in business and peacebuilding, said, “The Affirmation Hawaii Chapter is not an official BYUH chapter. It is a place where the LGBTQ+ community here in Hawaii and at BYUH can come, join and feel safe. “Whether you’re gay or not, we can go to school together [and] participate in activities without any homophobic discrimination or judgment because we are all humans. Why love [one] and not the other?” She continued, “Our [presidency’s] goal is
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to make sure our LGBTQ+ students’ voices are heard. Acceptance is not our end goal. Unifying is our long-term goal, so we are working together with BYUH leaders, faculty and staff to ensure the safety of our LGBTQ+ students on campus and to let everyone know there is available help. “There is a community, a chosen family, for them. More love for LGBTQ+ individuals does not mean less love for anybody else. We all are God’s creations, and you cannot love God if you hate and exclude His creations.” Le said the Affirmation Hawaii Chapter is not an anti-Latter-day Saint organization. She said they support Church leaders and work together with them around the world to create a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community. “We have members who have strong faith, want to be in the Church, want to be at BYUH and also want their sexuality to be accepted,” Le said.
Iese Wilson, a senior from Hawaii majoring in music and the vice president of the Affirmation Hawaii Chapter, said, “Affirmation Hawaii is the chapter for the whole state of Hawaii at the moment, and BYUH is where we have the most members currently.” Wilson said they are doing their best to live up to Affirmation’s vision, which is “to be a refuge, to heal, share and be authentic.” Wilson said, “A strength of our presidency is we have a diversity of thought which ensures we cover the wide-ranging needs of our members. For example, we are equipped to support LGBTQ+ individuals with a safe space, secular support and resources, as well as spiritual support and resources, the latter being both my personal passion and role in the presidency.” Gabriella MoraVeracruz, a senior from Texas majoring in intercultural peacebuilding
