Hello Everyone,

So...I am here with my dear AFY Angel William and just wanted to take a few minutes to update everyone on today's activities are Creating Change. I don't have my notebook on me so more reflection of the workshops will have to wait to later but for now, lets talk about some thoughts that are flowing in my head.

First thing...

• This was an idea that was brought to us by a collegue here in a conference in response to our conversation about yesterdays White Supremacy Session. The notion that to be REAL Wold Changers, we as activist, we as people need to be prepared to give up and risk the privilege we have. That is to say, that as activtist and people who work in this field, whenever we are working for a cause or a movement, the privilege we bring as educated, talented, and fierce activist must be put on the line in order to gain success!

• This idea came from today's workshop on Catholics working within the LGBTQ movements. What I got from that workshop was the simple fact that as Catholics who also identify as sexual minorities, we need to shift the power of the church back to the local level, to the people who attend church every Sunday. Yes, there are Catholic Doctrines in place, yes there are vows and rules that dictate the everyday operations of churches which are handed down from the Vatican, etc. But at the end of the day, we as churchgoers, we as people who attend and work in a parish, DO have the power and control to dictate what happens in our everyday life as queer Catholics. Priest and parishers have to stop hiding behind Doctrine and realize that as queers who are suffering oppresion, hatred, hunger, and so on, we can and we must do something about it as that is what our Church teachers.
• Furthermore, money is power and in the Catholic church, using the power of the purse as a means of changing thought is great. Start encouraging folks to donate directly to direct service organizations and not the church. See what happens, when money starts flowing out of the coffers of church and directly to folks who provide services.