Friends General Conference and Pendle Hill cosponsor an intergenerational LGBTQ+ retreat space.

From February 23-25, 2024, more than 50 people gathered for Dreaming Sanctuary. FGC and Pendle Hill co-sponsored this spiritual retreat for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer-identified participants. The retreat was richly intergenerational, with participants ranging from their early 20s to early 80s.

Friends gathered in joyful celebration of the richness of LGBTQ+ identities and spirituality, but also in mourning, needing a space of sanctuary in a time of increased political repression and violence. Participants turned to each other, to their LGBTQ+ elders and ancestors, and to their faith traditions for connection and nourishment. Worship and shared grounding exercises anchored each day, while workshops explored a variety of spiritual practices, forms of creative expression, and stories from our personal and collective experiences.

Over meals, participants had the opportunity to gather in racial and other affinity groups organized around shared interests and identities. They also held space for play, ending their time together with costumes, photos, bubbles, music, art, and a celebratory meal at a “Queer Faire” on Sunday morning.

For information on future events, see LGBTQ+ Events at Gathering. Special thanks to the Carpenter Foundation, which supported Dreaming Sanctuary through a generous grant.