A Zoom Circle of Trust® retreat for members of our communities.
Why attend a retreat?
As our world becomes increasingly polarized, the safety, rights and respect we once enjoyed or hoped for are under concerted attack.
In whatever ways we self-identify as Queer people, we find ourselves in a tragic gap between a hopeless cynicism (“it’s all <fill in the expletive>”) and a kind of Pollyanna Optimism (“it’ll all be okay if we keep our heads down and don’t make any noise”).
The activist and educator Parker J. Palmer assures us that it is possible to stand with courage and integrity in that tragic gap between these poles without giving in either to cynicism or a naïve positivity.
To do so, we need to come to a deeper sense of who we are as persons with whatever identities we claim, and of the gifts and challenges that are uniquely ours.
As the American civil rights and social justice activist Howard Thurman proclaimed,
“There is in you something that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself…You are the only you that has ever lived…And if you cannot hear the sound of the genuine in you, you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that somebody else pulls.”
In order to hear or stay connected with that sound of the genuine within ourselves, and to know more deeply the strength, courage and giftedness that we each possess, we require a trustworthy community of support. We invite you to hear the call, from within and without, to join together with other 2SLGBTQIA+ folks from around the world to create and hold that trustworthy community through an online retreat.
Rather than allowing others to define who we are, we are invited to take back that authority for ourselves.
This retreat is invitational (you participate as you feel ready to do so) and is open to all (it does not endorse or promote any particular religious or spiritual tradition).
Retreat Details
This Circle of Trust retreat will have a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 32 participants on the Zoom platform in order to provide access to 2SLGBTQIA+ persons from around the globe.
The retreat will begin at 9:30 AM and end at 3:30 PM Eastern Time, with appropriate breaks.
Cost (in Canadian currency):
Suggested fee is $100.
The facilitators do not want the fee to prevent anyone from participating. If the above cost is problematic for you, when registering please propose a fee that is appropriate for you. You do not need to explain what you propose.
Your fee will be collected with registration. The fee can be submitted in Canada by e-transfer to Mike Saver at michael.saver@rogers.com (no password needed) or by PayPal to ixchelbennett@gmail.com. A receipt will be provided.
Alternately, if you would like to send a Bank’s Money Order for $100 CAD (or your chosen sum as described below) contact Mike Saver (michael.saver@rogers.com) for information.
Registration closes on October 12, 2023. A waiting list will be held. Fees will be returned if cancellation occurs before Sept. 30.
To register:
- Submit your registration fee as described above.
Questions?
Contact Ixchel Bennett at ixchelbennett@gmail.com or Jamea Zuberi at jameazuberi@gmail.com.
The Center for Courage & Renewal and its facilitators do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status.
