We live in a time of deep rupture. For those who self-identify as 2SLGBTQIA+, the world is increasingly hostile, disorienting, and uncertain.
The rights and dignities many once held or hoped for are under attack. In whatever ways we self-identify as Queer people, or as those who love and support us, we find ourselves in a tragic gap, stretched between poles of hopeless cynicism (“what’s the point?”) and a brittle optimism (“let’s just keep going and hope for the best”).
But what if neither of these poles can hold the full truth of our longings?
Anchored by the work of the Center for Courage & Renewal® and shaped by queer wisdoms that have always known how to live in paradox, this retreat invites you into the in-between—the “tragic gap” where heartbreak meets hope, and where new possibilities can begin to emerge.
This is not a space that asks you to be “whole,” or “healed.” You are welcome exactly as you are—tender, tired, searching, resistant, curious. Whether you are seeking refuge, renewal, or simply a moment of exhale, you belong.
As the US 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 us, and to know more deeply the strength, courage and giftedness that we each possess, we require a space to reflect in a trustworthy community of support.
We invite you to join together with other 2SLGBTQIA+ folks and their allies from around the world to create and hold that trustworthy community through this online retreat.
“Here is one way to understand the relationships in a circle of trust: they combine unconditional love, or regard, with hopeful expectancy, creating a space that both safeguards and encourages the inner journey. In such a space, we are freed to hear our own truth, touch what brings us joy, become self-critical about our thoughts, and take risky steps toward change…”
Parker J. Palmer, A Hidden Wholeness.
What will we do?
Circle of Trust® retreats combine opportunities for reflection on themes that are relevant to us as 2SLGBTQIA+ persons and allies, as well as opportunities for meaningful conversation in a trustworthy community, in order to access inner wisdom and the strength and courage to live wholeheartedly.
The program offers participants opportunities to reflect on the inner dimensions of life, engaging in honest self-reflection and exploring questions about purpose, values, and commitment to live authentically in these challenging times. In doing so, participants are invited to increase a capacity to listen to self and others more deeply, to reconnect their inner passion with their outer living, in order to show up more wholeheartedly. Participation is always by invitation and not demand – attendees participate and share according to their own comfort level.
In large group, small group, and solitary reflection, life is explored through the use of stories from our own journeys, reflections on experience, and insights from poets, storytellers, and artists. Participants are invited to speak honestly about their lives, and to listen and respond to each other and to themselves with encouragement and compassion.
What Do We Mean by Wholehearted?
When we speak of wholeheartedness in this retreat, we don’t mean arriving healed, certain, or “whole.” We know that many of us come carrying grief, fragmentation, questions, and quiet hopes. That’s welcome here.
Wholeheartedness, as we understand it, is not a personal achievement—it’s a relational practice.
It becomes possible when we feel met with respect, care, and trust.
In a space where you are not judged or rushed, where your silence is as valued as your speech, where the dignity of your being is held without demand—your inner truth is more likely to find its way to the surface.
That alignment—between what’s stirring inside and what’s expressed outside—is what we call wholeheartedness.
And so, our shared task is to co-create the kind of trustworthy space that invites this. Not by forcing vulnerability or mining emotion, but by offering steady presence, deep listening, and gentle invitations. The more trustworthy the field, the more possible it becomes for each of us to show up in ways that feel congruent, resonant, and real.
“We all have stories within us. Sometimes we hold them gingerly, sometimes desperately, sometimes as gently as an infant. It is only by sharing our stories, by being strong enough to take a risk – both in the telling and in the asking – that we make it possible to know, recognize and understand each other.”
Richard Wagamese, What Comes From Spirit
Who Is This For?
This retreat is for anyone who identifies within the 2SLGBTQIA+ umbrella, or who considers themselves an active ally. It is not bound to, nor does it promote any spiritual or religious framework. You do not need to be “out,” nor do you need to have it all figured out.
This Circle of Trust retreat will have a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 24 participants and will meet on the Zoom platform in order to provide access to 2SLGBTQIA+ persons and their allies from around the globe.
The retreat will begin each day at 10:00 AM ET and end at 4:00 PM ET and will include appropriate breaks.
Tired of Zoom? We work hard to have your retreat experience be the best possible in an online environment.
