Episode 138 & 139 (bonus): Finding Your Voice…and Using It | A Conversation with Afton Southam Parker; Let’s Talk About Garments…at last! | More with Afton
Part 1
Part 2
Bringing attention to issues affecting Latter-day Saint women requires us to be opportunistic about using our voices. Even those in leadership callings don’t always find their ideas and opinions are welcome. And when chances to be heard do arise, the power dynamic of our culture and organization may make it hard for a woman to find the courage to express a non-traditional view. In Episode 138, Cynthia and Susan are joined by Afton Southam Parker, a woman who knows how to speak up about things that matter to her. It’s a conversation about finding ways to make individual opinions, ideas, and experiences known in a church where sharing them is rarely encouraged.
In bonus Episode 139, Afton shares about her meeting with some of the people responsible for garment design. She came prepared with a 34 slide PowerPoint presentation, based on her own experiences and those of many other women who wear them. It’s a masterclass on many of the communication tips she talks about in Episode 138. Don’t miss this follow-up conversation with Cynthia and Susan to review her presentation, and break it all down!
Notes & Quotes:
Among Mormon Women, Frank Talk About Sacred Underclothes, The New York Times, by Ruth Graham, 07/21/2021
When Women Don’t Speak, BYU Magazine, by Brittany Karford Rogers, Spring 2020
“A Mother There”: A Survey of Historical Teachings about Mother in Heaven, BYU Studies, by David L. Pausen & Martin Pulido
The Female Brain, by Louann Brizendine
Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It, by Richard V. Reeves
Afton’s Tips for Speaking Up at Church:
- Think of it as providing exposure and awareness
- Seek opportunities
- Speak with your voice, share your concerns
- Write letters (can be anonymous—send them to SLC or hand to visiting/local authorities)
- Vote with your feet—if you don’t agree, don’t do it
- Offer solutions when bringing up challenges
- Give grace
- Get close (it’s hard to hate up close)
- Remember that everyone at church has years of conditioning that has developed them into who they are