MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.—Carnal Media has announced plans to expand charitable giving after the success of the SafeXmas retreat in Decemeber, which the company sponsored.
“It might be hard to imagine that there are young people whose families have turned their backs on them at any time of year, but especially during the holidays. But that is the reality for so many LGBTQ+ young people from religious families each year. SafeXmas allows these young people to feel safe, loved and supported during the holiday season,” Carnal Media CEO Legrand Wolf said. “Efforts to support these young people are just as important to us as calling out and condemning the hideous anti-family nature of religions like Mormonism. This is just the start, and we look forward to lending our support to the tremendous efforts already underway to provide love and support to our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters.”
SafeXmas is a holiday retreat that takes place in Provo, Utah, home of the Mormon Church owned Brigham Young University. The retreat is for LGBTQ+ folks who do not have an affirming family with which to spend the Christmas holiday. This year was their largest gathering to date, with 75 attendees enjoying an all-inclusive stay, including housing at an upscale hotel, food, gifts and time with a loving community.
“It’s been a massive help to have funding for this event,” says Jerilyn Hassell Pool, founder and director of SafeXmas. “Having support from members of the community helps this vulnerable community to feel they are not only seen and heard, but treasured and supported.”
“SafeXmas is one of the highlights of my year. It gives me all the feels of those family Christmases minus the homophobic jokes from that one drunk relative, acting like I’m okay with being misgendered or being called by the wrong name, and those forced uncomfortable hugs or kisses from relatives who prefer to not really know you and don’t even like you,” says Bobbee Trans Mooremon, a former Mormon and long-time SafeXmas attendee. “SafeXmas is a three-day Christmas party that you can participate in as much as you like or just hangout without the anxiety of needing to participate in a holiday activity you might not care for. It is a space that not only respects your true authentic self, but celebrates it. I truly wish I had a space like SafeXmas when I was younger.”
In 2022, Carnal Media will launch Church of the Ordained, the non-profit arm of the company with a focus on funding projects that have a direct impact on the LGBTQ+ community.
In order to help accomplish this initiative, Carnal Media is pledging 5 percent of membership fees during holiday sales that will be collected into a general fund, to be dispersed as grants to organizations and individuals according to need. Legrand Wolf and his husband Jay have tasked Danny GO and Jerilyn Hassell Pool to head up the new division. Danny GO lends an extensive history of organization and knowledge of Carnal Media, while Pool brings vast experience in direct non-profit work that benefits the LGBTQ+ community.
“I’m looking forward to lending my years of experience from the adult industry to our company’s new charitable initiative,” Danny GO said. “It’s important to remember our roots and help our community, the backbone of what makes us great!”
