About us.
We begin with celebration! Here are the four pillars of what the Affirming Quakers believe and take action for.
We celebrate Queer joy.
"We begin with celebration." In this community, who you are, who you love, and anything you care about is not only welcome, but celebrated.
We support the queer community in places of greatest vulnerability.
This includes but is not limited to supporting the LGBTQ+ community in the face of violence and human rights violations, and at times when they may be feeling alone (holidays, weddings, etc.).
We platform resources that affirm the LGBTQ+ community.
One of the most important aspects of our organization is collecting resources for people in our community who are searching for them. We strive to platform resources that support LGBTQ+ folks and their allies, especially those in Quaker spaces.
We train allies in active, courageous, and creative allyship.
Stay tuned for resources created and designed specifically for our precious allies.
Meet our team.
Meet the team of founding members of Affirming Quakers.
Dr. Cindy Dawson
Director
She/Her
Madi here, and I am honored to introduce you to Affirming Quakers founding member and director, Cindy. If I had to sum up Cindy in one word, that word would be passionate. Cindy is passionate about everything she does and everyone she loves. She has been there in the best times and worst times of my life and is one of the main reasons I am still here today. Cindy is our chosen family and quite literally one of the best people I know. Not only is Cindy an amazing friend, mentor, mother, wife, protector, fighter, and ally, she is also a highly accomplished scholar and professional. Cindy received her Doctorate in Religion from Rice University in 2022 and she is currently a lecturer at the University of Houston. In her spare time, you can find Cindy sewing her entire wardrobe, cooking, thrift shopping, and traveling. She is passionate about LGBTQ+ issues, advocates for POC, and created the #SewOrange campaign in accordance with #WearOrangeWeekend which honors victims of gun violence. Cindy is doing the crucial work to create this space for LGBTQ+ folks and their allies to feel safe, loved, and seen and we are so grateful for her vision that has created this platform. Please join me in welcoming Cindy!
Madi Brown
Creative Director
She/Her
Marcus here, and I am pleased to introduce you to Madi! Madi serves as our Creative Director and we are so lucky to have her. Madi is a recent masters graduate from Kansas State University where she studied Elementary Education. She is a K-6 Band/Art teacher, master baker, and a lover of all things musicals. She is also wife to Hannah and mom of 3 beautiful doggies. Madi brings so much light, joy, and creativeness to our team, her family, and those she rubs shoulders with. She loves so well and serves selflessly. We are excited that she is a part of our team and we cannot wait to see the things she brings to life as we continue to learn, grow, and serve. Please welcome Madi!
Marcus Collick
Wedding Coordinator
He/Him
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Hi y’all, Hannah here! It’s my pleasure to introduce my good friend and Affirming Quakers Wedding Coordinator, Marcus. Marcus’ official title is Wedding Coordinator and will help create a database of affirming venues, photographers, florists, officiants and anything else you may need to begin your marriage with celebration. I can personally attest to his love for weddings, as he was the photographer at my wedding. Marcus currently resides in the east coast, but will soon make the move to London. There, he will attend Middlesex where he will receive a Master of Arts in Theatre, his THIRD graduate degree. Marcus is a phenomenal performer, teacher, photographer, and friend. Anytime spent with Marcus is full of laughs, stories, and singing. He gives the best hugs and is the purest of friends, one who wants those around him to succeed. I have loved watching Marcus embrace his true self and come out on top of some really hard things. I hope everyone has a Marcus in their lives. Please help us welcome Marcus!
Hannah Brown
Producer
She/Her
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Cindy here! I'm introducing Hannah, Podcast Producer for Affirming Quakers, and I'll begin with a story: I was speaking at a conference where Hannah was working, and she invited me for ice cream at the end of the day. We loaded into her truck, and she told her story. The work, the courage, the ice cream, the truck—the only thing that would make this more of a Hannah Story is if she had brought her dogs and, instead of ice cream, she had treated me to tacos with extra cilantro. Two years later, I officiated Madi and Hannah's wedding on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in front of a hexagon arbor she built with her dad. In front of us were 100+ members of their chosen family. Unfortunately the dogs were not present, but taco trucks were. What Hannah loves best is her people. She is fiercely loyal, changing her schedule, organizing via hundreds of texts, and working into the night to serve those she supports and loves. She builds community gardens, chicken coops, and countertops. She is a beloved K-6 teacher (STEM, PE, social studies, and Tech) and is currently working on her Master's degree in Educational Administration from Emporia State University. Beloved community, meet Hannah!
