Ready to move past "everyone is welcome"? In Episode 3 of The Affirming Practice Podcast, Dr. Casey Anne Brimmer and Pastor Bob Ierien dive into what it truly takes to build deeply affirming, accessible, and nurturing spaces for LGBTQIA+ and disabled communities.

Discover why passive hospitality is a low bar, how to stop treating marginalized individuals as logical afterthoughts, and the actionable steps you can take to make people feel truly integral to your community.

💬 Join the Conversation: What is a small thing an organization did that made a massive difference in how you felt included? Let us know in the comments!

👉 Subscribe for more deep dives into active allyship, intersectional identity, and building inclusive practices.

• 00:00 – Meet your hosts: Dr. Casey Anne Brimmer & Pastor Bob Ierien

• 00:58 – The Spectrum of Belonging: Guests vs. Integral community members

• 01:48 – Moving past the "low bar" of passive welcoming

• 04:55 – Proactive accessibility: Shoveling ramps & gender-inclusive language

• 08:58 – Passive vs. active harm reduction in organizations

• 11:50 – Welcoming vs. Inviting: Navigating social anxiety in new spaces

• 16:45 – Single adults, Ace/Aro visibility, and institutional exclusion

• 21:36 – The Riddle Scale of Homophobia: Moving from tolerance to nurturance

• 28:39 – Analyzing Sara Ahmed's On Being Included & dismantling institutional racism

• 34:58 – How to learn from marginalized communities without tokenizing them

• 41:30 – Who actually benefits from gender-neutral facilities?

  46:02 – Put It into Practice: Weekly reflection & closing thoughts

• LGBTQIA inclusion, active allyship, church accessibility, disability justice, Sara Ahmed On Being Included, Riddle Scale of Homophobia, gender inclusive bathrooms, creating welcoming communities, neurodiversity in community spaces.