5 Things to Know - 8/10/26
1. Bring the family out for a pool party with AFFA
Join AFFA for our annual free End of Summer Splash, an afternoon of swimming, music, community, and celebration at the beautiful Starlight Motor Inn! Whether you're looking to relax by the pool, reconnect with friends, or make new ones, this event is the perfect way to wrap up the season before the school year begins.
Dance to summer tunes with DJ Trevor D
Shimmer with fairy hair by The Sparkle Bar (4-6pm)
Purchase food and drink from Starlight Motor Inn
Connect with local community resources!
Saturday, August 22, 2026
2:00 - 6:00 PM
Starlight Motor Inn
Come party with us after the back to school chaos wears off!
2. Sapphic Stoplight Party
Looking to meet new people in a fun, low-pressure environment? Join AFFA and the Charleston Lesbians at Bar Polari for our Sapphic Stoplight Party, an evening designed to help our sapphic community members connect, make friends, and maybe even spark a little romance.
Red= You're here to meet new friends.
Yellow= It's complicated! Somewhere in between taken and single.
Green = Ready to mingle!
Saturday, August 29, 2026
8:00 PM to Midnight
Bar Polari
We'll bring the bracelets, you bring the vibes. Please note that this is a 21+ event.
3. Sanctuary documentary screening at Providence Church
Join AFFA and Providence Church for a special community screening of Sanctuary, an award-winning documentary that explores the experiences of LGBTQ+ people of faith and the communities working to create spaces of belonging, healing, and hope.
Following the film, guests are invited to enjoy light refreshments and connect with one another before participating in a moderated panel discussion featuring voices from both the documentary and our local community, including:
Filmmakers Autumn McAlpin and Vienna Boyles
Stan Mitchell, pastor and featured voice in the documentary
Dan Freemyer, Senior Pastor of Providence Church
Jensen Smith, Community Impact & Events Manager at AFFA
Saturday, September 12, 2026
2:00 - 4:30 PM
Providence Church
294 Seven Farms Drive, Charleston
4. 2026 Summit: Ethical Practice with Rural LGBTQ+ Communities
Returning for its fourth year, AFFA’s annual LGBTQ+ Health Summit brings together healthcare and helping professionals from across the South and beyond to strengthen LGBTQ+ affirming care through education, connection, and shared learning.
Rural LGBTQ+ people often face additional barriers to care, including geographic isolation, limited access to affirming providers, confidentiality concerns in small communities, stigma, telehealth challenges, and difficulty finding specialized services. This 5-hour interactive training will explore practical strategies for helping professionals to provide affirming, competent, and ethical care while navigating these complex realities.
Led by Charity Muse (MS, BCC), this virtual training provides 5 continuing education credits, including ethics credits where applicable, for a variety of helping professions:
Social Workers: 5 Ethics CE credits (ASWB ACE)
Psychologists: 5 CE credits (APA)
Counselors: 5 Contact or Ethics hours (NBCC ACEP)
Nurses: 5 Contact hours
Case Managers: 5 Ethics CE Contact hours (CCMC)
For more information and to register, please click the button below. To watch sessions from last year's Health Summit, visit our Youtube.
5. AFFA's Small Grants Deadline - August 31st
You might qualify for an AFFA Small Grant if you are...
Based in SC, NC, or GA;
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit or fiscally sponsored by one;
Enforcing a nondiscriminatory policy;
Committed to intersectional and social justice values;
And focused on long-term change and emotional wellness for LGBTQ+ youth!
AFFA hosts three grant cycles per year, with our final 2026 grant deadline being Monday, August 31. We fund a variety of projects, ranging from $500 to a maximum of $4,000 per organization, per year.
To learn more about this program, please visit our grants page.
