Welcoming Congregation Initiative
A mission of our fellowship is to be a welcoming community of diverse individuals.
Toward that end, in the Spring of 2010 the UUFCM began the process of seeking the official Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) designation of "Welcoming Congregation" - a congregation where people of any sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression can feel at home. Our goal is to have completed the educational trainings, community outreach and policy initiatives by May 2011.
The Unitarian Universalist movement is committed to creating a safe and affirming place for all persons regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. In 1989 the UU General Assembly instituted the UUA Welcoming Congregation program. Acknowledging that every UU congregation reflects our society's homophobia to a degree, the delegates voted to initiate a sustained and systematic program designed to help congregations create a truly welcoming environment for all persons.
On August 15th, we submitted our Welcoming Congregation Initiative Summary Report to the UUA Office of LGBT Ministries, and we await word of our designation! (The links to the submitted report and supplementary reference are below.)
Welcoming Congregation program congregations make a public commitment to:
- Be inclusive and expressive of the concerns of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender persons at every level of congregational life.
- Celebrate the lives of all people and welcome same-gender couples, recognizing their committed relationships and equally affirming displays of caring and affection with regard to sexual orientation.
- Nurture ongoing dialogue between bisexual, gay, heterosexual, lesbian, and transgender persons, and create deeper trust and sharing.
- Advocate for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people, attending to legislative developments and working to promote justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society.
