As of June 30, 2006, the Unitarian Universalist Association has officially recognized our church as a Welcoming Congregation. We received confirmation of this in the mail in July 2006. Posters recognizing this accomplishment have been framed and are hanging in the front stairway and in the social hall downstairs.
Go to the UUA website at: www.uua.org/obgltc/wcp/state.html to see our fellowship listed as one of one of the official Welcoming Congregations in Minnesota. We are among the Prairie Star District congregations who have completed this process.
In addition to a formal letter, we received a hand-written note of congratulations from Simona Munson of the Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Concerns at the UUA. Simona stated: “I particularly liked reading about the responses you received to the Valentines; what great political advocacy you did and what important conversations to have! Your website is also impressive. The information you have on the WC process as well as the resources are really excellent.”
Thanks to everyone for all your work on this- it was truly a community effort.
For more on the Welcoming Committee, click here.
TWENTY QUESTIONS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY
We encourage you to read the questions and the answers as written by Julie Parker Amery, a Unitarian Universalist. Would you answer the question differently? Would you like to talk with a welcoming committee member or a friend or spouse about the question?
For the 20 Questions About Homosexuality, click here.
HISTORY OF THE WELCOMING CONGREGATION
In the fall of 2000, we embarked on a journey to make our congregation more open to people of all sexual orientations: gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or questioning.
By becoming purposefully more aware of our prejudices and pre-conceived notions, by understanding the characteristics of heterosexism and homophobia, and learning how subtle and hurtful the exclusion can be, we worked to become more open and accepting of GLBT people, and become more inclusive of other minority groups.
For more on the History of the Welcoming Congregation, click here.
OUR STORIES OF WHY THE WELCOMING CONGREGATION IS IMPORTANT TO US
During Sunday Services in the 2005-06 church year, members of our Welcoming Congregation Committee gave short presentations on why becoming a Welcoming Congregation was important to them.
- Why the Welcoming Congregation is Important to Me by Nancy Cramblit
- What Coming Out Meant to Me by Michelle Sturm
- Becoming a Welcoming Congregation is the Right Thing to Do by Marianne Johnson
QUALITIES OF AN ALLY
OutFront Minnesota has compiled a list of qualities for an ally of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered individuals. To see the list, click here.
LINKS
- OutFront Minnesota
- Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Center at Minnesota State University-Mankato
- Rural Aids Action Network
- Parent and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
- The Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Concerns of the Unitarian-Universalist Association