Blue Boat of Youth and Young Adult MinistriesLGBTQ+ Youth Survival Guide: Trump Edition
by Rev. Evin Carvill-Ziemer LGBTQ+ Youth Survival Guide: Trump Edition Dear beautiful, fabulous gender creative and sexually non-conforming youth and teens–all those who are queer, trans, non-binary, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and a hundred other wonderful self-proclaimed identities, My heart breaks for you. This is not the future I wanted for you. This is not the future I have been fighting for. But I also know you are strong and I want you to have the information you need to survive. Because I need you to survive! I haven’t seen a “this shit is real” missive to you yet, so here’s what I’ve got. I don’t think it’s helpful to sugar coat this. Yes, you and…
Fiercely UU: Rethinking Normativity
Fiercely UU is a blog series where Unitarian Universalist young adults tell stories about what our faith requires of us and how they follow that call. To be fiercely UU is to proclaim human worth and interdependence. In an individualist, greed-based, shame and fear fueled white supremacist patriarchy, we say no to isolation and oppression and yes to radical love and covenanted connection. Rethinking Normativity by Jaime Jarrett I came out to my parents when I was seventeen while they were watching an episode of Glee – a famously queer television show. They didn’t make a big deal out of it, and since then have been intensely supportive of all my relationships. I came out as…
Spotlight: UUs of Northeastern University
Small But Mighty The set up was in some ways completely familiar. The cushions on the floor, the snacks arranged casually around the yet unlit chalice. Students drifting in and sitting down, late evening on a weekday. I could have been in the basement of the chapel back at my small Midwestern liberal arts college gathering with the Unitarian Universalist (UU) student group I led for three semesters. But I’ve been out of college for more than six years and instead I was in an interfaith space at Northeastern University here in Boston, a visiting Unitarian Universalist Association staff member. I ask the students why they come to the UU campus ministry gatherings. Their answers…
We Show Up for Justice in Different Ways
August 9th, 2015 marks the first anniversary of Mike Brown’s extra-judicial killing in Ferguson, MO. All across the country Unitarian Universalists are showing up to commemorate this event that pushed a racial justice movement into the national spotlight, to mourn the loss of black lives and to demand a world in which black lives matter everywhere in every system at all times. Some UUs have gathered to be in Ferguson on this anniversary, invited by interfaith organizers. Others marched in their home communities, such as in Denver, CO. Still others use the power of social media, the pulpit, or interpersonal conversations as a way of showing up. Allie Carville, a UU young adult from Florida reflects on…
How We Talk About Leelah Matters
This blogpost was written by young adult Samantha Ames, a lifelong Unitarian Universalist and lawyer with the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). The NCLR works tirelessly to make our society safer for all LGBTQ people, especially queer youth.–Ed. The suicide of transgender teen Leelah Alcorn has prompted widespread media attention, including a focus on her description of how being sent to conversion therapy increased her sense of isolation and rejection. Now more than ever before, it is clear that there is an urgent need for more public discussion and education around the harms caused by conversion therapy. But some aspects of the recent conversations have been troubling. I’ve spent the last several years working with…
Life–Saving, Torture–Ending, Rock–Star Faith
UU Young Adult Tells United Nations: Stop Torture of Queer Youth Samantha Ames is a total rock star. Not a literal rock star. I’ve never seen her play an instrument and performance is not her jam. But Sam is the kind of person who you meet and are instantly impressed by, the kind of person you want to be around, the kind of person you’re just plain proud to know. I met Sam a year ago, at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland. She’s one of those fun loving, friendly and laid back people who also happens to be a civil rights lawyer with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, a participant in the AIDS…
Houston UUs vs Westboro: Love Wins
Because That is What We Do Members of the Westboro Baptist Church came to Houston, Texas protesting – as quoted on the KHOU-TV website,“‘This Mayor Annise Parker, whatever her name is, is an out of the closet lesbian. She is a spectacle and she has attention all over the country. So we are gonna say our part, said Marc Hill of Westboro.” KHOU reported the Westboro protesters were met by members of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston, who answered Westboro’s message of hate in force, reporting, “‘We are singing in the light of love!’ sang another group about twice the size of the Westboro group. A Progressive Voice in the Public Square And when…
A More Inclusive St. Patrick’s Parade on the Way
LGBTQ Marchers Welcomed to Fly Their Flag at Iconic Parade Organizers of the annual New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade have reversed their longstanding opposition to marchers carrying banners identifying them as members of the LGBTQ community. The new more inclusive policy reflects the evolution of public opinion and government policy on the matter, but is also the result of years of pressure exerted on the parade organizers that included local politicians refusing to participate, the defection of the parade’s primary sponsor and the threat by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) to stop broadcasting the parade if the exclusionaly policy was not changed. Learn how the Unitarian Universalist Association works to promote acceptance, inclusion,…
Social Justice Saves
One Congregation – 3 Social Justice Ministries The power of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Akron (Ohio) Social Justice Ministry on Immigration, Food Justice and LGBTQ Rights and Welcoming Congregation is literally lifesaving – as attested to by this excerpt from story on the Akron Beacon Journal: I did not want to come to this church — a lot of the people who were giving me a hard time were using religion as the reason they couldn’t accept me,” Joan said. “When we walked in, it happened to be the Sunday when the service focused on outreach to the [LGBT] community. The rainbow flag was on the stage. Rabbi [David] Horowitz…
Youthful Leader
Learn about Robert Jensen, graduate of the Unitarian Universalist Association Summer Seminary Class of 2013, from the selected excerpts of this profile piece by Aliyah Mohammed of the Fremont Bulletin from the Mercury News. – Ed. Unitarian Universalist Present and Future “Washington High graduate hopes to combine passion for social justice and faith” The word “passionate” encapsulates recent Washington High School graduate Robert Jensen in a nutshell. When he speaks about his faith, about social work and the good he hopes to do in the world, his energized words come at such fast speeds that it seems like he is speaking in energized bursts… In his freshman year, Jensen, 18, got involved with the Gay Straight…
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