Blue Boat of Youth and Young Adult MinistriesInfuse the Ether with Your Love
Unbounded Love Standing in the Side of the Love (SSL), the interfaith public advocacy campaign sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), celebrates 5 years of community activism, social networking and media outreach, equipping people across the nation to counter fear and make love real in the world at General Assembly (GA) in Providence. Whether you will be there or not, we want you to be a part of this celebration of harnessing love’s power to stop oppression – here’s how! Add your love note now to the collection we are making at SSL with our handy form by clicking here. Your note will be shared at GA and on social media for all the world…
Fighting with the Law for Marriage-Equality
Plaintiffs Include UU Congregations Two Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations in North Carolina (Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church, Charlotte and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville) have joined the suit against the state of North Carolina led by the United Church of Christ (UCC) as plaintiffs, claiming that North Carolina Amendment One (NC Amendment 1), which bans same-sex couples from wedding, not only deprives citizens of equal treatment under the law as guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, but also deprives religious denominations of their 1st Amendment right by impeding the free exercise of religion. NC Amendment 1 makes it unconstitutional for the state to recognize or perform same-sex marriages or civil unions….
Religions Move Toward Accepting LGBTQ
Unitarian Universalists Welcome Them Unitarian Universalism has long been a welcoming faith, and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has a long history of fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ community. Finally, other religions are moving to accept LGBTQ members in their faith. The First and Third Principles of Unitarian Universalism speak directly to welcoming all spiritual seekers. William Saleton reports that other religions are moving toward this position with respect to the LGBTQ community as well, citing a statement that before his elevation to Pope, Francis supported same-sex civil unions as a human rights issue. Learn about the UUA leading the fight on LGBTQ welcome and equality and other issues of social justice Discover Unitarian…
No More Holding it In
Ivan E. Coyote writes about difficulties experienced by the transgendered in an intolerant world. The provocatively titled essay, “Fear and Loathing in Public Bathrooms, or How I Learned to Hold My Pee,” from her book Gender Failure, reminds us that things we take for granted in society are freighted with shame and fraught with danger for some. Unitarian Universalism welcomes the Transgendered and supports Transgendered equality. Learn how the UUA persuaded Verizon to protect transgendered workers. Excerpted from the essay in Ivan E. Coyote’s book on Slate.com: I don’t see cisgendered women who want to feel safe in a public washroom as my adversaries, though; what I see is the potential for many built-in comrades…
Confronting Intolerance with Love
Celebrating All Families Responding to criticism for supporting diverse models of family, and in a way that would seem right at home at the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), Honey Maid literally turned the words of their critics against them to remind them of a deeper message. Read this account in images on Business Insider. Learn about Marriage Equality and the UUA Find out how the UUA fights for Social Justice Watch the Honeymaid video:
LGBTQ Myths Exposed
Replace False Belief with Knowledge and Understanding “You Can Tell Just By Looking”, by Michael Bronski, Ann Pellegrini and Michael Amico, examines and debunks 20 common myths about “LGBT life and people”. By asking questions that are part of the national conversation on homosexuality, gender-identity and lifestyle, this book from Beacon Press answers questions, provokes re-examination of oneself and inspires transformative conversations. Is “gaydar” real? Are homosexuals born that way? Do all religions condemn homosexuality? Are Transgender people mentally ill? Do gay rights infringe on religious liberty? Are all transgender people gay? Do Hate Crime Laws prevent violence against gay people? These and other topics used by both sides in the pro/anti gay equality debate…
Faithful to Love
Millennial Impact Findings from the recently released Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) survey on the change in attitude toward same-sex marriage and LGBTQ issues amongst people of faith since 2003 show that fully one-third of Millennials who left their church over the past 10 years did so because of anti-gay policies or attitudes. And while a majority of the people polled stated that judgmental positions or policies of religious groups on gay and lesbian issues is alienating to young adults, a much larger majority of Millennials (70%) agreed. In addition to this being good news for progressive, non-dogmatic faiths such as Unitarian Universalism, a welcoming faith that has been in the forefront of the…
Takai Takes on Arizona
Zero Exceptions George Takai, the popular meme-ist (and helmsman Hikaru Sulu on the original Star Trek series) responds to Arizona Senate Bill 1062 permitting business owners to deny service to LGBTQ people on religious grounds, which passed the Arizona Senate. Likening it to Jim Crow laws, Takai threatens to create global public awareness through social media, mobilizing a boycott against Arizona if Governor Jan Brewer signs the bill into law. In the past Brewer vetoed similar legislation, though she is known to support the right of business owners to deny service. Read the text of Arizona Senate Bill 1062, “exercise of religion; state action”. Read George Takai’s post, “Razing Arizona”. Read the story about Takai’s…
The Changing Reality
DAY 12: Same Place, New Times My cousin is a high school junior. My 10 year high school reunion was a few months ago. When I go home for family gatherings, sometimes we chat about teachers we have in common, or a classmate of mine who is now working at the school. We talk about how things have changed in course offerings, the renovations in the building, the new 8-period schedule with shorter lunch periods that I still don’t understand. But what we haven’t talked about, and what I’ve been thinking about in light of today’s post about changing demographics and the Multicultural Sharing Project over at Standing on the Side of Love, is how…
Our Human Intelligence
The recent Royal pardon of Alan Turing for – what was at the time – the criminal offense of homosexuality reveals the struggle for equality of treatment before the law of the LGBTQ community is not over – not in Great Britain, nor the United States, nor elsewhere in the world. –Ed. Pardon Should Not Have Been Necessary Last month the Queen of England granted Alan Turing posthumous pardon under the “Royal Prerogative of Mercy by the Queen.” The Queen’s pardon came nearly 60 years after Turing’s suicide by cyanide poison, when Turing was 41 years-old. Two years earlier Turing was arrested because of his homosexual orientation after he had called police to investigate a…
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