Welcoming Cogregation Commmittee
Nan Corliss, Chair
A Welcoming Congregation works on increasing understanding and acceptance among people of different sexual orientations. A Welcoming Congregation educates its members on becoming more inclusive towards bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender people. A Welcoming Congregation opens the church as safe space for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender persons, takes positions on oppression in our larger communities, and works on outreach In 2004 MVUUF became a certified Welcoming Congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, opening and affirming to persons of all sexualities, by a vote of the members. This came after a year of intensive study and sharing about issues concerning the BLGTQ community.
What's a Welcoming Congregation?
What We Have Done
Since August 2013, 2 same sex couples from our fellowship have been married. One by our interim minister, Janet Newman, and one by a retired past minister Mary Samuels. What a joy this has been.
In 2011 the committee commissioned a quilter to make the banner over the doors to the sanctuary. Many are surprised to look up and find this, even though they come to services often. The banner says “We Celebrate Diversity- A Welcoming Congregation. Look up as you enter the sanctuary.
In 2014 the legislature passed the Safe and Supportive Schools Initiative. This bill requirements each school district needs to meet to make their schools a safe environment for everyone. The schools have flexibility on how they achieve these requirements. A committee was established at the state level to provide curriculum for staff and teachers concerning how to handle bullying and schools can ask for support from this committee.
Some schools have been resistant to initiating a plan. We will be following the progress of the initiative.
What is Ahead to Accomplish?
- Watching the state-by-state progression towards marriage equality in all 50 states.
- Following the American groups who are "Transporting Hate" to other countries around the world and stirring up hate towards GLBTQ persons in foreign countries.