We are a Welcoming Congregation
Being a Welcoming Congregation - those who publicly and successfully welcome bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people have the following qualities:
- Include and address the needs of b/g/l/t persons at every level of congregational life-in worship, in programs, in social occasions, and in rites of passage-welcoming not only their presence, but the gifts and particularities of their lives as well.
- Assume the presence of b/g/l/t people and celebrate this diversity by having inclusive language and content in their worship.
- Fully incorporate the experiences of b/g/l/t persons throughout all programs, including religious education. Include an affirmation and nondiscrimination clause in our by-laws and other official documents affecting all dimensions of congregational life, including membership, hiring practices, and the calling of religious professionals.
- Engage in outreach into the b/g/l/t community in its advertising and by actively supporting b/g/l/t affirmative groups.
- Offer congregational and ministerial support for union and memorial services for b/g/l/t persons, and for celebrations of family definitions.
- Celebrate the lives of all people and welcome same-sex couples, recognizing their committed relationships, and equally affirm displays of caring and affections without regard to sexual orientation.
- Seek to nurture ongoing dialogue between bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender, and heterosexual persons and to create deeper trust and sharing.
- Encourage the presence of a chapter of Interweave.
- Affirm and celebrate b/g/l/t issues and history during the church year.
- Attend to legislative developments and work to promote justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society.
- Speak out when the rights of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people are at stake.
- Celebrate the lives of all people and their ways of expressing their love for each other.
— from the UUA website