Emerson is a Welcoming Congregation
If you are lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, or if you think you might be, we welcome you to join with us -- to participate fully and openly in our congregational life.
The term "Welcoming Congregation" has a special meaning in our faith tradition. In 1987, a Unitarian Universalist Association committee found a great deal of unexamined and hurtful homophobia in local congregations. In response, delegates to the 1989 General Assembly voted to initiate the Welcoming Congregation Program, as a step toward making our congregations truly welcoming places for people of all sexual orientations.
In 1997, Emerson was one of the first congregations in California to be certified by the UUA as a Welcoming Congregation, with a second program offered in May 2000.
At Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church:
- We do not assume that everyone is heterosexual, and this is reflected in our vocabulary of worship.
- We celebrate the lives of all people and their ways of expressing love for one another.
- We seek to be inclusive and expressive of the concerns of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons at every level of congregational life -- in worship, in programs, and in social settings -- welcoming not only their presence, but the unique gifts and diversity of their lives as well.
- We celebrate an evolving definition of family by welcoming same-sex couples, recognizing their committed relationships, and affirming outward signs of caring and affection without regard for sexual orientation.
- We seek to reach out into the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities through advertising and active support of affirmative groups.
- We strive to incorporate the experiences of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons into all our programs, including religious education.
- Our bylaws and other official documents extend affirmation and nondiscrimination into all dimensions of congregational life, including membership, hiring practices, and the calling of religious professionals.
- We advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in the larger society, addressing legislative developments and speaking out when the rights, dignity, and freedom of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender persons are at stake.
- We offer congregational and ministerial support for services of union and memorial services for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender persons.
- We recognize the need to nurture ongoing dialog between gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and heterosexual persons, to work toward deeper trust and stronger unity.
Adapted from "Are You Lesbian, Bisexual or Gay?"
by Interweave of the Pacific Southwest District
Resources
The Unitarian Universalist Association's Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Concerns offers a wealth of information on the Welcoming Congregation Program, including answers to many commonly-asked questions.
Interweave, Unitarian Universalists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns, provides outreach programs, including an annual conference and a quarterly newsletter, for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender UUs and their heterosexual allies.
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) offers support, education, and advocacy for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons and their families and friends. Many of their publications are available for reading on their website, as well as contact information for local parents groups.
Our minister, The Rev. Anne Felton Hines, will be happy to answer questions about the Welcoming Congregation program at Emerson, or any matters of personal concern. Her email address is completely confidential:
