OUR MISSION AND COVENANT

Acknowledging, Supporting and Celebrating our UU LGBTQIA+Community
We seek to heal the scars of religious, social, political and cultural trauma in the LGBTQIA+ community by creating a safe space that goes beyond acceptance and uses UU’s unique theology of love, radical hospitality and transformation to uplift and give us a place, a voice, visibility and a place at the table.  We meet on third Wednesdays of each month at 6pm, on Zoom only.  Details can also be found in the First News - Community Formation Edition.

We Resolve that ...

• Every person possesses a flame at the core of their being.
• These flames come in all shades, sizes, hues, and temperatures.
• What binds us is our commonality of spirit, and our desire to be part of a community in which we feel safe to be our authentic selves and to have the freedom to express our voice.

We Affirm the right of all people to live openly and love who they choose, free from judgement and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

We Acknowledge that…

• LGBTQIA+ members of our community bear the scars of religious, social, political and cultural trauma and that we are living in a time, in a society, where our legal rights and our freedom to be our authentic selves are being threatened.
• We appreciate our UU allies who help our flame grow brighter and support our desire to be visible and accepted.

We Pledge to …

• listen with love, empathy and understanding,
• provide support, information and education to each other and to our larger community,
• welcome each other without judgement,
• use these principles to weave a community of acceptance and nurturing, where everyone can safely learn, grow and brighten their beings, together in our congregation.

 

CELEBRATING THE VISIBILITY OF TRANS AND NON-BINARY PEOPLE

March 31 is celebrated annually as Transgender Day of Visibility 

HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY AND EVERY DAY

Stop by the Visitor’s desk and pick up a pronoun sticker and Pride heart sticker to add to your name tag.   You  will communicate:

• I see you
• I respect you
• I welcome you

Make inclusivity a priority

• Use your pronouns on zoom meetings, when introduced to people and when you welcome visitors in the church
• Remind transgender/nonbinary families in our congregation that they are not alone.

Open your hearts and minds to new information

• Attend workshops like the Pronoun one offered last month and the Transforming Hearts series of workshops we plan to offer to the congregation.

• Watch Disclosure - A Netflix Documentary  recommended by UUA; Disclosure is an unprecedented look into 100 years of transgender images on screen, showing how Hollywood’s projections affect the ways people see trans people and how trans people see themselves.

Be an Advocate

• Stand up for Transgender children in your school district
• Oppose laws that ban participation in school activities, "bathroom bills," that criminalize providing life-saving gender-affirming health care, and other actions that are deadly for trans and nonbinary people of all ages.

Raise LGBTQIA+ Children and Allies

• Read Raising LGBTQ Allies by Chris Tompkins which walks parents through the many ways they can prevent new generations from adopting homophobic and transphobic beliefs...
• Demonstrate to your children your belief in the worth and dignity of all people
• Teach your children about sexual and gender identity-let them know no matter how they and their peers identify it’s OK

 

INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

The records in the National Archives document the experience of the full range of our diverse

society. Within their collections you will find records that constitute a rich documentary history

of the experience of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Books to Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month

Explore archives, videos, news releases, and more from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Honoring LGBTQ+ Voices During Hispanic Heritage Month

https://www.uua.org/lgbtq/welcoming/program

First UU is part of UUA’s Welcoming Congregation initiative.  For information about this designation click on the link above.  You will find :

• The Five Practices of Welcome Renewal
• Welcoming Worship Service, including a wedding guide
• Welcoming Days of Observance, including posters and post cards
• Welcoming Religious Education, including webinars and Transforming Hearts Collective, a course  for individuals, groups, and congregational teams who want to take their knowledge and skills to the next level in terms of trans identity and how to create congregations that are fully inclusive and affirming of the full breadth of gender diversity

 

ONGOING ACTIVITIES

 

• To provide a spiritual home for the UU LGBTQUIA+ community;
• To participate in and provide social activities;
• To participate in and provide information and educational opportunities for us and our fellow congregants on our history, the barriers we sometimes face, current issues and concerns;
• To participate in special events  at UU, such as PRIDEFEST;
• To encourage the church to acknowledge some special days
  • Transgender Remembrance Day (Nov 20)
  • National coming Out Day (October 1)
  • Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31)
• To encourage the church to renew our UUA Welcoming Congregation status;
• To reach out to our allies within the church and to community based LGBTQIA+ organizations ; and,
• To reach out to community groups to bring suggestions to our church for share the plate donations.

Padlet LGBTQIA Message Board

 

1st UU is a Community Faith Voice for Equality Virginia.

Join us for the 7^th annual TIES (Transgender Information and Empowerment Summit) – this year in a virtual format! TIES brings hundreds of folks together for a free conference designed to meet the interests and needs of transgender and non-binary individuals, partners, parents, youth, and allies from all backgrounds.  More info and registration at: www.equalityvirginia.org/ties.