COMMITTEE LEADERS

• Tammy Hunter and Mary Anne Chisholm, co-chairs
• Send a message to the Welcoming Congregation Committee Mailbox

Click here to view photos from this year's Gay Pride Celebration

Second Unitarian Omaha is a certified Welcoming Congregation!

(More information is available on the UUA website at www.uua.org/obgltc/.)

Questions 1. What is that? Welcoming Congregation is a program designed to allow the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) community to feel safe and at home in our churches. The UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association) started this program when they heard stories of homophobia in our congregations despite the fact that the UUA has supported GLBT rights since 1970.

Within the UUA, a Welcoming Congregation is one that has gone through a continuing process of education about and advocacy for GLBT rights. For example, in our congregation we went through over a dozen First Hour time slots and special sessions that dealt with various issues such as how to deal with defamatory Bible quotes, common elements of oppression and gender socialization.

The various committees of our church reviewed GLBT issues relevant to their committee. For example the Board reviewed and updated our by-laws with inclusive wording. The joint First and Second Unitarian youth groups offer Our Whole Lives, a comprehensive full option sexuality course. Adds for our church are placed in GLBT publications. Same-sex commitment ceremonies are held at the church and officiated by our minister, Dr. Rev. Josh Snyder.

2. Is this special treatment? No. Churches are one of the most if not the most anti-homosexual institutions in the US. One researcher discovered that of the gay-bashers in prison, 95 percent cite religious arguments to justify their violent crimes. It is easy to see why members of the GLBT community may not feel safe in a religious institution. Why would they reach out to the very institution that oppresses them? Can you imagine how it might feel if you were told repeatedly, “God doesn’t love you?“ What if you truly believed it? Because of the persecution, the GLBT folks may actually need the church more than others. There is no special treatment just a desire to create a welcoming environment.

3. What about multi-cultural issues, aren’t these issues more pressing in our congregation? It is natural to want to attack all types of prejudice, but each prejudice comes with its own underlying causes and needs to be examined individually. Also, many types of prejudice overlap with GLBT issues. For example, many gay African Americans feel completely isolated because they don’t feel accepted by religious institutions or the gay community. Our concern for GLBT issues segways into multicultural ones.

Members of our church have known GLBT youth who have committed suicide, people who do not get the necessary support and acceptance most of us take for granted. Establishing a network of support for GLBTs could literally save the life of a teen trying to come out or perhaps an adult dealing with hostility.

4. How can I become involved? The Welcoming Congregation program did not end on July 13, 2004 when we were officially certified by the UUA. It is a continuing program. There is much to be done. New members are always welcomed to the WC Committee! Please feel free to contact any of the members of this subcommittee or Rev. Scott McNeill.

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