A ‘Welcoming Congregation’ is inclusive and expressive of the concerns of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender persons at every level of congregational life—in worship, in program, and in social occasions, welcoming not only their presence but the unique gifts and particularities of their lives as well.
A Welcoming Congregation does not assume that everyone is heterosexual. Vocabulary of worship reflects this perception; worship celebrates diversity by inclusivity of language and content.
An understanding of the experience of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender persons will be fully incorporated throughout all programs, including religious education.
The bylaws and other official documents of a Welcoming Congregation include an affirmation and nondiscrimination clause affecting all dimensions of congregational life, including membership, hiring practices, and the calling of religious professionals.
A Welcoming Congregation engages in outreach into the bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender communities, both through its advertising and by supporting actively other gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender affirmative groups.
A Welcoming Congregation offers congregational and ministerial support for services of union and memorial services for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender persons, and celebrations of evolving definitions of family.
A Welcoming Congregation celebrates the lives of all people and welcomes same-gender couples, recognizing their committed relationships, and equally affirms displays of caring and affection without regard for sexual orientation.
A Welcoming Congregation seeks to nurture ongoing dialogue between gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and heterosexual persons, and to create deeper trust and sharing.
A Welcoming Congregation encourages the presence of a chapter of the Unitarian Universalists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender concerns.
A Welcoming Congregation affirms and celebrates gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues and history during the church year (possibly including Gay Pride Week, which is in June).
A Welcoming Congregation, as an advocate for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, attends to legislative developments and works to promote justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society. It speaks out when the rights and dignity of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people are at stake.
A Welcoming Congregation celebrates the lives of all people and their ways of expressing their love for each other
