On February 12, 2010, the UUA certified the Foxborough Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist Association, as a UUA 'Welcoming Congregation'!^*

Will You Be Silent?
On Friday, April 16, 2010, many schools and people across the nation will be observing the 14th "Day Of Silence” (DOS). What is the Day Of Silence? The Day Of Silence is a student-led day of action where those who support making anti-LGBT bias unacceptable in schools take a day-long vow of silence to recognize and protest the discrimination and harassment -- in effect, the silencing -- experienced by LGBT students and their allies. The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying, and harassment in schools. Hundreds of thousands of students are expected to participate on April 16, so that those who endure anti-LGBT bias will not be forgotten. For more information about the DOS, please visit www.dayofsilence.org.

Standing On The Side Of Love News
SSL invites you to contact your members of Congress about the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy. While the Administration announced changes in the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on March 25, unfortunately, it's still illegal to be gay or lesbian in the military. Current military policy bans bisexual, gay, and lesbian people from serving openly; the changes announced just make it a little safer in the closet. The President has expressed his commitment to repealing this harmful policy, and the military is already preparing to end it, but Congress must act on the issue. A new bill to repeal DADT has been introduced in the Senate. For details, please visit www.standingonthesideoflove.org.

Join NCTE For Lobby Days: March 14-16
On March 16, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) will be holding a Lobby Day in Washington D.C. specifically for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). In brief, this bill stops companies from firing or refusing to hire transgender workers simply on the basis of gender identity. This has drastic consequences which have included becoming homeless, being preyed upon by those who are in the sex worker industry, and worse. LGBT people and allies from around the country who support ENDA will be at the Lobby Day. For more information about the proposed legislation, the NCTE, and how you can participate, please visit www.uua.org/socialjustice/issues/bgltequality/employment/index.shtml and/or www.transequality.org

Standing On The Side Of Love News

• March 19-22: Ecumenical Advocacy Days: "A Place to Call Home: Immigrants, Refugees, and Displaced Peoples". This year's focus will be on Immigration. Details available at www.advocacydays.org. Please contact Kat Liu at kliu@uua.org, if you are participating.
• March 21: Join UUs & others for a March for Change for Comprehensive Immigration Reform to rally together and Stand on the Side of Love with Immigrant Families. Details and registration available via www.standingonthesideoflove.org/take-a-stand.
• June 26: UUA General Assembly 2010 attendees are invited to join in an Interfaith Community Public Witness Event at the Twin Cities’ Pride Weekend at the Stonewall Stage in Loring Park.

The Welcoming Congregation
In 1989, after having finished a study which found profound levels of discrimination towards gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in Unitarian Universalist congregations, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) instituted the Welcoming Congregation program. The purpose of the program was to give congregations a process by which to examine their own prejudices and to work towards greater inclusivity. A congregation which has completed that process and then votes in favor becomes a Welcoming Congregation. This designation moves a church into a more intentional relationship to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues. Instead of merely being hospitable towards GLBT people, the congregation is dedicated to advocating for their needs and creating an environment that is hospitable for them and their families.

For example a Welcoming Congregation agrees to: * Reach out by advertising in local GLBT presses * Maintain a Welcoming Congregation committee * Change official church documents so that they contain a non-discrimination clause that includes GLBT people * Use language that is inclusive of GLBT people and their families in worship * Ensure that the religious education program is inclusive in its curriculum and language with regard to GLBT families.

Last year, Foxborough Universalist Church began the process towards becoming a Welcoming Congregation. As a part of that process the congregation was surveyed about it's views regarding GLBT issues and dedicated two services to exploration of gay and lesbian issues. At the beginning of this year, Katie continued our exploration with a service on radical hospitality ('Leave A Little Light'). In the spring, at our congregational meeting we will vote on whether we would like to be identified as a Welcoming Congregation. Until that time, it is important that we continue to educate ourselves and engage in discussion around issues related to taking this stand.

The Welcoming Congregation Committee (WCC) will sponsor events throughout the year to help us actively explore our own biases and grow in our understanding. Amongst those will be a workshop directed towards parents on how to talk about GLBT issues with kids and a panel consisting of GLBT people from another church. What the committee hopes it will continue to promote is an environment in which honest discussion and respectful dialogue can occur. Towards that end, if you have ideas about how to shape this process or would like to participate in organizing, please talk to any member of the Welcoming Congregation Committee.

Thank you!
The WCC

- January 2009

Foxborough Church Begins First Step In Receiving 'Welcoming Congregation' Certification

For more than 35 years, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA) has adopted policies and Social Justice statements with the particular aim to end all discrimination against people based on their sexual orientation. In 1989, the UUA General Assembly initiated the Welcoming Congregation Program to educate it's members about bisexual, gay, and lesbian people and help people explore their attitudes towards those of different sexual orientations than themselves.

The Welcoming Congregation Program is a completely voluntary program for congregations that want to become more inclusive towards bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender (BGLT) people. This adult religious education curriculum consists of a series of workshops developed by the UUA. The goal of the workshops is to reduce prejudice by increasing understanding and acceptance among people of different sexual orientations. The Foxborough Universalist Church, a Unitarian Universalist congregation, is holding their first "Welcoming Congregation" interactive workshop at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 23. Some of the upcoming workshop titles include: How Homophobia Hurts Heterosexuals; Connections to Other Forms of Oppression; Gender Socialization and Homophobia; and Biblical Perspectives on Homosexuality.

While the Foxborough Universalist Church voted to support the signing of the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry's Declaration of Religious Support for Same�Sex Marriage in Massachusetts, Rev. Fayre Stephenson officiates at same gender unions and weddings, and the church welcomes all, becoming a Welcoming Congregation is another step in the church's ongoing commitment to publicly and successfully welcome bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people into their spiritual community. By confronting our prejudices in a non-judgmental, non-threatening group, workshop participants are allowed to explore the origins of their prejudices and offers an opportunity to replace those prejudices with knowledge. Understanding our prejudices leads to individual spiritual growth and congregational unity, and will act as a catalyst to both learn more about ourselves and to end exclusion. Only when we are truly open to the wealth of diversity in our world will the inherent worth and dignity of every person be affirmed with a large voice.

The Foxborough Universalist Church, a Unitarian Universalist congregation, is located at 6 Bird Street (on the common/Route 140); directions and additional information about the church, UUA, and "The Welcoming Congregation" can be found on-line via www.uufoxborough.org.

- September 2007

Adult Religious Education
We're using the UU Curriculum The Welcoming Congregation Handbook. Session plans for gatherings, readings for participants, and a special section on materials for Christian worship.

UUA Pamphlets

• Unitarian Universalism, A Religious Home for Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender People by Barbara L. Pescan
• Unitarian Universalism A Welcoming Place for Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender People by Scott W. Alexander