Pride month, GA 2022, UU the Vote Fellowship applications open, and more
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Dear Friend,
It's Pride Season again. In a time marked by loss and societal dysfunction, here it is—a celebration of self-expression and proof positive that efforts to change the world do bear fruit.
I marched in my first Pride parade 35 years ago in San Francisco. I was part of a merry band of queer youth and allies brought together by the Rev. Janie Spahr. Jane was the girlfriend of my best friend's mother. She was loud and loving and committed, willing to risk her career to be out as a Presbyterian minister.
My best friend and I drifted apart after college and re-connected in our late 30's. When we re-connected, it turned out that we were both finishing up ministerial internships and looking forward to ordination. Janie taught us what meaningful, spirit- and joy-filled ministry looks like, whether it’s the ministry of a person or a religious community.
In a couple of weeks, my family and congregation will take part in my small town's Pride events. It's a suburban affair. The outfits are different than they were in San Francisco in 1988 and almost as beautiful.
The story of our local Pride parade is inspiring. Decades ago, an Asian-American member of my congregation was fed up over the treatment her gay child was experiencing. She decided to do something about it.
She helped launch what became the Belmont LGBTQ+ Alliance and joined Belmont Against Racism. She and others in the community have kept up their work for over 25 years.
Now our library has a booth at Pride. The fire and police department have adopted practices to assure the well being of trans folks they serve. The synagogue, Methodist church, UU congregation and many businesses fly the rebooted Pride flag. The Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) has grown from three to seventy and includes both the middle and high school.
This Pride, we get to celebrate LGBTQ+ self-expression, and the impact of passionate people who work together to make a difference in their local communities and beyond. Enjoy.
Happy Pride, everyone.
In faith,
Rev. Lauren Smith
Director of Stewardship and Development
P.S. Here are some Pride Sunday worship resources.
Recent news from the UUA and President Susan Frederick-Gray
- From the UUA President: Let's Meet the Moment at GA 2022 (June 3)
- From the UUA President: We all deserve to live in our communities without fear (May 25)
- We Must Confront and Dismantle White Supremacy (Press release, May 18)
- UUA Mourns the Loss of 1 Million Americans Due to Covid-19 (Press release, May 5)
General Assembly 2022: June 22-26, 2022
GA runs from Wednesday, June 22 through Sunday, June 29. Explore the GA schedule and check out options for registration. Stewardship and Development team members will be onsite and online this year—we look forward to catching up with you.
Special Collections
Once again, there will be special collections at GA. Donations can be made online or by mail; GA attendees should check their mailboxes for pre-addressed envelopes. Funds will be collected for Side with Love (during General Session II on Thursday), the Living Tradition Fund (Service of the Living Tradition on Thursday), the Katie Tyson Fund (Friday's Synergy Bridging Worship), and local partner organization East County Rising Community Projects (Sunday Worship).
Multiplatform GA: Business Mini-Assembly on June 11
The UUA Board of Trustees leads the governance process each year at General Assembly. The final business agenda for GA 2022 is now available. The following two business resolutions will be up for discussion and vote:
- Renewing UUA Bylaws for Theologically Grounded and Mission-Focused Governance (available in PDF, 2 pages, or read online)
- General Assembly Planning Committee (available in PDF or read online)
After you've participated in the webinar on the business resolutions (or watched the recording which will be posted on this page soon), the Board of Trustees invites you to engage with them in discussion about the two business resolutions linked above. Register for the online forums here to share your thoughts.
This year, the business mini-assembly will take place before GA begins on Saturday, June 11, 2022 at 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT / 2 pm MT / 1 pm PT. Delegates will access the mini-assembly via the delegate platform.
Match Deadline Extended to June 30
This year's Matching Gift Challenge is more than 90% of the way toward meeting $125,000 goal to support UUA core mission priorities: equipping congregations for vital ministry; supporting and training leaders, both lay and professional; and advancing UU values in the world.
Thanks to the generosity of the UU Veatch Program at Shelter Rock, every gift made to Friends of the UUA through June 30 will be matched 1:1, up to a total of $125,000.
Faith on Fire for Democracy: Rally for UU the Vote 2022
Save the date for UU the Vote's General Assembly multi-platform rally on June 23 as we build momentum together.
Whether you join us for the in-person* event in Portland, or online with our UU the Vote community across the country, we're excited to share this time of inspiration, motivation, strategy, and grounding. Find out more and register here.
There will be opportunities to support UU the Vote 2022 coming soon to your mailbox, and stay tuned for an upcoming matching gift offer to be announced.
*This is an open event, but admission will be limited and COVID-19 protocols enforced to prioritize the safety and well-being of all our attendees.
More about UU the Vote 2022
Attacks on trans and queer people, reproductive freedom, voting rights, the planet…the stakes for our democracy and our world are so high right now, and UUs are gearing up again to meet the urgent needs of the moment. Building on the incredible momentum from 2020 when over 5,000 volunteers in 450 congregations contacted more than 3 million voters, UU the Vote 2022 is ready to fight for a world where all communities are free and thriving.
In this midterm year, UU the Vote will focus on bringing UU values to the forefront, fighting for ballot measures in key states, and equipping volunteers to have deep conversations about the issues that matter most. We continue to build power for long-haul organizing with trainings and support for congregations and teams, support for UU state action networks, empowering young adult and BIPOC fellows, and deepening relationships with local frontline partners.
UU the Vote Legacy Fellowship Applications Now Open
We are excited to announce the UU the Vote Legacy Fellowship for UU Young Adults and Black, Indigenous, and people of color Unitarian Universalists. This Fellowship recognizes and supports leaders in our faith community who carry on the legacy of activism and organizing that embody our faith through justice organizing and activism.
We know many UUs dedicate their time to policy advocacy, community organizing, voter registration, or mobilizing communities around the ballot initiatives that reflect our values. UU the Vote wants to support your work and your leadership. Whether it’s work you’re already doing or a new project you’ve been dreaming about, the UU the Vote Fellowship can help take your leadership to the next level.
It is a shared project of the UUA’s Organizing Strategy Team and UUSC’s College of Social Justice. The fellowship is a 6-month program (July-November) that will recognize 6 to 8 individuals to support your work and expand your skills and capacity. Fellows will be awarded $5,000 with an additional $1,500 project budget.
inSpirit Book and Gift Shop Open in Boston, will be at GA
General Assembly is almost here and inSpirit: The UU Book and Gift Shop is here to welcome you to this year’s multi-platform General Assembly with all the great books and merchandise you know and love. Be sure to visit the inSpirit booth—in person in the exhibit hall or the virtual booth—to say hi, enter our raffle, and see all our great new books and merchandise.
We’re especially excited to introduce you to new books like How to Raise an Antiracist by Ware Lecturer Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Holding Change: The Way of Emergent Strategy Facilitation and Mediation by featured speaker adrienne maree brown. Thank you for your continued support! Your purchase supports the bookstore, publishers Beacon Press and Skinner House Books, and the programs and services of the UUA.
Planning a trip to Boston? InSpirit is open Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, from 10 am to 4 pm. Masks are required. We hope you stop by for a visit.
UUMFE Invites UUs to a Procession of the Species at GA
Make a banner, puppet, poems, or costumes to represent your local endangered species and biodiversity at worship services, local eco-activism events, and the UUA General Assembly.
UU Ministry for Earth, in partnership with the UU Animal Ministry, invites you to learn more about the threatened and endangered species in your local community, and to collaboratively create an artistic representation of one or more of these species. This is a great program for bringing together children, youth, and adults in a congregation.
Document your art project with photos and stories/testimonials, and if possible, have members of your congregation bring your artwork to the UUA General Assembly in Portland, Oregon, for display and participation in a Procession of the Species parade. Read the Call to Arts and find out more details here (Google Doc).
Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainings June 11, 12
Practice radical inclusion by assuming that at least one young person you know will experience a mental health challenge this year. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five youth and young adults in the US lives with a mental health condition.
As a faith organization we at the UUA focus on the twin tasks of building spiritual resilience and dismantling unjust conditions that contribute to or exacerbate mental illness. That is why pairing mental health support with Unitarian Universalist principles is critical right now.
Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is a model of support developed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. YMHFA is based on an action plan that 1) focuses on ensuring youth have a voice and a choice in their mental health care and recovery and 2) teaches people how to respond in a crisis or emergency situation.
To learn about this training and register for the June 11 and 12 sessions, visit UUA.org.
Upcoming Events
UU the Vote Legacy Fellowship Open House
Tuesday, June 7 | 7-7:45 pm ET / 4-4:45 pm PT
Join UU the Vote and the UU College of Social Justice for an informational event about the new UU the Vote Legacy Fellowship for Young Adult and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color) UUs. This will be a 45-minute informational event to meet the Fellowship Committee and ask questions about the program and application process. Register here.
International U/U Young Adult Connections - Get Together!
Sunday, June 12 | 1-2:30 pm ET / 10-11:30 pm PT
Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists between the ages of 18-24 are invited to gather on Sunday, June 12, 2022 to build international connections with other young adults in Canada, the UK, the United States, and elsewhere. This is an emerging space that will seek to meet and adapt to the dreams and needs of participants. This will be a 90 minute gathering via Zoom beginning at 10am Pacific time, 1pm Eastern time, 6pm UK time, 7pm Czechia time. Register now to attend.
UUA Board of Trustees June Dates
Meeting, Monday, June 13 | 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT
Join the UUA Board as it meets to discuss and make decisions about all facets of Unitarian Universalism. Please consult the board packet of the meeting for more information. In June, the Board meets before and after the General Assembly. The schedule allows Board member participation in UU Ministers Association (UUMA) Ministry Days. Pre-registration is required.
Open House, Tuesday, June 14 | 7 pm ET / 4 pm PT
One way the UUA Board serves the more than 148,000 members and over 1,000 member congregations is through open communication and transparency in its own work. To further this open dialogue, the Board hosts monthly Open Houses. Bring your comments, questions, and suggestions, and chat about the Board’s work and the UU issues that matter most to you. Pre-registration is required.
UPLIFT Monthly Gathering Space for Trans and Nonbinary UUs of All Ages
Tuesday, June 28 | 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT
Join the UPLIFT monthly gatherings focused on trans, nonbinary, and other not (completely or at all) cis UUs. Join us to connect with other trans/nonbinary UUs and co-create support and community across our faith. All you need to bring is yourself (and other trans/nonbinary friends, if you’d like)! These gatherings focus on getting to know each other and on sharing collective dreams, ideas, and talents for this space. Expansive definitions of trans, nonbinary, and UU all apply. If you are interested in this space, and you aren’t cisgender, it’s a space for you. Learn more and register here.
Seasons of Giving is the monthly e-newsletter from the UUA's Stewardship and Development Office. Questions can be directed to Suzanne Murray at development@uua.org or (617) 948-4392.
Check UUA.org and UUWorld.org, as well as UUA regional websites, for the latest updates.
