UUFF CAPE COD, MA LIBERAL RELIGION: Welcoming Congregation

A Welcoming Congregation

"Welcoming Congregation" is a designation of the Unitarian Universalist Association indicating a UU congregation that meets certain criteria regarding welcoming of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered persons. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth voted to become an official Welcoming Congregation, but broadened its definition to embrace diversity of many kinds, as shown in the declaration below.

On June 6, 2002, at a special business meeting, the members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth declared the following:

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth is a Welcoming Congregation. The Fellowship declares and affirms its special responsibility to promote the full participation of persons in all of its activities, and in the full range of human endeavor, without regard to race, color, sex, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, or national origin, and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.

Welcoming Congregation News

For a wealth of information, see SAME-SEX MARRIAGE and the UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS CHURCHES. This Internet portal links to UU organizations, sermons on same-sex marriage, sermons on sexual orientation, congregational websites on same-sex marriage, Welcoming Congregation websites, sermons on becoming Welcoming Congregations, and bibliographies.

In light of the defeat of Proposition 8 in California and similar blows which restrict the rights of bisexual, gay, lesbian, queer, and transgender people, the Unitarian Universalist Association has produced a video which makes clear the support of people of faith for marriage equality. The video uses images gathered from Unitarian Universalists across North America who have advocated for marriage equality or been joined in equal marriage. The video also celebrates the role of Unitarian Universalist clergy in officiating at these services.

PFLAG meetings

The Welcoming Congregation Committee is glad to announce that we will be starting a PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) support group that will meet monthly at the UUFF. Our first meeting will be Tuesday, May 1, at 6:30 p.m.

The Welcoming Congregation Committee will also be active with Cape Cod Pride. Both PFLAG and Cape Cod Pride have the support of the Social Action Committee. For more information please call Anne Toran, Chair of the Welcoming Congregation Committee, at 508-548-1038.

Falmouth No Place for Hate

"No Place for Hate" is a designation awarded by the Anti Defamation League to towns who meet certain criteria regarding non-discriminatory policies and celebration of diversity. The Unitarian Universalist Welcoming Congregation Committee is active in support of the Falmouth "No Place for Hate" group, which is headed by Falmouth Affirmative Action Officer George Spivey.

Falmouth No Place for Hate has coordinated with the Falmouth Police Department in developing a survey on racial profiling to respond to a state survey that indicated that Falmouth minority drivers are disproportionately subjects of police action in comparison to white drivers.