Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of La Crosse Officially Recognized as a “Welcoming Congregation"
On Sunday October 26, the members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of La Crosse approved two items that may be of interest to members and allies of the LBGTQQA community. First, the Fellowship approved an amendment to the membership policy of its bylaws. The clause had stated: “It is understood that membership is open to everyone regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, or national origin”. The amendment expanded the term “sexual orientation” to read, “sexual orientation to include sexual identity or gender expression.”
Second, the Fellowship approved a resolution to apply to the UUBGLT office of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) to become an officially recognized “Welcoming Congregation.” The Welcoming Congregation Program is a completely volunteer program for congregations that see a need to become more inclusive towards bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender people. It 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. For more information about the Welcoming Congregation program visit the UUA Web site at www.uua.org and use the site search engine to find “welcoming congregation.” For more information about the UUA Fellowship of La Crosse, including monthly program listings, visit the Fellowship Web site at www.uulacrosse.org
Christopher Townsend,
UU Fellowship of La Crosse member