Welcoming Congregation**

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Unveiling the Banner May 15, 2004	We're a Welcoming Congregation	Civil Marriage is a Civil Right
First UU Congregation Pointing to Banner	Unveiling the Banner May 15, 2004	Dr. Hallman and Rev. Kanter lead congregants in prayer

**WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A WELCOMING CONGREGATION?

Congregations who publicly and successfully welcome bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people have the following qualities:

• Includes and address the needs of b/g/l/t persons at every level of congregational life - in worship, in programs, in social occasions, and in rites of passage - welcoming not only their presence, but the gifts and particularities of their lives as well.
• Assumes the presence of b/g/l/t people and celebrates this diversity by having inclusive language and content in their worship.
• Fully incorporates the experiences of b/g/l/t persons throughout all programs, including religious education.
• Includes an affirmation and nondiscrimination clause in our by-laws and other official documents affecting all dimensions of congregational life, including membership, hiring practices, and the calling of religious professionals.
• Engages in outreach into the b/g/l/t community in its advertising and by actively supporting b/g/l/t affirmative groups.
• Offers congregational and ministerial support for union and memorial services for b/g/l/t persons, and for celebrations of...family definitions.
• Celebrates the lives of all people and welcomes same-sex couples, recognizing their committed relationships, and equally affirms displays of caring and affections without regard to sexual orientation.
• Seeks to nurture ongoing dialogue between bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender, and heterosexual persons and to create deeper trust and sharing.
• Encourages the presence of a chapter of Interweave.
• Affirms and celebrates b/g/l/t issues and history during the church year.
• Attends to legislative developments and works to promote justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society.
• Speaks out when the rights of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people are at stake.
• Celebrates the lives of all people and their ways of expressing their love for each other.