Unitarian Universalism
  Traditions  
 
   
  The Living Tradition of Universalism extends love and acceptance to all people, and Unitarianism recognizes the inherent good of all persons. At a time when many faith traditions continue to express open hostility, condemnation, and exclusion of gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons, Unitarian Universalism is deepening its long-standing commitment to the full inclusion and affirmation of all persons--without regard to sexual orientation.

In June of 1970, the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association passed its first General Resolution supporting the gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities in their struggle for equal rights and acceptance.

Since then, in the face of the widespread homophobia embedded in North American culture, the denomination has repeatedly advocated for gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons—supporting human rights and legal equality; creating and funding the Office of Lesbian and Gay Concerns (OLGC); encouraging ministers and congregations to conduct services of union for same-gender couples; supporting Unitarian Universalists for Lesbian and Gay Concerns (UULGC)—a membership organization of caring religious liberals; and advocating that openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual ministers not face employment discrimination.

The more than 1,000 member congregations in the Unitarian Universalist Association have been encouraged to include and affirm gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons in every aspect of their community life—and an ever-growing number have actively and intentionally done so.

The Unitarian Universalist commitment to become a safe and affirming place for all persons regardless of sexual orientation took on new meaning and intensity with the passage of The Welcoming Congregation Resolution at the 1989 General Assembly.

Acknowledging that every UU congregation reflects our society’s homophobia to a degree, the delegates voted to initiate a sustained and systematic program designed to help congregations create a truly welcoming environment for all persons.

The resolution envisioned a future with Unitarian Universalist congregations becoming truly welcoming places for all persons. These “ welcoming congregations” would:
  • Be inclusive and expressive of the concerns of gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons at every level of congregational life.
  • Celebrate the lives of all people and welcome same-gender couples, recognizing their committed relationships and equally affirming displays of caring and affection with regard to sexual orientation.
  • Seek to nurture ongoing dialogue between gay, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual persons, and create deeper trust and sharing.
  • Advocate for gay, lesbian, and bisexual people, attending to legislative developments and working to promote justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society.
  • Speak out when the rights of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people are at stake.

The UUA Office of Lesbian and Gay Concerns has created a wide variety of educational and programmatic materials to help Unitarian Universalists address these complex issues and concerns—and hundreds of congregations have received and used these resources. Unitarian Universalism, which has long had as its first guiding principle the commitment to “affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person,” has come further than any other North American faith tradition in welcoming and affirming gay, lesbian, and bisexual persons.

And yet the struggle against homophobia and heterosexism in both the denomination and society at large continues. Unitarian Universalism is working hard to realize the dream of religious communities where everyone is welcomed and cherished, just for who they are.
   
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