by Amy Jones
Wow, did we celebrate Pride or what?! We started Pride month with our June 1st worship service, “Pride is Spelled with Freedom and Joy.” Rev. Leslie and Jason Pesch led this inspiring, emotional and glitter-filled service and had us dressing up and dancing around the church.
Throughout June, we shared information about Pride in our weekly Wave and highlighted days of significance for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. We held a class called “Responding to the Anti-Trans Movement: A Class for UU’s” and had discussions and shared ideas about how to deepen UCF’s commitment to the safety and welcoming of the LGBTQ+ community, especially the trans community which is currently under relentless attack. For those that were unable to attend the June class, we will share information about how to register for this course so that you can watch the videos on your own. We are also planning another date in the next few months for us to get together to discuss this course and UCF’s next steps.
We continued Pride joy and UCF’s visible presence in the community through the last Saturday of June. UCF participated in Beachside Pride in Emerald Isle where many members of our congregation attended. We gave out Pride swag and tattoos, made new friends, and Rev. Leslie provided many glitter blessings. The day was far from over as many from UCF danced it out for Pride month on Middle Lane in Beaufort.
Through your generosity, our June Share the Plate provided an amazing $871 for the Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) to continue their work to support and uplift LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff and allies at Carteret Community College.
At UCF, Pride does not stop after June. We will continue to honor, celebrate and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community throughout the year. If you are interested in discussing and sharing ideas about how to deepen UCF’s commitment to being a Welcoming Congregation, please talk with any team member and please feel free to attend an upcoming Welcoming Congregation meeting. Welcoming Congregation Team members are Barb Thomas, Holly Rogers, Marty Newcomb, Harriet Altman, and Amy Jones.