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CONTACT
JOINED
December 29, 2022
INDUSTRY
Faith
BADGES
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DESCRIPTION
We are a liberal religious community that kindles the flame of love and justice to nurture and heal our world. On our best days we nurture the human spirit for a world made whole. When we fail at that, we offer compassion and acceptance. LGBTQ community is not just tolerated but CELEBRATED!
General Survey
Question: How many of your employees or volunteers are members of the LGBTQ+ community?
Answer: More than 10%
Question: Are your leadership, human resources, employees, or volunteers provided or required to utilize LGBTQ-specific training or educational content each year?
Answer: It is neither required nor recommended.
Question: How often do you believe your leadership, human resources, employees, or volunteers utilize LGBTQ-specific training or educational content each year?
Answer: At least once while currently employed or volunteering.
Question: Do you feel that your policies and procedures cover LGBTQ-specific needs for all of your employees, staff, and volunteers?
Answer: We have used references from LGBTQ+ organizations to build our policies and procedures.
Question: Do you feel that your policies and procedures cover LGBTQ-specific needs for your those who rely on your service?
Answer: We have used references from LGBTQ+ organizations to build our policies and procedures.
Question: How well do you feel that you and your staff are doing at creating an accepting and affirming presence for the LGBTQ+ community?
Answer: We have year-round shows of support that are specifically affirming or positive for the LGBTQ+ community.
Place of Worship Survey
Question: Please list the title or denomination that best suits your place of worship.
Answer: Unitarian Universalist
Question: How long has your congregation been LGBTQ+ friendly?
Answer: Since the beginning in 1991 but we went through the official UU Welcoming Congregation program in 2005-06.
Question: Please describe ways in which you ensure that queer individuals, couples, and families are made to feel welcomed in your space.
Answer: Queer individuals are greeted the same way anyone else is; queer individuals are welcome on our Governing Board, as Religious Education teachers, as service leaders. and anything else that happens in the congregation. We are small so we don't have LGBTQ specific events as folks don't want to be singled out. But if we needed it or ever got large enough that the Queer individuals felt like they were getting lost or couldn't find each other, then we would have specific events/gatherings. UU have a comprehensive human sexuality program that is phenomenal and inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations.
Question: Please indicate which of the following are TRUE for your place of worship:
Answer: We prohibit anti-queer messaging or scripture to be taught., We accept queer individuals as members of our place of worship., We have intervened in support of a queer individual on behalf of our faith., We perform same-sex marriages., We allow queer people to serve in leadership in our place of worship., We perform marriages involving transgender individuals., We accept queer people to serve as mentors or godparents., We accept and support queer parents (whether through adoption or biological means)., We accept and support queer youth and affirm their place in our place of worship., We support transgender children seeking transition-related healthcare., We just completed a six week class "Transgender Inclusion in Congregations." 20 members of our 90 member congregation took it. We will offer it again with the hopes that even more will participate.
Question: Does your facility have a non-gendered bathroom available or a trans-inclusive bathroom policy?
Answer: Yes
Question: Do you host an LGBTQ+ inclusive youth program?
Answer: Yes
Question: Do you provide LGBTQ+ inclusive literature, books, or other materials within your youth program(s)?
Answer: Yes
Question: Does your Youth Program discuss families other than hetero normative make-ups?
Answer: Yes
Question: Does your congregation make donations to LGBTQ+ organizations and, if Yes, which ones?
Answer: Equality Loudoun
Question: Please elaborate on your faith’s view of same-sex relationships:
Answer: Love is Love. We're supportive.
Question: Does your congregation believe that gender identity (being transgender or non-binary) or sexual orientation (being gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc) are immutable characteristics imbued by God or are they influenced, changed, or chosen based on man-made behaviors, decisions, and beliefs?
Answer: Not everyone in our congregation believes in God so I'm not sure this is an either/or question for us! As a congregation, we try to be supportive of each person's individual journey. It's up to them to decide what they believe about this (their gender identity and sexual orientation). We support their journey to wholeness, whatever that looks like. But we do actively discourage self-hatred so as minister, I'd encourage someone away from that!