Many of us have shown our inclusive faith by participating in Pride parades around the country. This is critical to counteract the ongoing fallacy that all, or even most, people of faith stand in opposition to LGBTQ rights. Religious groups who protest Pride celebrations alienate many of the attendees and can even re-awaken the pain […]
While it is important to recognize and affirm key dates and events within the LGBTQ community, your welcome is even greater if you do not limit LGBTQ visibility to those times. LGBTQ people and their families who come to your worship services, teachings or programs will notice the presence of others who are like them. […]
Providing opportunities for all couples to celebrate their weddings is very important to fully affirm LGBTQ people in your community. It is seen by many as a sign that a faith group has truly committed to equality for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Denominations and religions have a variety of positions on […]
Some people use non-gendered pronouns to identify themselves because it better reflects who they are than “he” or “she.” You can make it clear that your congregation welcomes them by creating space to name our own pronouns. And—because we respect the grammar lovers among us—let us assure you that these are perfectly acceptable in English […]
Part of being a vibrant inclusive faith community is creating affirming space not only for LGBTQ people but for our families as well. More than a quarter of same-sex households include children, with studies showing 28.7% of families overall raising children, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA. Among African-Americans, the number is even higher, […]
It is helpful to step back from time to time and take stock of where we are. When you are working to expand your welcome, take a little time to inventory your leaders and ministries. At this halfway point in the year, we suggest asking yourself some questions for which there are no right answers. […]
The spiritual insights and motivation that led your congregation to welcome LGBTQ people can also help you expand your ministries in intersectional ways. After all, there are many ways in which we are called to improve our own communities and our world. CLGS has a resource, An Expansive Welcome, designed to spark conversations in congregations […]
Did you know that half of LGBTQ people in this country live in states where there are no protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity? Many people think such discrimination is already illegal, but only 21 states and the District of Columbia ban discrimination in employment and housing; one other state, Wisconsin, […]
Your congregation may have made the decision to welcome people of all sexual orientations before there was a significant awareness about including gender identity. You may have already talked about and worked on including gay, lesbian and bisexual people, but not transgender people. Now is a great time to revisit those conversations and expand your […]
Speaking out about issues of justice and inclusion for LGBTQ+ people, our families, and our communities is critically important. It’s a way to take the beliefs of your community out of the pews and into the public arena and to promote dialogue. It also disrupts the ongoing misperception that people of faith do not support […]