LGBTQ Advocacy Has Long History at UUFR (Part 2)

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As one of the people recruited by the 75th Anniversary committee to write this blog, it’s been my intention for a few months now to research and write a blog post about UUFR’s LGBTQ advocacy efforts, which I knew our congregation had long been involved in. So imagine my elation when I found that the job has already been done! Joyce Pollack and Georgia Springer, two of the founders of the Interweave group at UUFR, had written a summary of UUFR’s leadership in LGBTQ rights, and I’m very glad to share their detailed and inspiring account with you. Part 1, 75th Anniversary Blog Post #7, was posted two weeks ago; here is Part 2, covering 2000 to 2015. And I hope eventually to update the timeline to the present–let me know if you can help!  –Lynda Hambourger

HISTORY OF UUFR SUPPORT FOR LGBTQ PEOPLE AND ISSUES

2000 

  • Interweave presents a PRIDE Sunday service on June 4 with talks by Joyce Gad, Ellen Kelly, and Terri Lantz. 
  • Interweave marches in NC PRIDE parade in Durham on June 10 with representatives of Eno River UU Fellowship, UU Congregation of Hillsborough, and All Souls UU Church in Durham. 
  • Interweave presents the film Before Stonewall and holds a discussion.
  • Interweave and Journey Toward Wholeness present a workshop called “Racism and Homophobia/Heterosexism” April 8. The keynote speaker is Rev. Chester McCall, minister of All Souls UU Church in Durham. 
  • Interweave presents the film It’s Elementary and holds a discussion. 
  • Interweave hosts the first annual intergenerational Pumpkin Carving Party at UUFR.

2001

Interweave presents the film Something About Mary for the Gay Straight Alliance from Broughton High School and holds discussions. 

2002

  • Interweave hosts dinner and a play, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told.
  • LGBTQ members, allies, and our minister present a PRIDE Sunday service. 

2004

  • On June 27 Interweave presents a PRIDE service called “Pride and Prejudice” with statements by Cathy Murphy, Tracy Hollister, Kathy Bundy, Jill Kidd, and Robin Allen. 
  • On December 12, UUFR voted unanimously for a “statement of conscience” to support the “basic right of same-sex couples to marry and to share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities, and commitments of civil marriage”. A former minister gave a sermon on gay marriage called “By the Authority Vested in Me”. She refused to sign marriage licenses for straight couples as a form of civil protest. 

2005

Tracy Hollister starts an interfaith marriage equality project called Equal Hearts. Hundreds of people from different faiths filled out colorful foam hearts, explaining why they support marriage equality. These hearts are taken to the UU General Assembly in 2005 with 700 people from around the country participating. The hearts were also carried in the NC PRIDE parade that year, winning the “Most Colorful” award. 

2009

We carry a flaming balloon chalice in the NC PRIDE parade, again winning the “Most Colorful Walking Group” award. 

2011-12

UUFR provided space and support for phone banks making over 80,000 calls against the passage of Amendment 1 to the NC State Constitution which made same-sex marriage illegal in North Carolina. Unfortunately, the amendment was voted into law on May 8, 2012. In the following months, UUFR provided additional space to national phone banks in 2012 and 2013 supporting marriage equality efforts in several other states.

2014

On October 10, Rev. John Saxon, Rev. Tom Rhodes, and Rev. Karla Brockie were at the Wake County Courthouse to provide free marriage services for the first same-sex couples granted marriage licenses in October. Ticie Rhodes, David Cooke, and Tracy Hollister were there to witness and celebrate. We also had at least one same-sex wedding at UUFR that weekend.  

2015

  • Posted signs about gender-neutral bathrooms and held forums on the topic. 
  • Created a Welcoming Congregation team to reactivate and renew our Welcoming Congregation status. 

Ongoing and Nonspecific Date Activities

  • Ongoing for over 10 years, UUFR members, clergy, and staff have publicly supported PFLAG Triangle’s newspaper ad and fundraiser in the Indy Week newspaper during NC Pride, including in 2016 with over 66 individuals’ signatures. 
  • Ongoing over since 1999, UUFR has hosted the monthly LGBT Game Night currently in cooperation with the LGBT Center of Raleigh.
  • UUFR provided meeting space for the Triangle Gay-Straight Alliance Network to support SGAs in our schools and provide space for adult allies for school initiatives. 
  • UUFR donated space for Drag Bingo to benefit AIDS services. 
  • UUFR Religious Education program has offered OWL with an LGBTQ panel for most years since 2003.
  • The RE program has done a “celebrating families” curriculum for preschoolers which encourages us to embrace alternative family structures.