"In the end, you have got to be happy with who you are."
—Carly Fiorina

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Congregational Life

1. Form a broad-based Welcoming Congregation committee to offer programs and monitor progress.
   
   This committee is a part of the Interweave group.
   
   
2. Adjust congregational bylaws and other relevant documents to include an affirmative nondiscrimination clause concerning membership, hiring practices, and the calling of religious professionals.
   
   The UUI Board of Directors has modified the bylaws to include the necessary verbiage.
   
   
3. Use inclusive language and content as a regular part of worship services, and provide worship coordinators and speakers with guidelines on inclusive language.
   
   This is part of the worship service effort, culminating in a sermon devoted entirely to Welcoming Congregation 3/30/03.
   
   
4. Provide main worship space and ministerial services for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender rites of passage, such as services of union and dedications of children.
   
   This is done on an on-going basis.
   
   
5. Welcome bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender persons in the congregation’s brochure.
   
   UUI has no brochure. Welcoming Congregation brochures are available in our Meeting Hall. Also, the UUI website is going to be revised to includes a page for Interweave and will be revised with glbt welcoming statements.
   
   
6. Ensure that publications, public information, and programming reflect the requested status of any individual as s/he sees appropriate; recognize same-gender couples in directories and other publications as they desire.
   
   Same-sex and transgendered couples are included in the UUI Directory, with partners cross-referenced.
   

Community Outreach

1. Celebrate and affirm bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender issues and history during the church year (possibly including Gay Pride Week in June or National Coming Out Day in October).
   
   UUI has formed an Interweave subcommittee to plan a Pride Day booth display for 2004. There wasn’t enough time this year to plan a booth and properly stock it with brochures.
   
   
2. Participate in and/or support efforts to create justice, freedom, and equality for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender people in the larger society.
   
   Interweave has had speakers from PFLAG, the transgender community, cross dressers,same sex couples, among other topics.
   
   
3. (again) Provide main worship space and ministerial services for bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender rites of passage, such as services of union and dedications of children. (This guideline is also listed as number 4 under Congregational Life.)
   
4. Establish and maintain contact with local bisexual, gay, lesbian, and/or transgender groups to offer support and promote dialogue and interaction.
   
   Representatives of transgendered groups, gay, lesbian, and bisexual groups all attend Interweave.
   
   
5. Advertise in the local press and/or other media that reaches the bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender communities.
   
   A subcommittee has been formed to devise advertising in the local gay/lesbian press.
   
   
6. Provide use of building space on an equivalent basis with other Unitarian Universalist organizations when requested by members for programs and meetings of an Interweave (Unitarian Universalists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns) chapter.
   
   Interweave meets regularly at UUI and has for approximately 3 1/2 years in its current form.
   

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