welcoming-congregationWe are a Welcoming Congregation, recognized by the Unitarian Universalist Association since 2006. This means we affirm and include people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer at every level of congregational life—in worship, in programs, and in social occasions—welcoming them as whole people.

BUUF members and ministers have been visible advocates for the LGBTQ+ community over the years, including participating in annual PRIDE events and in civil disobedience efforts in the spring of 2014 focused on adding LGBTQPAIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, pansexual, asexual, intersex, and allies) community to the Idaho Human Rights Act to ensure employment and housing protections.

As a Welcoming Congregation we have pledged to:

  • honor the lives of all people and equally affirm displays of caring and affection without regard for sexual orientation.
  • celebrate diversity by using inclusive language and content in worship.
  • incorporate an understanding of the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual,  transgender, and queer persons throughout all of our programs, including religious education.
  • affirm and celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues and history.
  • affirm marriage equality and conduct same-sex weddings.
  • advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, promoting justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society. We speak out when the rights and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people are at stake.

The Rainbow Outreach (formerly Welcoming Congregation) Committee is the Fellowship’s liaison with the LGBTQIA community.

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We helped celebrate the court decision that brought marriage equality to Idaho, at the Ada County Courthouse on the first day when licenses were legally issued to same-sex couples, and by hosting a special event at the Fellowship: “At Last!” on October 25, 2014. The celebration and reception honored the right of same-sex couples to legally marry in Idaho, and celebrated those who marched, rallied and testified to bring  marriage equality to Idaho. The Gordon/Warren song, “At Last”, made famous by blues great Etta James, was the theme for the event, with cake, music, and merriment. The event was well attended and was featured on a local newscast, on KBOI.

The Rainbow Outreach Committee is working on formalizing a contact list and volunteer base. They run a booth each year at the Boise Pride celebration and have helped coordinate Transgender Day of Remembrance services at BUUF in the past.

For more information, contact our Social Justice Coordinator, Jim Bigelow