LGBTQ-Affirming Faith Community Network

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE DIRECTORY

To better serve the LGBTQ+ communities in Champaign County, Uniting Pride has created an LGBTQ-Affirming Faith Community Network. Faith communities in this network are listed in our directory, linked above.
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To join the LGBTQ-Affirming Faith Community Network, faith communities must agree overall with our Faith Community Values and take some of the steps in our list of Faith Community Actions to make their communities welcoming to LGBTQ+ folks. The extent to which faith communities in the network abide by these values and actions is outlined in the directory.

Faith Community Values:

1. My faith community welcomes LGBTQ+ people to services and events, including people who do not conform to expected gender roles and whose families or relationships go beyond heteronormative expectations.
2. My faith community does not believe that being proudly queer or transgender negatively impacts one’s relationship with a higher power or powers, nor that it negatively impacts one’s capacity for spirituality.
3. My faith community supports public policies that affirm the human rights of LGBTQ+ people.

Faith Community Actions:

1. We do not preach that being LGBTQ+ is a sin.
2. We observe LGBTQ+ holidays and/or days of remembrance.
3. Our gathering place has gender-neutral bathrooms available to visitors.
4. We allow LGBTQ+ people to serve in all areas of leadership.
5. We currently have at least one LGBTQ+ person serving in a leadership position.
6. We perform marriages for LGBTQ+ couples.
7. We host a meeting group or have regular event programming specifically for LGBTQ+ people.
8. We allow LGBTQ+ people to participate in all religious rituals (e.g. b-nai mitzvahs, communion, receiving ash).
9. We hold rituals specifically to affirm the experiences of LGBTQ+ people (e.g. ceremonies for gender or name changes).
10. If books are provided as part of a childcare service, we have books with LGBTQ+ characters.
11. We have at least one faith leader who offers counseling for those who have experienced religious trauma.

Faith communities are welcome to join this network at any time, and we welcome communities of all religions. To learn more, please reach out to [email protected].