Each June, LGBTQ+ Pride Month celebrates and commemorates lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture and community—but honoring our LGBTQ+ siblings means more than simply celebrating Pride once a year. It means ensuring, on an ongoing basis, that we each consider our own biases and examine how we can best fulfill Westminster’s mission to strive “to be a welcoming and nurturing Christian community” that works “to foster justice, promote human rights, and advance peace.” How do we truly welcome our LGBTQ+ siblings into our community, every day of the year?
On Sunday, May 25, at 9:15 a.m. in the chapel (and via Zoom), the Reverend Rivka Gevurtz will help us consider that question, presenting an adult education class called “Widening Our Congregational Welcome.” As the Reverend Gevurtz points out, “Often, we are not aware of our unconscious biases and microaggressions that have unintended impacts on LGBTQ folk (who may experience other intersecting oppressions as well). In this hour, we will explore how our own social locations of privilege and oppression help or hinder our ability to manifest our intention of welcome, between a queer person feeling like they have to fit in versus their having a sense of belonging.” Please mark your calendar to join us for this special opportunity to discover what it means to be genuinely welcoming. (If you’re joining remotely, Zoom link information will be available in our e-news.)