March 1991

 

“We|coming Congregation” Program Changes Participants’ Attitudes

by Michael Warner

The Welcoming Congregation Pro-
gram, conducted by the Barre Universalist
Church, concluded in December. The pro-
gram brought straight people together with
lesbians, gays, and bisexuals and sought to
help sensitize everyone who participated to
the feelings of each group.

According to the Church bulletin,
about a dozen members of the congregation
worked with an even larger group of non-
church members over a period of several
weeks through readings, videos, and dis-
cussions. In addition, parents and friends of
gay people came for education and support.

The church bulletin cited as “most
memorable” a panel of gay men and lesbi-
ans telling their stories. “It was heart-
wrenching to hear them speak about the
pain in their lives because of rejection,
discrimination, and actual physical attacks.
One young lesbian even suffered rejection
from her parents, one of which would not
even talk to her.”

George Plumb, author of the piece in
the bulletin, was especially interested in the
ways in which the Bible is sometimes used
to justify anti-gay/lesbian attitudes and
behavior. “Whether or not you accept the
Biblical references depends on your under-
standing of the context of the times during
which the Bible was written — i.e., the need
for procreation to build up the tribes so they
could defend themselves. And wasn’t Je-
sus’s primary message one of love and
compassion for all people?”

The program affected each participant
differently. According to Diana Peirce,
“The Welcoming Congregation series pro-
vided new information that has proven
useful in both professional and personal
relationships. I gained new insights into the
connection between the many forms of

oppression and learned strategies to work
for change. By the end of the series, the
group felt like a support group and the
members like family. I am proud that our
church offered this valuable series to the
community.”

The Reverend Richard Forcier, who is
currently offering emotional support to a
person with AIDS, had this to say about the
program: “I benefited from the Welcoming
Congregation Program in several ways. It
provided me with a safe environment in
which I could confront my irrational fears
of lesbians/gay men/bisexuals. Because I
have considered myself to be both compas-
sionate and progressive, I found it useful to
identify the subtle ways that homophobia
taints my thoughts and feelings.

“This valuable program also gave
accurate medical information about AIDS.
Hence, it relieved some incorrect notions I
had about the disease.

“And, the testimonies of gay and les-
bian persons explaining what is was really
like to be different from the norm and be
despised for being different moved me
deeply. An implicit learning was thatif love
is to be the doctrine of this church, we need
to be a more inclusive congregation.”

George Plumb writes, “Our church
should be proud of the fact that we were the
first church in Vermont to hold this pro-
gram. According to one of the members of
the gay/lesbian community, Barre is not
seen as a safe place for gay/lesbians to be.
Hopefully, our church has begun to change
that image.

“For me, while I think I was intellectu-
ally open to gay/lesbian relationships, the
program gave me an opportunity for the
first time to really get to know a few of
them. I was deeply impressed and awak-
ened by how much they are everyday-nor-

(HARSCH ASSOCIATES BUILDING)
BENNINGTON, VT 05201

(802) 447-2110
av APPOINTMENT
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mal people. They have jobs, do important
community work, tend gardens, and all of
the other things we straight people do.
Some of them are even involved in raising
children, and judging from their compas-
sion and sensitivity, l’ll bet they do’a pretty
good job. They were certainly not the
people I imagined them to be. I am now
emotionally open to gay/lesbian relation-
ships as well as intellectually open, and I
thank our church for opening another door
in my life.”

Plumb concludes, “I am reminded of
the first Unitarian Universalist Principle,
‘The inherent worth and dignity of every
person.’ Because of the ‘Welcoming Con-
gregation’ program, our church is now
ready to include gays/lesbians/bisexuals as
members of our congregation.”

Ed (from page two)

makes casualties of all of us. Above all, we
must not be paralyzed by news of the Gulf
conflict; our troops abroad have a job to do
there just as we continue to have jobs to do
here. Our lives, particularly those devoted
to peace and understanding, should not and
will not be compromised by warriors pos-
ing as leaders.

For those of us dedicated to love — and
I envision my own homosexuality as a
testament to the wonders and glories of the
human ability to love — our mission remains
unchanged. It has never been unchal-
lenged, and so news of the war should not
stop us as we move forward toward our
common goals. After all, we too serve as
advocates of human rights around the
globe. With that in mind, may we continue
to live our lives as fully as possible, even in
the" trying times ahead.

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