The death of Jason Collins hit me harder than I expected. Maybe it is because I am a big Black gay man who played basketball. Maybe it is because I know what it feels like to navigate spaces where people assume they already know who you are before you even speak. Maybe it is because, for so many of us, Jason represented possibility.

For younger LGBTQ+ folks today, especially in sports, it might be hard to fully grasp just how groundbreaking Jason Collins was.

In 2013, when Jason came out publicly, he became the first openly gay NBA player and the first openly gay athlete actively playing in one of the four major men’s professional sports leagues in the United States. That might sound like a statistic, but it was so much bigger than that. It was cultural. It was spiritual. It was deeply human.

Sports, especially men’s sports, have long been places where masculinity gets narrowly defined. As a Black man who grew up around basketball, I know those expectations well. Strength is celebrated, but vulnerability often is not. Difference is tolerated only if it stays quiet. You can belong, but only if certain parts of yourself stay hidden.

Jason challenged all of that.

He stepped into the light in a world that had not made room for him. He did not come out after retirement, when the risks might have felt smaller. He came out while still actively playing, knowing full well the criticism, jokes, assumptions, and scrutiny that would follow. That kind of courage matters.

And for Black LGBTQ+ people, especially Black queer men, visibility matters in a different way.

We know what it means to live at intersections. To be too Black in some spaces and too gay in others. To constantly negotiate belonging. To wonder whether we will be accepted if people know all of who we are. Seeing someone like Jason, a tall, strong, athletic Black man, living openly and unapologetically, mattered more than many people understood.

He expanded the imagination of what was possible.

As Acting Executive Director of the Open and Affirming Coalition, I think often about what affirmation really means. It is not simply tolerance. It is not merely saying “you are welcome here.” True affirmation creates the conditions for people to live fully, openly, honestly, and safely as themselves.

Jason Collins helped make that world possible.

Because of his courage, countless athletes today are able to imagine lives that do not require secrecy. Young LGBTQ+ kids, especially young queer athletes, can now look at professional sports and see people who remind them of themselves.

Representation alone does not solve injustice. But representation can save lives. Representation can plant hope.

And hope matters.

Jason once said that the years after coming out were the best of his life because he finally got to live as his true self. There is something sacred in that truth. There is freedom in no longer hiding. There is power in authenticity.

We mourn Jason Collins not simply because he was the first, but because of the example he gave us. Courage. Integrity. Humanity. The willingness to step forward when no roadmap existed.

May he rest in power.

And may we honor his legacy by continuing to build a world where no one has to choose between belonging and being fully themselves.

Today is Transgender Day of Visibility.

And today, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down protections meant to shield LGBTQ+ youth from conversion therapy.

Let us be clear: conversion therapy is not care. It is harm.
It is trauma wrapped in theology.
It is the distortion of scripture to deny the image of God in LGBTQ+ people.

This harm has been fueled by fundamentalist and white supremacist (I refuse to call it Christian) nationalism that has weaponized faith against God’s own beloved.

But that is not the whole Church.

For decades, the progressive Christians movement and the Open and Affirming Coalition have been bold and unwavering, working to heal this harm, to help people unlearn dangerous theology, and to proclaim a gospel rooted in love, justice, and truth.

And still, the work is not done.

Just three days ago, millions of people around the world rose up declaring: no kings, no oppression, no turning back.

They showed us what courage looks like.

Now the question is: will the Church meet this moment?

Not quietly.
Not cautiously.
But boldly.

Our theology must be louder than hate.
Our witness must be stronger than fear.
Our love must be public.

On this day, we are called not just to visibility, but to witness.

To proclaim that trans lives are sacred.
To reject every theology that harms.
To stand with those who are being targeted, erased, and endangered.

Church, this is a moment for clarity.
A moment for courage.
A moment for action.

If we say we are Open and Affirming, then let the world see it.
If we say God is love, then let us live like it.

The time is now.

Will we be found faithful?

Grace and peace,

Rev. Derek Terry

Acting Executive Director, Open and Affirming Coalition

Here is a Sacred Text that I wrote and Shared at Last Year’s Trans Visibility March Empowerment Service

Click here to complete a form to submit your photos and stories. 

Click here to donate to this campaign to help us equip churches with new microgrants.  

Yesterday, I had to do one of the hardest things that I have ever done in my life. I had to put my beloved fur baby to sleep and say goodbye. The above photograph was taken about 10 minutes before her procedure. I knew it would be our last photo together, and I sense that she knew it as well. After I snapped our final selfie, I broke down. And just like the dutiful companion she has been for over a decade, she comforted me in her final moments.

Since then, I’ve been sitting with a lot of grief, trying to figure out how to hold it without letting it take me under. For the last few years, I have talked a lot about joy. Finding it. Protecting it. Holding onto it. Encouraging it. Recognizing it. Joy is important, especially now. Many of us are on the front lines of the fight against authoritarianism, fascism, and injustice. We are doing real work, and it is draining. As we work and fight, we constantly talk about protecting our peace and practicing self-care. But one of the most overlooked sources of that peace is the emotional support, love, strength, and courage we receive from our pets.

They are some of the most faithful, quiet supporters of this movement. They slow us down. They pull us outside. They make us laugh when we don’t feel like it. They sit with us when we’re tired. They love us in ways that are simple and steady, no matter what is happening in the world. Not everyone in our community has children, but many of us have fur babies or other beloved pet companions who show up every single day with love, play, and comfort. They help sustain us, and they help sustain this work.

As a child, I used to watch Touched by an Angel with my grandmother (it was a sort of millennial rights of passage lol), and I will never forget an episode where someone lost a pet and one of the angels said that having a pet teaches you to love without fear, because they will almost always leave before us and we love them anyway. That stayed with me. And now I understand it even more deeply. As a Black queer man navigating a world that often asks me to shrink, I know what it means to love without fear. Our pets teach us that every single day.

So as I try to keep my girl’s memory alive, and not lose myself to grief, I want to turn that love outward.

Introducing ONA’s Spring Campaign: Love Without Fear.

This is our way of honoring the companions who have loved us well by making space for joy, memory, and continued impact in our community.  Here’s how you can be part of it. Share a photo and story of your pet, and we will lift them up on our social media through the end of May as a way of celebrating joy and honoring the companions who help carry us. Help us raise $5,000. These funds will go directly into a new microgrant program launching in June, offering up to $500 to help ONA churches connect their work beyond their walls.

Let us honor our beloved companions by acknowledging their presence and importance in our lives as we keep doing good in the world. Spring is a season of new life. It feels right to mark it this way, with memory, with tenderness, and with action.

Click here to complete a form to submit your photos and stories. 

Click here to donate to this campaign to help us equip churches with new microgrants.  

Let us love without fear. Let us keep going.

With gratitude and a grieving, hopeful heart,

Rev. Derek Terry, Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition

Supporting LGBTQ+ Communities Under Pressure

Click here to Register

Yesterday, the Pride flag was removed from the Stonewall National Monument in New York City.

Let that sink in.

At the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ liberation movement. At the site where queer and trans people resisted state violence in 1969. At sacred ground in our collective story.

The Pride flag was taken down.  This is not about fabric.  It is about erasure.  It is about power.  It is about who gets to be visible in public space and who is told to disappear.

Stonewall is not simply a monument. It is a declaration that LGBTQ+ people have always been here, have always resisted, and have always deserved dignity.  Removing the Pride flag from that space sends a message that our history, our families, and our lives are negotiable.

We reject that message.

And yet, for many of us, this moment feels heavier than a single decision. It feels like part of a larger escalation of attacks on visibility, policy shifts that place real bodies at risk, immigration raids that intensify fear in mixed-status families, rhetoric that treats LGBTQ+ people as expendable. 

Stonewall feels like a line crossed.

The Open and Affirming movement exists for moments like this. We were never meant to be just a status or a certification. We are called to visible affirmation, public courage, and embodied solidarity.

But we cannot organize well if we are isolated.  We cannot respond faithfully if we are scattered.

So we are creating space to gather.

A Time to Gather: ONA Support Space is a virtual support and strategy space for Open and Affirming churches in this moment.  This is not a formal webinar. It is not a lecture. It is a facilitated space for care, clarity, and collective discernment.

We will center LGBTQ+ voices and lived experience.  Allies and accomplices are welcome to participate in a spirit of listening, learning, and solidarity. 

We will check in on how our congregations and LGBTQ+ people are experiencing this moment. We will share practical ways to support LGBTQ+ people and their families. We will discern faithful next steps together.

Stonewall reminds us that resistance is part of our story!

Faith demands that we show up.  Love requires that we organize.

Join us:

February 19
7:00–8:30 PM ET
Click Here to Register! 

The Pride flag may have been taken down yesterday.

But our commitment to dignity, justice, and belonging will not be.

With resolve and hope,

Rev. Derek Terry, Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition

I have been carrying this past weekend in my heart.

On Friday, the current President shared a video portraying a formal Black president and his wife as apes. That image did not come out of nowhere. It drew from a long and brutal history of portraying Black people as less than human, as something to mock, diminish, and discard.

On Saturday, we marked National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. A day that exists because Black communities, especially Black LGBTQ+ people, continue to live with disproportionate HIV diagnoses, barriers to care, and the weight of stigma that still shapes who receives compassion and who is left behind.

On Sunday, millions watched Bad Bunny take the Super Bowl stage. But the backlash began well before he ever sang a note. Before the performance, critics complained that a Puerto Rican artist singing in Spanish did not represent America. An alternative broadcast was promoted as “All American,” as if language, culture, and identity determine who belongs and who does not. As if Spanish is foreign. As if Puerto Rico is not part of this country. As if a gender expansive Latinx man (Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican artist whose gender expression and rejection of machismo challenge dominant ideas of masculinity) must translate himself to be worthy of the stage. Bad Bunny refused to do that.

He sang almost entirely in Spanish. He brought Puerto Rican culture to the center of the most watched event in the country. He did not apologize. He did not soften himself to make others comfortable. And in doing so, he told the truth with his whole body.

These moments are connected.

They are all rooted in the same question that keeps surfacing in moments of power and policy. Who gets to fully belong. Who gets to dream without fear. Who is protected by the law. Who receives justice when harm is done.

Black people are still treated as suspect and expendable. People living with HIV are still stigmatized and dismissed. Immigrants and Latinx communities are still framed as threats rather than neighbors. Queer and trans people are still treated as problems to be managed instead of lives to be protected.

This does not stay symbolic.

This logic shows up in budgets and policies. It shows up when HIV prevention programs are cut and research is disrupted. It shows up when clinics close and care becomes harder to reach. It shows up in immigration enforcement, detention, and family separation. It shows up when some lives are protected and others are treated as collateral damage.

Dehumanization and exclusion always leave real people paying the price.

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day reminds us that disparities do not happen by accident. They are the predictable outcome of systems that decide who matters. When prevention is disrupted and stigma is allowed to thrive, people suffer. When care is delayed or denied, people die.

And still, in the middle of all of this, Bad Bunny stood on that stage and embodied something else entirely. Joy as resistance. Culture as truth. Visibility as refusal. A reminder that dignity does not need permission.

The Open and Affirming movement exists for moments exactly like this.

We were never meant to be symbolic only. We exist to build brave spaces of affirmation and to advocate far beyond our walls. In our sanctuaries, yes, but also in our neighborhoods, our healthcare systems, our schools, and our public policies. We are called to resist dehumanization wherever it shows up and to insist, again and again, that people are worthy of care, safety, and joy.

That means confronting stigma from the pulpit. Normalizing HIV testing and care. Sharing PrEP and treatment resources openly. Standing with immigrants and asylum seekers. Challenging policies that harm Black, Brown, queer, poor, and disabled communities. Showing up when silence would be easier.

This moment requires moral clarity and moral courage.

We cannot separate racism from health inequity.
We cannot separate culture from belonging.
We cannot separate policy from the bodies it harms.
We cannot claim to be affirming and stay quiet when people are treated as less deserving of protection and justice.

As we continue this work together, I want to offer a gentle invitation. If you are able, consider making a financial contribution to support the ongoing work of the Open and Affirming Coalition (Click here to Donate Now). Your support helps us equip churches, advocate for justice, and create resources that affirm life, dignity, and belonging for those society and those in power would rather forget.

And we would love to hear from you.

Tell us how you are showing up in this moment. Tell us what your church or community is doing to affirm life, resist harm, and build belonging. You can email us at office@openandaffirming.org.

Prayer

God of life,
You call every body beloved
and every people worthy of care.

Hold Black, Brown, and Latinx communities
facing racism and exclusion.
Hold those living with HIV,
and those burdened by stigma instead of support.
Hold immigrants and all pushed to the margins,
treated as threats rather than neighbors.

Give us courage when silence is easier.
Move our faith beyond words
into protection, justice, and love that shows up.

Amen.

With resolve and hope,

Rev. Derek A. Terry
Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ

Happy Black LGBTQ+ History Month!

As we begin this month together, I wanted to pause and speak a word of gratitude and encouragement. Black History Month is not only about remembering the past. It is about honoring a living legacy of courage, creativity, faith, and survival. It is about naming the people who carried us here and celebrating those who are shaping what comes next.

I want to give thanks for Black LGBTQ+ people in history who made space where there was none, and I also want to celebrate Black LGBTQ+ people making history right now. I am especially grateful for Black LGBTQ+ pastors, lay leaders, conference ministers, organizers, artists, worshippers, community members, and visionaries in the United Church of Christ and beyond. Your presence matters. Your leadership matters. Your courage continues to help people encounter a God who is loving, kind, compassionate, and affirming.

I want to encourage you, this month and beyond, to offer gratitude to these leaders. Send a note. Make a call. Thank them publicly (if that makes sense).  Speak their names out loud. Too often Black LGBTQ+ leaders are expected to carry heavy loads quietly. Your encouragement, appreciation, and public gratitude matter more than you know.

Yesterday, I was deeply moved watching Black and queer R&B singer Durand Bernarr accept his first Grammy Award. His words felt like a blessing for this moment and for this movement:

“To all independent artists out there and to every Butch Queen who was made to feel like you were too much, I am the proof that you needed and the sign that you have been waiting for,” he said. “Be yourself!”

That is the heart of the work of the Open and Affirming Coalition of churches and faith communities.

Our work is about helping create spaces where people on the margins, and their families, are affirmed, loved, encouraged, and supported in encountering a God who delights in who they are. This is why affirmation, gratitude, and encouragement are not extras. They are essential.  Thank you for your work!  

I also want to thank you for your patience and commitment with us as we continue to grow. Last year was a busy and deeply transitional year for the Coalition. We are now in the process of expanding our programs and our staff, and I am genuinely excited about what is ahead. We are preparing to move in new, bold, and powerful ways to support churches, leaders, and communities across the country.

As we step into this next chapter, I want to invite you to support this work financially if you are able. (Click here to Donate Now!) Your gift helps us build affirming spaces, resource leaders, expand our reach, and show up in moments when LGBTQ+ people, especially Black LGBTQ+ people, need faith communities to be clear, courageous, and loving. Every contribution matters, and your generosity makes this work possible.

Thank you for believing in this movement. Thank you for walking with us. And thank you, especially, to Black LGBTQ+ people whose lives, leadership, and joy continue to show us what is possible.

With gratitude and hope,

Rev. Derek A. Terry
Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ

Dear Friend,

As we arrive at the final day of the year, I want to pause with gratitude—and share just a glimpse of what your support made possible in 2025. These are not all the stories, but they are some of the moments that mattered most.

This was a year of growth, public witness, and courageous movement for the Open and Affirming Coalition.

OPEN AND AFFIRMING CHURCHES
• Certified 40 new Open and Affirming churches in 2025
• First church certified this year: First Christian Congregational Church (FCCC), Swansea, MA
• Last church certified this year: Second First Church, Rockford, IL
• Nearly 1,950 Open and Affirming churches nationwide, each with a public covenant of welcome and affirmation

AFFIRMING TRANS LIVES IS HOLY
• Launched the Affirming Trans Lives Is Holy campaign in response to escalating attacks on trans people and the erasure of trans history
• Named clearly what our faith teaches: trans lives are sacred, holy, and worthy of protection.  Read more: https://openandaffirming.org/erasing-trans-history/

INTERFAITH PARTNERSHIP AND PUBLIC WITNESS
• Helped found the Lavender Interfaith Collective (LInC), a multifaith network of LGBTIQ+ and allied faith leaders committed to intersectional justice, shared resilience, and resistance. Learn more about LInC: https://lincollective.org/

• Hosted a Transgender Day of Visibility virtual panel for LInC, “Beyond Visibility — The Power of Love in Defending Transgender Lives,” centering faith-based resistance and affirmation
• Participated in an ecumenical LGBTQ+ faith partners retreat in October, strengthening collaboration and shared strategy across traditions

• Participated in WorldPride 2025 in Washington, DC, representing Open and Affirming churches at multiple events
• Hosted a shared booth along the WorldPride parade route in partnership with Alliance Q (Disciples of Christ), helping people connect with affirming faith communities in their own regions.  You can see the WorldPride resource card we shared to help people find an Open and Affirming church here:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17v4JCfiwH/

FAITH IN ACTION AND MOVEMENT LEADERSHIP
• Helped organize and participated in a Holy Week public witness on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol with over 70 participants from across the country
• Spoke out against the criminalization of trans and nonbinary people, the violent treatment of immigrants, attacks on healthcare and safety nets, and the abuse of power
• Participated in the National Trans Day of Visibility March in Washington, DC, offering a sacred text written for the moment
• Read the sacred text: https://openandaffirming.org/national-trans-day-of-visibility-sacred-text/

EDUCATION, VISIBILITY, AND CHURCH LEADERSHIP
• Hosted a powerful Annual Gathering in Kansas City, Missouri, just ahead of the United Church of Christ General Synod
• Presented at the Horizons on Aging Summit on LGBTQ+ resilience and wellness
• Participated in the 35th General Synod in Kansas City with a Coalition booth, hosted a free BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) gathering space for attendees, hosted a powerful, sold-out Open and Affirming Coalition gala banquet, and shared a message with the Synod marking the 40th anniversary of the Open and Affirming General Synod resolution. Watch the Synod address here:
https://openandaffirming.org/40-years-of-open-and-affirming-from-resolution-to-revolution/
• Addressed conference annual meetings across the country, including the Southeast Conference (speaker and workshop leader), the New Hampshire Conference (keynote speaker), and the Living Waters Association of the Heartland Conference (keynote speaker)

• Attended the GatewayONA annual Convocation in St. Louis, MO

A STRONG FINISH TO THE YEAR
• Successfully met and exceeded our $10,000 matching grant goal for The Beloved Fund and unlocked a $20,000 matching grant!!!!
• Raised more than $12,000 so far to strengthen training, advocacy, crisis response, and accompaniment for churches and communities facing increasing pressure and risk.  You can check our progress here: https://openandaffirming.networkforgood.com/projects/265515-the-beloved-fund-2-for-1matching-grant

None of this happened by accident. It happened because people like you chose to stay connected, invest in shared work, and believe that affirmation is not symbolic—it is life-saving.

Thank you for helping us reach this goal. Thank you for sustaining this movement. And thank you for standing with LGBTQ+ people and affirming churches at a moment when courage matters deeply.

In solidarity and shared purpose,

Rev. Derek Terry
Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ

Dear Friend,

This week, many of us are observing Kwanzaa—a time rooted in reflection, shared values, and collective responsibility. As that observance unfolds, three of Kwanzaa’s principles feel especially meaningful for the life of the Open and Affirming Coalition right now: Umoja (unity), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), and Nia (purpose).

The Open and Affirming Coalition was founded in 1972 out of unity and purpose. People came together across difference, geography, and theology because they believed LGBTQ+ people were worthy of dignity, safety, and full inclusion in the life of the church. That collective commitment has grown into a movement of nearly 1,950 Open and Affirming churches—each one having written, adopted, and lived into a public covenant of welcome and affirmation.

That did not happen by accident. It happened because people chose to stay connected, to work together, and to remain rooted in a shared purpose even when affirmation was costly.

Umoja (unity) reminds us that movements are sustained not by perfection, but by commitment—by choosing one another again and again, especially when the work is difficult or uncomfortable.

Ujamaa (cooperative economics) names a truth we live every day. Less than four percent of the Coalition’s funding comes from the United Church of Christ denomination, and even that support is not part of a regular, ongoing budget allotment. While we are grateful for a regular grant from a foundation, sponsorships, and occasional support from other organizations, the vast majority of this ministry is sustained by churches and individual supporters who believe this work matters.

At the same time, over 75 percent of Open and Affirming churches have never made a financial contribution to the Coalition. That reality places real limits on what we are able to do—how many churches we can support, how quickly we can respond in moments of crisis, and whether we can hire the staff needed to meet growing demand. It also affects our ability to show up for smaller congregations with fewer resources and for communities where affirmation carries real risk.

Nia (purpose) reminds us why the Open and Affirming Coalition has existed for 53 years. From the beginning, this work has never been symbolic. It has always been about survival, dignity, and truth. In every generation, LGBTQ+ people—especially trans and gender-expansive people—have faced political, legal, and cultural efforts to erase, silence, or end their lives. Open and Affirming churches exist because silence costs lives. They are places of refuge when the world turns hostile, places of clarity when lies are preached as faith, places of courage when standing up carries risk, and places where life-saving affirmation is proclaimed without apology.

This work continues only if our community commits to sustaining it.

Now through December 31, we need to raise $10,000 to unlock a $20,000 matching grant for The Beloved Fund—tripling the impact of every gift. In this moment, each contribution has an outsized effect, strengthening the education, advocacy, and direct support that Open and Affirming churches depend on as they face increasing pressure and risk. These funds allow us to train pastors and lay leaders, accompany congregations navigating fear and conflict, respond quickly when LGBTQ+ people are under attack, and remain present in communities where affirmation is not symbolic, but life-saving and costly.

You can check our progress and give here:
https://openandaffirming.networkforgood.com/projects/265515-the-beloved-fund-2-for-1matching-grant

Umoja (unity) built this movement by bringing people together across difference. Ujamaa (cooperative economics) sustains it through shared commitment and shared resources. And Nia (purpose) calls us forward—grounding our work in faith and guiding us toward the future we are still building together.

Thank you for being part of a community that understands that affirmation is not optional—it is holy, necessary, and worth investing in, especially now.

With gratitude and resolve,

Rev. Derek Terry
Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ

Click here to Donate Now!

On this third day of Christmas, we are still lingering in the glow of the manger. Advent has given way to Christmas, and we are slowly making our way toward Epiphany—the season when the light keeps building, even if the nights still feel long.

This year has been hard.

Many of us are tired in ways that feel deeper than exhaustion. We are watching harmful legislation move forward, listening to cruel rhetoric grow louder, and bracing ourselves for what the coming year may bring—especially for transgender and gender-expansive people, immigrant communities, and all who already live close to the margins. With the passage of the “Big Ugly Bill,” rising insurance costs, renewed attacks on gender-affirming care, and expanded enforcement powers for I.C.E. expected to take effect in 2026, fear feels closer to the surface for so many families. These are not abstract policy debates—they are questions about safety, healthcare, stability, and belonging.

And still, Christmas comes anyway.

As a child, my Christmas lists were filled with things I wanted and hoped for—small joys, simple delights. But this year, my Christmas list looks different. It’s a grown-up Christmas list. A faithful one. A list shaped by love for God’s people and concern for the world we are living in.

This year, my Christmas list includes churches brave enough to speak clearly when silence would be easier. It includes sanctuaries where LGBTQ+ people—especially trans and gender-expansive people—are not just welcomed, but affirmed, protected, and named as beloved by God. It includes pastors and lay leaders equipped with theology that heals rather than harms. It includes families finding courage because their church stood with them when the world did not.

My Christmas list includes Open and Affirming churches doing more than symbolic inclusion—churches practicing courage, education, accompaniment, and advocacy. Churches willing to say out loud and without apology: you are beloved, your life matters, and God is not confused about you.

These churches are necessary.

They are necessary for young people navigating fear and misinformation. They are necessary for parents searching for safety and truth. They are necessary in communities where compassion is being criminalized and care is being politicized. And they are necessary in a time when too many churches are being pulled toward exclusion rather than transformation.

This is why the work of the Open and Affirming Coalition matters so deeply right now. And it continues only because people like you believe that affirmation is not optional—it is holy.

As we move through Christmas toward Epiphany, the light is building. But light needs tending. It needs fuel. It needs people willing to help carry it forward.

Through December 31, your gift to The Beloved Fund will be tripled through our 2-for-1 matching grant. Every contribution strengthens the coaching, education, advocacy, and resources that help churches live out their calling with clarity and courage in fearful times.

You can give here:
https://openandaffirming.networkforgood.com/projects/265515-the-beloved-fund-2-for-1matching-grant

Another powerful way to support this work is by becoming a Sustainer through Faithful Resistance: The Sustainers Circle. Monthly giving—at any level—provides steady, reliable support that allows the Coalition to plan ahead, respond quickly, and remain present where affirmation is costly but life-giving. Even a sustaining gift of $5, $20, or $50 a month helps ensure that Open and Affirming churches continue to be places of refuge, resistance, and radiant love in the year ahead.

You can join the Sustainers Circle here:
https://openandaffirming.networkforgood.com/projects/264217-faithful-resistance-the-sustainers-circle

Thank you for walking this journey with us. Thank you for believing that love still matters. Thank you for helping the light grow—even when the world feels fragile.

With gratitude, hope, and resolve,

Rev. Derek Terry
Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition of the UCC

Across the country, we are witnessing a renewed and coordinated effort to restrict and criminalize gender-affirming care for transgender and gender-expansive young people. Just yesterday the U.S. House passed legislation that would make it a federal crime for doctors—and in some cases parents—to support gender-affirming medical care for minors, despite the consensus of major medical organizations that such care can be appropriate and lifesaving when provided responsibly, as reported by
The Guardian and CNN.  

As NPR reports, efforts to restrict gender-affirming care increasingly rely on misinformation and alarmist language, sidelining medical expertise and the lived realities of transgender youth and their families.  

These attacks rely on misleading language about “protecting children,” while disregarding the voices of parents, medical professionals, and faith leaders who know that denying care causes real harm. Reporting from Out Magazine highlights how these proposals would criminalize doctors, terrify families, and further isolate transgender youth rather than protect them.  

Research consistently shows that affirming care reduces anxiety, depression, and suicide risk among gender-diverse youth, while forced denial increases distress and danger—realities that are too often absent from political debate. (Mental Health Outcomes in Transgender and Nonbinary Youths Receiving Gender-Affirming Care)

In this moment, Open and Affirming churches are being called to something deeper than politeness or symbolic inclusion. Open and affirming churches can and should provide hope—not merely through welcome (WELCOME IS NOT ENOUGH), but through affirmation, protection, education, and sustained commitment. This means clearly naming gender-expansive people as beloved by God, offering concrete pastoral care to families navigating fear and uncertainty, and grounding our communities in theology that resists shame and exclusion.

Across the country, Open and Affirming congregations are doing this work every day. They are accompanying families who are frightened. They are educating their members in the midst of misinformation. They are showing—through action—that faith can be a source of life rather than harm. But this work requires support. Churches need resources, coaching, training, and theological tools to respond faithfully and courageously—especially in places where political pressure makes affirmation costly.

That is why the work of the Open and Affirming Coalition matters now more than ever.

At the heart of this movement is a simple truth: every person is BELOVED.

From now through December 31, 2025, your generosity can help that truth shine even brighter. The Coalition has received a 2-for-1 matching grant from a generous supporter. When our community raises $10,000, the donor will add $20,000—bringing $30,000 of support, strength, and hope to this movement.

Because this is a true 2-for-1 match, every contribution is tripled:
• A gift of $25 becomes $75
• A gift of $100 becomes $300
• A gift of $1,000 becomes $3,000

Your support directly fuels the coaching, education, advocacy, and resources churches rely on to affirm gender-expansive people and their families with clarity and courage—especially in a time when care is being politicized and compassion is being criminalized.

Every contribution—large or small—strengthens the ministry that strengthens all of us.

Will you join us? Will you help grow The Beloved Fund and triple your impact today?

Give here:
https://openandaffirming.networkforgood.com/projects/265515-the-beloved-fund-2-for-1matching-grant

With gratitude and resolve,

Rev. Derek Terry
Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition of the UCC