The Rev. Bob Strommen, a strong supporter of the movement for LGBT liberation in the United Church of Christ and beyond, passed from this life on Friday, June 19. We join with his wife, Joyce, and their family in grief for Bob’s passing and gratitude…
“Religious Exemption” laws—an attempt to give private business owners and public officials a legal basis for discrimination—is the latest threat to LGBT civil rights, says Andy Lang, executive director of the UCC’s Open and Affirming Coalition. The Coalition is asking General Synod to approve a resolution…
RIPPLES June 12, 2015 Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ Are you ready for marriage equality? The Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on marriage equality. If the decision overturns the remaining state laws banning same-sex marriage, UCC clergy and…
If you’re attending National ONA Gathering or General Synod, or both, you’re invited to the Coalition’s Open and Affirming Cruise at 9 p.m. Sunday, June 28! View America’s famous North Coast at night and relax with UCC friends old and new! Your host is the…
by the Rev. Rebecca Voelkel June 5, 2015 As a lesbian minister, a daughter, a partner and a mother, I have loved and been involved in the Open and Affirming movement since the early 1980’s. As a youth delegate to General Synod in Ames, Iowa,…
Rainbow Family Camp August 7-9, 2015 DuBois, IL Rainbow Camp is all about being family together, any way you define it. LGBTQ kids can have a safe and respectful place to be themselves. LGBTQ parents can enjoy time with their kids, while meeting other families…
GLSEN (Gay and Lesbian Student Education Network) conducts this survey every two years to understand the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth in our nation’s schools. GLSEN is a national organization devoted to fighting anti-LGBTQ bias against students and teachers in K-12…
The Open and Affirming Coalition Tuesday joined the Collegium of the United Church of Christ in a statement opposing Indiana’s law legalizing anti-LGBT discrimination on the basis of “religious freedom.” “Public businesses should not be allowed to deny service in restaurants, evict tenants from their…
Mark April 24-26 on your calendars: that’s the “National Weekend of Prayer for the Freedom to Marry.” On April 28, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on challenges to laws banning marriage equality in several states. “Let’s send up prayers throughout the church that the…
The Open and Affirming Coalition has joined the UCC General Synod and other faith partners in an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold marriage equality as a basic constitutional right. “Open and Affirming churches have been in the forefront of state campaigns to accord…
The Open and Affirming Coalition advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in the United Church of Christ and beyond, and equips UCC congregations to become effective witnesses to Christ’s extravagant welcome. Read more