Please Feel free to send us your Pride Photos and stories. Email: Office@openandaffirming.org

Friends,

With Pride Month now behind us, I’ve found myself thinking about all that we experienced together over the past month.

For many of us, June was filled with worship, celebration, advocacy, laughter, tears, and hope. We marched. We prayed. We blessed. We showed up. We reminded LGBTQ+ people (and the world)  that they are beloved by God.

For me, it was one of the most meaningful Pride seasons I can remember.

I had the joy of worshiping and serving alongside the people of St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Cincinnati. I also traveled to the Minnesota Conference UCC Annual Meeting, where delegates made history by overwhelmingly voting to adopt a resolution encouraging settings to advocate for gender-affirming care. I also preached at Lyndale UCC in Minneapolis, and at Danville Congregational UCC in California, and spent time with and ministered with incredible Open and Affirming churches and colleagues across the Bay Area.

Everywhere I went, I witnessed what sustains us. I saw people living, loving, creating, and showing up for one another. I saw communities refusing to surrender their joy. I saw churches standing with LGBTQ+ people not only with rainbow flags, but with affirming hearts and courageous action.

I saw hope that refused to give up!

I left Pride Month convinced that what sustains us is one another. It is joy. It is faith. It is community. It is the wholehearted belief that love is stronger than fear.

Joy is how we survive. Joy is how we resist. Joy is how we keep loving one another when the world tells us not to.

And yet, as Pride Month came to an end, we were reminded why this work matters.

On the final day of Pride Month, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld laws allowing West Virginia and Idaho to exclude transgender girls from participating in girls’ school sports. Even as we celebrated LGBTQ+ joy, another barrier was placed before some of our most vulnerable siblings.

The work continues.

Our movement was never just about one month on the calendar. It has always been about building a world where every LGBTQ+ person knows they belong, where every family is supported, and where every child can grow up knowing they are loved exactly as God created them.

One of the ways we build that world is by telling the truth about who we are and what God is doing in our communities. Every Pride celebration, every worship service, every conversation, and every act of courage reminds someone that they are not alone. Your story has the power to inspire hope, encourage another church, or help someone believe that an affirming faith community is possible.

Help Us Tell the Story

As we reflect on Pride Month, we’d love to celebrate what happened in your congregation or community. Did your church host a Pride worship service? March in a parade? Staff a booth? Bless families? Celebrate becoming Open and Affirming? We’d love to see it.

Share a photo or story on social media using #WhatSustainsONA, text Pride26 to 855-589-2210, or click here to share your story online. Or you can email us your pictures and stories directly to Office@openandaffirming.org Subject Line: Pride2026.  Because sometimes the very thing that helped you make it through a difficult season is exactly what someone else needs to hear today.

What Sustains You?

Our What Sustains You? campaign doesn’t end with Pride Month. It continues because LGBTQ+ people still need affirming churches. Congregations still need resources. Pastors still need support. Families still need hope. And together, we are building a movement that reminds people they are not alone.

If this ministry has sustained you, or if you believe it can sustain someone else, would you consider making a gift today?

Every gift matters.  Click Here to Donate 

Your generosity equips churches, trains leaders, supports LGBTQ+ people and their families, and strengthens a movement of nearly 2,000 Open and Affirming congregations across the United Church of Christ.

Pride Month may be over. But love doesn’t end on June 30 and neither do we! 

With gratitude and hope,

Rev. Derek Terry
Executive Director

Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ

Every gift matters.  Click Here to Donate

Click here to Donate Now

Together We Can Turn $1,500 into $3,000 for LGBTQ+ Affirmation.

Every gift will be matched dollar for dollar for one week only.

For my birthday this year, I’m asking for support for something that literally changed my life.

Being a Black gay man in America is a lot. It’s beautiful. It’s sacred. It’s a gift. But it can also be exhausting. There are days when it feels like you’re fighting on every front: racism, homophobia, political attacks, religious rejection, and the constant pressure to prove your humanity and worth.

There was a time when I didn’t think I could be both LGBTQ+ and Christian. I definitely didn’t think I could be a pastor.

Then I encountered something different.

The work of the Open and Affirming Coalition helped me to find a God who loves and affirms queer people. I discovered churches that didn’t just tolerate us but celebrated us. I learned that my queerness was not a mistake, that my faith and my sexual orientation were not enemies, and that God was not asking me to become someone else in order to be loved.

That realization changed everything.

Honestly, I don’t know where I would be today without organizations like the Open and Affirming Coalition. The work of affirmation helped save my life. It made it possible for me to imagine a future, a ministry, and a calling that celebrated all of my identities intersectionally. It helped me understand that I could be Black, gay, Christian, and called by God all at the same time.

Today, I have the privilege of helping lead that work.

So for my birthday, I’m trying to raise $1,500 in one week for the Open and Affirming Coalition. A generous donor has agreed to match every gift dollar for dollar up to $1,500. Together, we can raise $3,000 to help more people discover what I discovered: that they are loved by God, worthy of belonging, and not alone.

Click here to Donate Now

If you’ve ever supported me, my ministry, my work, been encouraged by something I’ve shared, or simply believe LGBTQ+ people deserve places where they can thrive, I hope you’ll consider making a gift. And if you can’t give, I’d appreciate you sharing the campaign.

Thank you for helping make sure more people hear the message that changed my life: You are loved. You belong. And you are not alone.

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

Click here to Donate Now

Give Out Day Early Giving is Underway! Give Out Day is June 4, 2026 Click Here to Give Now!

This year Give OUT Day, the nation’s largest day of giving for LGBTQ+ organizations, is June 4, 2026 and we’re asking a simple question:

What sustains you?

Honestly, things feel heavy right now.

If you’re LGBTQ+, or you love someone who is, you know exactly what we mean. It feels like every day brings a new attack, a new headline, a new reminder that some people are uncomfortable with the simple truth that LGBTQ+ people deserve to live openly, safely, and with dignity. Just existing right now is exhausting.  The anger is real. The grief is real. Some days it takes every ounce of energy that I have to stay hopeful, engaged, and keep believing that a better future is possible.

And yet, I must keep going.  We all must keep going.

We keep going because we are sustained. By love, community, faith, creativity, and purpose. We are sustained by the practices, relationships, and moments of grace that remind us who we are and why we keep showing up. Most of us can name something that helps carry us through when life feels heavy.

Maybe it’s your dog who still thinks you’re the greatest person in the world, even on your worst day. Maybe it’s chosen family. A friend who checked in without needing an explanation. Time in the garden. A public witness action. Church. Therapy. Prayer. Art. Music. A group chat that makes you laugh when everything feels impossible. Swimming. Running. Journaling. A quiet moment of peace before the day begins.

We all have something or somethings that helps carry us through.

This Pride Month and Give OUT Day, the Open and Affirming Coalition invites you to honor what sustains you.

We’re inviting supporters to make a gift of $100 (or whatever amount feels meaningful) to help sustain LGBTQ+ affirmation, advocacy, and community during a difficult time for LGBTQ+ people and communities of faith. (Click Here to Donate Now)

Make a gift in honor of the individuals, pets, small joys, and practices that help carry you through.

Need a little inspiration?

• $10 for your dog, cat, favorite plant, or daily walk

• $25 for chosen family

• $50 for the friend who keeps showing up

• $100 for the joy, faith, or community that carried you through

Or make a gift in honor of whatever sustains you.

Every gift matters.

(Click Here to Donate Now)

When you give, you help sustain something real: affirming churches, leadership development, advocacy, coaching, educational resources, and communities where LGBTQ+ people of faith can remember they are loved, worthy, and not alone.

We’re also Collecting Stories!  

If you’re willing, share a photo or story on social media using #WhatSustainsONA. Sometimes the very thing that helped you through a difficult season is exactly what someone else needs to see today.  Or feel free to complete this form and we may share your story on our social media outlets.

For more than 50 years, the Open and Affirming Coalition has helped LGBTQ+ people, their families, and allies/accomplices find belonging, courage, and hope.  This work continues to matter. 

In difficult times, joy matters.  Community matters. Love matters.  Hope matters. The work of open and affirming churches and the people who sustain them matters!  

Let’s celebrate what sustains this movement!

In hope, courage, and solidarity,

Rev. Derek A. Terry, Acting Executive Director

Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ

(Click Here to Donate Now)

Today—December 1—we join millions across the globe in remembering the lives lost to HIV and AIDS, honoring those living with HIV, and recommitting ourselves to justice, compassion, and public health. This year, federal agencies were instructed not to publicly commemorate World AIDS Day—ending a bipartisan tradition observed every year since 1988.

But this year, for the first time since 1988, the United States federal government has declined to recognize World AIDS Day.

This silence is not neutral.

This silence communicates something dangerous.
This silence tells people living with HIV and AIDS—and those who love them—that their lives are not worth naming, mourning, or fighting for.

And it comes at the very moment when:

• HIV/AIDS nonprofits are struggling due to federal cuts, demoralizing delays, and disrupted grants.
• Women-led and community-based HIV organizations are reporting severe impacts, with many reducing services or closing programs.
• Millions of Americans face skyrocketing health insurance premiums, threatening their access to lifesaving care.
• Millions more could lose SNAP benefits, forcing many to choose between medication and food.

This is not a time for the church to sit quietly inside our cozy buildings.
This is a moment for public witness, prophetic love, and embodied solidarity! 

For those living with HIV: We see you. You matter. You deserve joy, dignity, and abundant life.

For caregivers, families, activists, and advocates: Your work is holy.

We remember those we have lost, and we honor their lives and their legacy.

And for all of us in faith communities: silence is not our calling. Love is! 

Ways You Can Support the ONA Coalition on World AIDS Day 

1. Individuals: Join the Sustaining Circle. Monthly giving provides steady, year-round support. It helps us respond quickly to crises, offer coaching to churches in hostile environments, and build long-term resilience across this movement.

We didn’t unlock the full matching grant last week (all donations of up to $250 matched)—but  we were close ($195) and there is still time to join before the end of the year. Click Here to become a Sustaining Supporter.  

2. Congregations: Become a Sustaining Church.  

Congregations can give once or twice per year (June/December are common), or more if able. Many churches give at least $1 per active member, though any amount strengthens the work.

Sustaining Churches help us offer training, resources, and coaching at low or no cost to the ministries that need us most. Click here to fill out the form to commit to being a sustaining church.  

3. Give Through Our 2-for-1 Matching Grant (Now thru12/31/2025): We are excited to share that the Coalition has received a 2-for-1 matching grant: for every dollar donated, a generous supporter will give two dollars, up to a total of $10,000 raised. If our community contributes $10,000, the donor will add $20,000—providing $30,000 to strengthen this movement!

Every dollar you give becomes three:

$25 becomes $75

$100 becomes $300

$1,000 becomes $3,000

If our community raises $10,000, a generous donor will contribute another $20,000—bringing $30,000 to support this movement at a time when it is urgently needed.  Click here to help us raise funds towards this matching grant!

A Final Word

World AIDS Day has always been a testament to community—especially queer, Black, brown, poor, trans, immigrant, and disabled communities who refused to be erased.

If the federal government chooses silence, then the church must choose courage.

If the administration will not honor this day, then we will honor it—with our voices, our prayers, our dollars, our activism, and our love.

SILENCE = DEATH.
SOLIDARITY = LIFE.

Let us choose life, loudly and without apology.

In the struggle and the hope,

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

Let’s keep this movement alive and strong.

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A $10 Gift Can Change Everything

Give Out Day ONA Donation Page

Click the link, bookmark it, and start giving on May 22!

Hope thrives where love is nurtured—and in a world where LGBTQ+ lives are under relentless attack, we need both now more than ever. That’s why the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ is inviting you to be part of Give OUT Day 2025, the only national day of giving for LGBTQ+ causes.

Early giving begins May 22, and Give OUT Day is June 5.

Together, we can transform lives and create a world where all are welcomed, affirmed, and celebrated. Every $10 gift strengthens the movement for LGBTQ+ inclusion in church and community, ensuring that love and justice prevail over fear and discrimination.

Our Goal: 5,000 Individual Gifts—Here’s Why It Matters!

Give OUT Day isn’t about raising the biggest dollar amount; it’s about the power of community. The prizes we’re aiming for are awarded based on the number of unique donations given between May 22 and June 5, 2025. That means each and every $10 gift plays a crucial role in helping us reach our goal.

Here’s how you can amplify your impact:

• Planning to give $100? Instead, donate $10 and give $10 to 9 friends—and ask them to give it to our campaign.
• Or better yet, take it one step further: give 9 friends $10 and encourage them to match it with a contribution of their own.

Every individual gift of at least $10, brings us closer to unlocking additional funds for this vital work. Together, we can make a lasting difference. Let’s do this

What your gift makes possible:

• Giving Hope by amplifying our advocacy work to create engagement that inspires and mobilizes change—like the recent rally in Washington, D.C., collaboratively organized with our ecumenical partners, the Collective of Queer Christian Leaders. 
• Growing Love by expanding the Open and Affirming Church movement—we’re at 1,915 churches and counting toward our goal of 2,000 by year’s end
• Giving Hope by growing our Open and Affirming coach network, equipping more churches to become ONA and live fully into inclusive ministry
• Growing Love by launching a microgrant program—small grants to help churches creatively live out their ONA covenants

Every act of kindness has the power to transform lives—and on Give OUT Day, a $10 gift can do even more. Only individual $10 donations count toward prize eligibility, making each small gift incredibly powerful. With just $10, you can help build just and inclusive communities where all people—especially our LGBTQ+ siblings—are seen, valued, and embraced. Together, let’s turn compassion into action and ensure that love always wins.

Give $10. Ask your friends to do the same.
Let’s reach 5,000 gifts—and keep giving hope, growing love, and building a future where everyone belongs.

Use these graphics to amplify our message of giving hope and growing love on your favorite social platforms: