The Lakeshore Unitarian Universalist Congregation is an Inclusive Community by which we mean that persons of all gender identities and sexual orientations have a home in our community, just as we also include people of diverse ethnic communities and religious traditions.

Previously, we used the term Welcoming Congregation, a designation for those UU congregations which completed the US Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) program and have passed a congregational vote to affirm that they welcome the membership and active participation of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and/or transgender people.

This was approved at the Lakeshore Special Congregational Meeting of April 19, 2009.

As a Welcoming Congregation, we pledged to:

• honor the lives of all people and equally affirm displays of caring and affection without regard for sexual orientation.
• celebrate diversity by using inclusive language and content in worship.
• incorporate an understanding of the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer persons throughout all of our programs, including religious education.
• affirm and celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer issues and history.
• affirm marriage equality and conduct same-sex weddings.
• advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people, promoting justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society. We speak out when the rights and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people are at stake.

We recognize that there’s always something more to learn about and appreciate in our lives, including our sexualities and gender identities.