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Since she could first speak, 9-year-old Elsa McKenzie has insisted she is a girl, despite having been identified as male at birth. After soul searching and family counseling, her parents have decided to let Elsa live as her “truegender.” Elsa, her sibling, and her mother all attended their local pride festival with their congregation, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, Colorado. ( The Denver Post- 7.17.15)
Sanctuary ends for Colorado father
For the past nine months, First Unitarian Society of Denver has provided sanctuary for Arturo Hernandez Garcia while he fought deportation to Mexico. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently notified Garcia that they will use their discretion not to enforce the deportation order that remains against him. ( Colorado Independent- 7.22.15)
More coverage:
“Mexican man leaves Denver church sanctuary after nine months” ( The Denver Post- 7.22.15)
“PHOTOS: Arturo Hernandez Garcia ends 9-month sanctuary in Denver church” ( The Denver Post- 7.21.15)
Seeking balance in state sex-ed policy
The state of Tennessee has a formal policy allowing only abstinence-based sexuality education in its classrooms, but Stephanie Bertels is working to change that. She has started a petition to get the state to teach comprehensive sexuality education. Bertels recommends the Our Whole Lives program as taught in Holston Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Gray, Tennessee. ( Johnson City Press- 7.18.15)
Responding to tragedy with education
In response to recent tragic events fueled by racist hatred, the Rev. Kristin Meier of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northfield, Minnesota, wanted to do more than just pray for those affected. So her congregation will hold a community book-discussion on The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander to help educate people on how racism has changed but not disappeared in society. ( Northfield News- 7.17.14)