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Texas UUs provide sanctuary to lesbian from Guatemala
First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin, Texas, is providing sanctuary to Guatemalan immigrant Sulma Franco. The congregation is protecting Franco from deportation as she tries to gain citizenship in the United States. Franco identifies as a lesbian and fears for her safety if she is forced to return to Guatemala. (KVUE.com - 6.12.15)
Some members of the Austin church are prepared to don their Standing on the Side of Love T-shirts and stand between Franco and immigration officials should the need arise. (The Texas Tribune - 6.11.15)
More coverage:
“Guatemalan LGBT activist seeks sanctuary from deportation” (Austin American-Statesman - 6.11.15)
Connecticut ministers arrested in Black Lives Matter demonstration
Unitarian Universalist ministers the Rev. Jan Carlsson-Bull and the Rev. Josh Pawalek were two of seventeen protesters who were arrested recently as they blocked traffic in Hartford, Connecticut. They joined community groups to bring attention to institutional racism locally and across the country. (WFSB.com - 6.8.15)
More coverage:
“17 Arrested in Hartford ‘Black Lives Matter’ Protest” (NBC Connecticut - 6.9.15)
"Middletown reverend arrested at Hartford Black Lives Matter march" (The Middletown Press - 6.10.15)
UU donates organ to fellow congregant
One factor in Chris Spirgel’s decision to donate one of her kidneys to fellow church member, Greg Newcomer, was a memory of how warmly Newcomer and his wife had welcomed Spirgel when she first joined the Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Both underwent successful operations for the kidney transplant last month. (Courier-Post - 6.9.15)
Newcomer also wrote a letter to his local paper sharing his good news and praising Spirgel for her generosity. (philly.com - 6.8.15)
Comparing public school sex ed to Our Whole Lives
Savannah Hemmig says she feels lucky that she attended a Unitarian Universalist church that offered comprehensive sexuality education through the Our Whole Lives program. It undid the damage from her earlier experience with public school abstinence-only sex education. Hemmig hopes more families will give their tweens the opportunity to learn what she did. (xojane.com - 6.10.15)