Welcome to the first day of Pride. With its roots in protest and a collective yearning for justice, Pride is a defiant, joyful resistance against the intersecting oppressions LGBTQ+ people face, and the pursuit of a future wherein all can be free. While nearly 54 years have passed since the Stonewall Riots, targeted rhetoric, policies, and legislation continue to wage harm against LGBTQ+ lives. Trans people and youth, in particular, bear the brunt of this assault.
With 60 years of leading-edge social justice advocacy and scholarship, United offers a way forward for the Church, faith, and society, one wherein true justice—true equity—can be realized in the world. Decades before many faith communities began engaging with the affirmation and inclusion of LGBTQ+ identities, United was critically examining the relationships between sexuality, gender, identity, theology, and art.
In observance of this year’s Pride month, we will draw inspiration from the LGBTQ+ voices that constitute our faculty (past and present), staff, trustees, and alums.
From the classroom to the pulpit, the office, state houses, and the home, the heart and meaning of Pride are centered in the life of United. Be sure to follow United on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Twitter for Pride-related content and updates!