United aims to be a beloved community committed to intersectional justice, creativity, and curiosity. Our values, grounded in six decades of transformative education, put many of us in sharp disagreement with multiple opinions delivered this week by the United States Supreme Court.
United is an inclusive community and a leader among seminaries in LGBTQ+ rights. LGBTQ+ people are entitled to full legal protections and equality under the law, and we are concerned that carving out accommodations for discrimination will have grave consequences. At a time when state legislatures are passing legislation calling into question the very existence of trans and gender-expansive identities, affording businesses the ability to deny LGBTQ+ people service on the grounds of free speech could have devastating repercussions.
The pursuit of diversity and representation in our student body benefits us all; it is incumbent on academic institutions to address systemic injustices whose consequences persist. Meaningful relief for millions struggling under the burden of student loan debt is a moral issue and one of grave practical concern for so many.
As Emma Lazarus wrote, “we are none of us free” until all of us are free. This week, only days before the United States celebrates its independence, a majority on the Supreme Court has pushed “liberty and justice for all” even further out of reach for swaths of American society.
For these reasons and more, we worry deeply at the direction these decisions will take us and the consequences they will have. The community of United is determined to realize a future far better than that imagined by the Court.
Media Contact: Nathanial Green
Director of Marketing & Communications
ngreen@unitedseminary.edu
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About United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
Founded as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the cutting edge of progressive theological thought leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to train leaders who dismantle systems of oppression, explore multi-faith spirituality, and push the boundaries of knowledge.
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