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One of the items in the 1U Feed was the following:

Press Release. For Immediate Release   May 1, 2023

Florida Unitarian Universalist Clergy Call on Gov. DeSantis to End Religious Persecution

Nineteen clergy of the Florida Unitarian Universalist Minister’s Association [FUUMA] sent an open letter to Gov. DeSantis stating his recent laws and mandates prevent their members from practicing their faith values in supporting their transgender and non-binary members to receive life affirming medical care.

Rev. Dr. Susan Frederick-Gray, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association recently said, “As Unitarian Universalists, we deeply believe that diversity of sexuality and gender is a gift. We unequivocally uplift and support all the trans and non-binary people in our lives, our congregations, and communities.” The expansion of the ‘don’t say gay’ law threatens the lives of our same gender parents and our LGBTQ children to be who they are in schools.

These laws also target Unitarian Universalist values on race. Unitarian Universalists teach our members the history of injustice within Western Civilization from the Doctrine of Discovery to the “school-to-prison pipeline”. Our faith calls us to dismantle white supremacy culture in all its forms so we can do better in living this nation’s aspiration of justice for all. 

Clergy of FUUMA see these laws and mandates as persecution of our trans and nonbinary beloveds and a direct infringement on our ability to practice our religion’s core values and principles.

Contact:

Reverend Tom Capo, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami

Rev. Margalie Belizaire, First Unitarian Church of Orlando

Rev. Fred L Hammond, Manatee Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Link here to the letter addressed to Governor DeSantis and signed by nineteen Florida clergy.