Mission:
To be a welcoming and safe place for LGBTQIA+ people in our spiritual community and to educate our congregation about, advocate for and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community.
We strive to be a welcoming congregation – we have our Progress Pride flag on Lyons Plains Road to express inclusion for all.
Legislative Advocacy – We are working together and creating awareness on ways we can make public comments and promote more inclusive legislation for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
History:
We supported the first same sex marriage in CT of Rozanne Gates and Suzanne Sheridan in 2010. They were instrumental in creating Fairfield County’s first Pride Festival in 2002.
Programs:
Our Whole Lives is a comprehensive sexuality education program designed to serve people throughout their entire lifespan. We have the OWL program for kids for 1st grade, 4th & 5th grades and middle school 8th grade. The youth meet with a panel of queer and other identifying individuals – asking them questions, listening to their stories, finding out about life from their points of view. We also have an adult evening program which explores sexuality topics such as communication, values, relationships, consent, boundaries, intimacy, pleasure, gender identity, sexual orientation , and body image in a supportive, judgment-free zone!
Community Involvement:
Each year our congregation has voted Triangle Community Center as one of our Share the Plate recipients. TCC strives to empower and advocate for LGBTQIA+ people in Connecticut through community, health and learning programs. In March, 2026, the president of the TCC Board, Ari Linder, (they/them) spoke to our congregation.
Cadence Pentheny (we/they), community education director, from Triangle Community Center came to talk about the state of LGBTQIA+ rights this past fall. We were able to donate coats, clothes, blankets and Dunkin’ gift cards to help give people a warmer place to be through the cold winter. And our Shawl Ministry created a shawl as a thank you to Cadence for our continued partnership.
Events – Several congregants went to Obodo Serendipity Books (a queer bookstore) in Stratford to have a discussion with Lester Fabian Brathwaite on his book: Rage: On Being Queer, Black, Brilliant . . . And Completely Over It. The evening was enlightening and full of community connection.
Each year we sponsor a booth at Pride in the Park in Norwalk promoting UUWestport values and programs. Will also have fun give-aways and literature.
Past Programs:
One of our congregants offered to docent a trip to the Aldrich museum where we were joined by the entire staff from Triangle Community Center. The trans artist’s sculptures were mesmerizing and everyone saw something different in their work.
We sponsored a showing of the hour-long documentary of our congregation’s history with LGBT and the first Rainbow Task Force. It consists of a series of interviews by Rozanne Gates with early members who banded together to make UUWestport a safe place and a welcome place for all.
Trans Visibility Day was recognized with a special event in our sanctuary in 2025, including speakers on anti-trans propaganda, a trans minister, and a panel of special guests, that included a parent, a well-known advocate and author, co-president of PFLAG Connecticut, and an attorney. Bridgeport bookstore Kindred Thoughts brought a wide assortment of LGBTQIA+ titles for purchase.
To learn more and/or get involved, contact genderequityteam@uuwestport.org.
