Living our Open and Affirming Covenant: LGBTQ+
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We continue to work at living into the full potential of being an Open and Affirming congregation and finding new ways to share our message that all are welcome here. We have been delighted to host PFLAG meetings, Little Apple Pride, same-sex weddings, the Manhattan MLK Day Celebration planning committee, playgroups with an international focus, and more. In November 2014 we were honored to have our pastor officiate the first legal same-sex marriage in the State of Kansas.
In September 2015 we were honored to host TransKansas III, the annual gathering of the Kansas Statewide Education Project. In December 2015, we launched the Living Positive support group for people living with HIV/AIDS and their caregivers. During the fall of 2016 about 20 members of our congregation participated in five-week class on gender identity and how we can continue to affirm people who are transgender, taught by two of our own members. In 2016 we worked with the Flint Hills Human Rights Project to organize faith leaders on our city's non-discrimination ordinate. The City Commission voted unanimously in August to revise our city's ordinance to provide protections in public accommodations, housing, and employment for people of all gender identities and sexual orientations. Manhattan is one of only three cities in Kansas that provides these human rights to our citizens. Selected sermons: "Love Loudly" "What does the First Testament say about homosexuality?" "What does the Second Testament say about homosexuality?" "Expansive God, Expansive Gender, Expansive Love" |
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