INTERWEAVE

—by Steve Bell

Interweave is an organization focusing on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender concerns at All Souls. It has been in existence at All Souls since the early 1990s. In the mid-1990s, All Souls went through the process of becoming a welcoming congregation, but Interweave's activity was sporadic until October 1999, when a small group of All Souls members decided to have regular meetings.

Monthly meetings have been held since September 2000, including two that have been held jointly with the Interweave group at Community Church. The meetings provide our members with an opportunity to socialize, develop a sense of community within the larger All Souls family and raise and discuss issues of mutual interest and concern. Also this year, we have participated in two Volunteer Fairs in the Fall, and served at Coffee Hour in December.

Among the issues we have discussed this year has been the discriminatory policies of the Boy Scouts of America and the continued participation of All Souls in national Scouting. We considered the steps that should be taken to assure that All Souls does not engage in discrimination that is contrary to the first clause of the UUA Covenant—“to affirm and promote the worth and dignity of every person”—while still providing needed and valuable services to neighborhood youths through community outreach.

This year, we have raised the profile of Interweave within the All Souls community for the following three reasons:

1. to provide a sense of our presence and participation in a part of the larger All Souls community,
2. to become a welcoming presence to other lesbian and gay persons in the congregation who have not previously sought out Interweave, and
3. to provide a safe harbor for those persons struggling with their sexuality who may have few other visible alternatives in exploring their inner lives.

In addition our regular monthly meetings, we also plan a series of other steps this year. These include: placement of advertisements in lesbian and gay publications to spread the word about what the All Souls community can offer them, continued coordination with Interweave at Community Church, and the possibility of a service focused on LGBT issues, perhaps in coordination with Gay Pride month in June.

Other possibilities include sponsoring a social event for the entire All Souls community, and the presentation of lesbian- or gay-themed films and videos as a starting point for discussions throughout the All Souls community about tolerance and acceptance of LGBT and other minorities in our congregation.

Developing an ongoing dialogue with the larger All Souls community while providing a reliable place where LGBT persons can share their experiences will require persistent commitment and effort. This year, Interweave has laid the foundation for that effort through development of a solid core of members who can work together toward these goals.