Love is Louder in Cleveland as Pride Month begins Saturday, June 1

Save the date for Cleveland Pride! 

The United Church of Christ Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries is officially launching its new campaign – Love is Louder: Love Your Neighbor OUT LOUD on June 1 by marching in Cleveland’s Pride parade and with a special hybrid Pride worship June 2 at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ.

“We’re so excited to be in partnership with our Heartland Conference and Living Water Association for this hybrid Worship and marching in Cleveland Pride as one body of Christ,” said Rev. Rachael Ward, team lead & minister for UCC Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries.

“This campaign is here to support and walk with our churches and communities empowering their witness for love and care of LGBTQIA+ siblings.”

An extravagant welcome

George Graham, Pastor of Pilgrim UCC, is looking forward to sharing the history of Pilgrim’s commitment toward LGBTQIA+ siblings and uplifting this national initiative.

“Pilgrim UCC has been committed to welcoming and supporting the LGBTQ+ community for more than 30 years,” Graham shares. “We are incredibly excited to host this ‘Love is Louder’ service during Pride this year, and we look forward to offering an extravagant welcome to all who attend!”

Churches in the Cleveland area are invited to support the message of Love OUT LOUD June 1 by filling out GSJM’s form, here. More information about how to join worship can be found at Love is Louder’s new website home, here.

What is the Love is Louder Campaign?

Love is Louder: Love Your Neighbor OUT LOUD is a campaign faithfully supporting the spiritual, physical, and mental well-being of LGBTQIA+ siblings by equipping faith communities with resources and tools for just action and care. Gender & Sexuality launches this campaign intentionally in Pride Month to honor, center, and celebrate the personhood of queer siblings.

Look for lots of great content in the coming weeks, ahead of Pride month in June.

Gender & Sexuality Justice Ministries’ first Love is Louder: Love Your Neighbor OUT LOUD toolkit release Communal Care for Trans & Non-Binary siblings and its partner Advocacy 101 Webinar is live now on ucc.org/loveislouder.

Ward shared, “Within our first toolkit, we begin by reading Psalm 139 to remember that each of us harbors the Imago Dei within and it is together we tend to one another and help mirror love OUT LOUD for who God calls us to be and continues to form us into being.”

They continued, “Psalm 139 reverberates a wisdom of remembrance for all bodies and how God took intricate time creating each of us. May we remember that we are children of God and Creator makes no mistakes in our unique formation – so let’s show up bearing witness to one another choosing love. Let’s write new stories together. Narratives that showcase hope, love, and Pride for who God created you to be and who we are and can be together.”

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