Apr 8
Apr 8 Where Will You Be When Democracy Awakens?

As Standing on the Side of Love continues to build our work around #FortificationFridays, we are responding to the asks of many in the SSL constituency who want more emails with inspiration, tools, and specific invites and calls to action. We are continuing to discern deeper into the questions of how do we fortify movements at this time? How do we align with them and answer their calls when watershed moments are happening? This week we are featuring a special call out message from Aquene Freechild, Campaign Co-Director of Democracy is for People at Public Citizen. Aquene is an active young adult leader at All Souls Unitarian Church, Washington, DC, and a member of the congregation’s James Reeb Voting Rights Project. She is a lead organizer for Democracy Awakening.

The momentum is unstoppable. Two broad coalitions representing hundreds of faith, labor, democracy and social justice organizations - Democracy Spring and Democracy Awakening - have come together to launch the biggest effort ever for voting rights and for getting big money out of politics.

All of us working for climate, racial, economic and LGBTQ justice know that we must work together to stop voter suppression and to challenge a public policy process that is dominated by big money. With the U.S. Supreme Court eviscerating voting rights and corporate spending limits in elections, we’re calling on Congress to act.

Mar 29

Mar 29 Sometimes we must raise our voices

Side With Love

In the story “”Facing the Dragon,” SSL Campaign Director Caitlin Breedlove writes: ”Our faith wakes us up in the morning, reminding us that we are called to act in this time. “

Five days after the “United Against Hate” protest of a political event in Fountain Hills, AZ, a large coalition led by Puente Arizona rallied again at the State Capitol in Phoenix to protest the introduction of several new anti-immigration bills in Arizona. Many Unitarian Universalists standing on the side of love were in the coalition.

Puente is a grassroots migrant justice organization based in Phoenix. They write on puenteaz.org: “We develop, educate, and empower migrant communities to protect and defend our families and ourselves in order to enhance the quality of life of our community members.”

Mar 25

Mar 25 Facing the Dragon

Side With Love

If we awaken a Dragon, we need courage to face a Dragon.

Two terms of a Black President. Gay Marriage. Deeply humanizing gains in the struggle for Immigrant Rights. A new force in our country bravely declaring (in word and deed) that Black Lives Matter. In so many ways, communities experiencing identity-based violence have been speaking out, pushing back, and loving ourselves out loud.

This is causing a Dragon of cultural backlash in the United States against these communities. The ‘Trump Effect’ is not about Donald Trump or this election alone anymore. From those of us who are having our sacred Black Lives Matter banners desecrated at our churches to those of us engaging in non-violent civil disobedience who are having our lives threatened: we see rage, resentment and suffering shaped into actions that could make us very afraid.

Mar 9

Mar 9 The Future of Standing on the Side of Love

Side With Love

In 2009, Standing on the Side of Love was launched with the goal of harnessing love’s power to challenge exclusion, oppression, and violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, race, religion, or any other identity.

Since that time, Standing on the Side of Love has collaborated with and supported Unitarian Universalists, people of faith and conscience to learn, connect and take action for justice & equity within and across communities.

As we look forward, we want your feedback. Click here to take our short survey

Feb 10

Feb 10 Decolonizing Our Work for Justice

Side With Love

It’s an uncomfortable question for those of us known as “settlers,” and one that we do not regularly have to face. Last year, as part of the UU College of Social Justice’s “Solidarity with Original Nations and Peoples” program, I had gone in considering myself someone whose eyes were open to the injustices done to the original peoples of the United States. As I stood on the rocky shorefront of the Salish Sea, listening to Lummi organizer Freddie Lane explain the history of this sacred site under threat, I realized that my knowledge barely scratched the surface.

Feb 8

Feb 8 No One is Disposable

Side With Love

It is becoming common knowledge that the United States incarcerates more people than anywhere else in the world. At any given moment there are 2.3 million people in prisons and jails across the country. Black and Pink is an organization that works with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer identified people who are currently incarcerated or involved with the criminal legal system. I founded Black and Pink just over 10 years ago after my own time in prison. I had been locked up in a queer segregated cell in a county jail in Georgia and experienced a sexual assault by a prison guard in a federal minimum security prison. When I got out there were no resources that I could turn to for support, that needed to change. As of now, Black and Pink is a nationally networked grassroots effort, involving nearly 10,000 prisoners, working to abolish the prison industrial complex while meeting the immediate needs of LGBTQ prisoners. The movement for abolition is one that we, as Unitarian Universalists, have made a commitment to understand better and involve ourselves in as we align with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Feb 2

Feb 2 We do not lead single issue lives

Side With Love

When we speak of racial justice, we are not talking about a theoretical framework. We are talking about principles and values that lead and inform the way that we do base building, create policy and monitor policy implementation. We’re talking about building power to dismantle systems of oppression.

2015 was not easy. Violence against our communities- from police brutality and criminalization to underemployment, debt and voter suppression- continued.

At the same time, a mass movement is emerging- in Ohio and across the country- calling for justice, equity and accountability. For us that means organizing centered in building power, rooted in youth leadership development & informed through strategic collaboration.

Jan 26

Jan 26 Building Sanctuary: A Duty to Each Other

Side With Love

We’re excited to share as part of the 30 Days of Love because our collaborations with the UUs have taught us so much about love in action. De-escalating through song when armed minutemen came to our joint rally outside of Sheriff Arpaio’s jail in Arizona in 2011. Opening your doors to house and feed us as we drove cross country for the undocubus in 2012. Continuing to show up in yellow shirts over and over, a constant accompaniment that doesn’t go unnoticed. Rehanging #BlackLivesMatter banners after they’ve been desecrated. And in some cases, opening your physical institutions as sanctuary for those hunted by our own government.

Jan 20

Jan 20 Our Faith Calls Us to Act

Side With Love

We are living in a time when communities face heightened harassment, criminalization, detention, and deportation. As the U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement continues to target, detain, and deport migrant families and children, our faith calls us to act. At a time when we wait for a decision from the Supreme Court determining the possibility of justice for millions of migrants living in the United States, our faith calls us to act.

We must stand on the side of love as advocates for hospitality, compassion, and justice. UU congregations are taking action across the country, from collaboration with local migrant-led organizing to offering and providing Sanctuary.

We share an urgent message fromRev. Peter Morales, President of the UUA, calling on each of us-- as people of faith and conscience-- to take action for immigrant justice today. May we be emboldened to take courageous action for justice.

Jan 18

Jan 18 Fourteen Steps Forward Together for America's Third Reconstruction

Side With Love

Welcome to our second Thirty Days of Love: Towards Racial Justice message lifting up the inspiring, creative and movement-making work happening throughout the country. This week, we are excited to share the profound and important work of the North Carolina NAACP.

Below hear a little more directly from our hosts, Carey McDonald and Elizabeth Nguyen. Then check out fourteen tips from Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, President of the NC NAACP, with Jonathan Wilson-Hargrove. The suggested steps are an excerpt from their new book, The Third Reconstruction, that can be found here. We are also excited to share a Discussion Guide on The Third Reconstruction that complements and lifts up many of the themes in the book available here.