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The Rev. Christe Lunsford, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Gainesville, Florida, attended the Gainesville community’s observance of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, along with fifteen of their congregants. “It's hard to know that over 300 people were killed for being who they were,” Lunsford said. ”If you're living your true self, you should be able to do that in the world.” (Alligator, November 21)
First Parish UU Church in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, was one of many UU congregations that held services of remembrance for transgender people who have been killed. Guest speaker Alexandra Chandler reminded those gathered that, “A smattering of letters that make up the names, a few words of the times and places of their deaths—does not encapsulate their lives, in all their challenges, all their joys, and in the everything in between of daily life.” (Wicked Local, November 19)
Augusta church’s neighbors reach out to help
When the UU Church of Augusta, Georgia, was vandalized, two members of the Augusta community who owned power washing businesses were inspired to clean the spray painted, antisemitic messages from the building. One of the power washers, Daniel Sikes, said, “[The vandalism] was done in the name of Christianity, and that's not what Christianity is about. . . . This is a church. It may not be the church that everyone goes to, but it’s still not okay for a Christian to say they did this in God’s name.” (WDRW, November 23)
Scott Warren acquitted in second trial
Scott Warren, a volunteer with the humanitarian group No More Deaths, has been acquitted in his second trial. The Rev. Mary Katherine Morn, president and CEO of the UU Service Committee, said, “The verdict is a sharp and welcome rebuke to the administration’s ongoing effort to criminalize compassion—and marks a major victory for all of the humanitarian workers willing to risk their own lives to save those of others.” (WUFT, November 22)