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It was an electrifying moment, one of the highlights of General Assembly 2024, a spontaneous declaration of pure love amid a charged discussion over whether to adopt a proposed Business Resolution stating that embracing transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and gender diverse people is a fundamental expression of Unitarian Universalist religious values.
When Rev. JeKaren Olaoya, a trustee on the UUA Board who sponsored the resolution and was the final speaker in favor of it, took the virtual podium—GA 2024 was online-only—she spoke from her heart:
“To my trans, nonbinary, intersex, or gender-diverse beloveds: Lean in, lean in,” she began. “I love you. I love you. I love you. Please do not leave this space without feeling my love and the love of others who see you as divine. I love you. You are divine. I love you. You are holy . . .”
For her entire allotted 90 seconds, Olaoya emphasized that message over and over, saying “I love you” about twenty times. She wanted to make sure, she said later, that the debate over the resolution, which was experienced by many as hurtful and causing harm, did not overpower the love she and others feel for their gender-diverse siblings.
“I love you. I love you,” she repeated, ending with, “What we will not do in this space is let you go another moment believing anything other than the fact that you are loved.”
The resolution passed overwhelmingly with a 91.8 percent vote in favor. And love was also at the center of a new statement of Shared Values for the faith, which passed decisively at GA 2024.
Here, Olaoya tells UU World what moved her in that meaningful moment:
Highlights from the Conversation with Rev. JeKaren Olaoya
On What She Was Thinking and Feeling at That Moment
Rev. Jekaren Olaoya
“We should not be debating people's humanity. We should not be discussing the validity of the things that we are asking our faith to do in this moment. And I was— I was angry. By the time it got back to me in those last 90 [seconds], I was very angry. And so, that was not scripted. It was just me being me, trying to shift the focus into what really matters.
“It doesn't matter that you disagree. It doesn't matter if you don't value trans lives. You're not important to me, but the people who are important to me are people who have to live every single day fighting against the world that doesn't want them to exist. And I just wanted them to know: I love you, and I want you to exist.
“I want you to keep going.”
On What It Means to Center Love
“We have to come from here, from our hearts. And so, that means that we have to stop debating. We have to stop prioritizing the right of speech for someone who is spewing hate. We can't do that anymore. We should have never been doing it. We have to center love, and we center love by no matter what we hear, no matter the hate, whatever, we have to be willing to change the focus.”
On the Need to Pair Love with Consistent Action
“You can't just say, ‘I love you,’ and then walk away, right? You have to show that you love every single person whose humanity depends on that love to survive. That's all of us. So, that means going to the legislator. That means writing postcards to voters. That means being in the streets, and marching, and taking up this huge, massive task of speaking up.”
On How to Keep it Simple
“Just go out into the world and love each other. Love each other even harder. Say I love you to strangers, people that you've just met, you don't even know their last name. Go tell them you love them and watch the world change, because it will.”