The UCC is located on West Main Street in Norwich, and they welcome people of all backgrounds to their community. (Photo by Lilli Iannella)

NORWICH – To recognize the LGBTQ+ community, The United Church of Christ (UCC) held its third annual Pride Month service on Sunday morning in Norwich. The Rev. Jason Boyd led hymns and prayers that affirmed the church’s inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community, featuring a “rainbow prayer” and a reflection of the current climate regarding state legislature.

“We strive to live up to this covenant we made to be inclusive, welcoming, and celebrating of LGBTQ persons exactly as God made them to be,” Boyd said in an email to The Evening Sun. “It is an important part of our ministry to reach out to those whom other churches reject.”

The UCC is a Protestant denomination with about 1.3 million members, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) said in a news release. The HRC is the largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization in the U.S., and while they said that the UCC has been one of the most accepting religious groups of LGBTQ+ people, they also said that not every church in the denomination is supportive.

For over 20 years, the UCC has welcomed people of the LGBTQ+ community, Boyd said in the service. In 2020, the church held its first Pride Service in celebration of its 20 years of being an “open and affirming church,” said Parish Coordinator Cheri Oakley.

Boyd and other church members wore rainbow apparel and jewelry, an international symbol of LBGTQ+ pride, Encyclopedia Britannica states.

During the service, Boyd highlighted a state of emergency declared last week by the HRC. According to a press release by the HRC, this marked the first time the organization made this declaration in its 40-year history.

The HRC said their warning is a call of action following an “unprecedented and dangerous” spike in discriminatory state legislation related to the LGBTQ+ community, including topics like education and healthcare. More than 75 anti-LGBTQ laws have been signed into law so far in 2023, the organization said, doubling last year’s number.

Boyd communicated his frustration with the passing of these laws across the U.S.

“We come to this day in an interesting time in the life of the LGBTQ community,” he said. “In parts of our country, state governments are actively working to make the lives of LGBTQ people much more difficult.”

According to the 2020 United States Religion Census, a little over 500 people in Chenango County are affiliated with the UCC, which amounts to about 1% of the county’s population reflected in the 2020 U.S. Census. Out of 23 religious groups, the UCC represents the eighth most popular in the county, while the Catholic Church stands as the leading group with 17% of county adherents.

In addition to the Pride Service, the UCC extends its support through public engagement, like community forums and social media.

In 2021, the church created an online campaign on Facebook, where they encourage people to wear rainbow colors, write a message of solidarity with LGBTQ+ people and post using the hashtag #RainbowMondays. Norwich and Chenango County community members have created over 150 posts so far.

The UCC also plans to be a part of the Chenango County Pride Alliance Festival, which is set to take place in late August.