Some of you may have heard that the Westboro Baptist Church is coming to Vassar. You also might have heard about all the great organizing current Vassar students and alums are doing. What you likely didn’t hear about is how the Unitarian Universalist Campus Ministry Group at Vassar is involved. Below is a statement from Saul Ulloa, co-president of the Unitarian Universalist about what they are doing – and how we can help. -Kayla
On February 28th, the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is planning a protest at Vassar College in reaction to Vassar’s accepting and liberal environment, namely our wide acceptance of the LGBTQ community and allies. In response, Vassar’s student body has begun planning events that confirm our commitment to inclusivity and collaboration, in order to hear from and highlight all of the incredible voices that make up the larger Vassar community.
Our event is still in formation, however our primary goal is to make this “day of action” about strengthening our own community rather than reacting directly to the WBC. I am sitting on the Religion and Spiritual Life Committee, and we are planning on holding a walking meditation, interfaith music, and an interfaith service lead by religious leaders in our community. As part of these events, UU group is proud to be hosting and creating a Joys and Sorrows activity.
Additionally, the Vassar community, including alumni, have raised over $80,000 for The Trevor Project, “the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth.” If you are interested in donating to our fundraiser please, go to http://www.crowdrise.com/vcfeb28. Due to the overwhelming response and support we received, we have created our DoSomethingVC initiative, where folks can also provide support for The Ali Forney Center, Vassar’s Fund for Social Justice and Inclusion, and the Hudson Valley Chapter of GLSEN.
If you are interested in getting involved with our efforts, please contact me at saulloa@vassar.edu