Solidarity Sunday & Castro Street Fair, Oct 6th

Help our community connect with LGBT-affirming congregations.

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DON'T MISS THIS FREE OPPORTUNITY!

Join our interfaith LGBTQ-Inclusive Congregations booth!
Castro Street Fair, Sunday, October 6, 2019.

Booth Location #E317
On 18th St, between Castro & Hartford Streets

United in Spirit will be sharing the light of LGBTQ-inclusive congregations at the Castro Street Fair, Sunday, October 6, 2019.

Our booth is #E317, on 18th Street, between Castro and Hartford Streets. Look for the "God is Love" rainbow lettered banner.

Our volunteers will offer information and make referrals to many of the San Francisco Bay Area's LGBTQ-inclusive congregations. We also answer questions and share information about national LGBTQ-affirming religious groups.

The fair is open from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.Our booth will operate til 4:30 p.m. People are invited to come by any time to say hello, or to help staff the booth for any length of time. (Or just for a short period of time, so our volunteers can have some breaks.)

Many thanks to Rita Goldberger for coordinating and staffing the booth!

INVITE

United in Spirit invites LGBTQ-affirming congregation to shine at this year's Castro Street Fair. With over 50,000 attendees from all around the Bay Area, the Castro Street Fair is a great opportunity to reach new folks and spread the word about our inclusive congregations.

What happens at our booth?

We provide information and make referrals for many of the bay area's LGBTQ-affirming churches, synagogues, mosques, and religious groups. Volunteers will help answer questions and also hand out a brochure with contact information for national LGBTQ-affirming religious groups.

How to participate?

You can participate in several ways — whichever works for you:

PROVIDE LITERATURE: You can provide informative and welcoming literature about your church and items such as wristbands, buttons, stickers, etc., to put on the table to share with visitors.
STAFF BOOTH: You can send volunteers to staff the booth during all or part of the day, to talk to people and answer questions.
OFFER FEEDBACK: You can provide insight about what else you would like at the booth.
PROMOTE: You can share this page or let us know who else we should contact.

When and where?

The fair will be held Sunday, October 6, from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Our booth will operate til 4:30 p.m. You can drop off informational materials at our booth any time after 7:00 a.m. on Sunday morning at our booth on 18th St, between Castro & Hartford Streets. Volunteers who want to help staff the booth can come by at any time, for any length of time, during fair hours. You can also find us by looking for our rainbow “God is Love” or “United in Spirit” banners.

Questions for booth coordinator?

Rita A. Goldberger is coordinating the booth. Contact Rita at (415) 640-4439 if you have questions, ideas, or wish to volunteer or arrange to drop off or mail information.

Please share this email with any bay area LGBTQ-affirming congregation or religious organization that you think will be interested.

Blessings,

Michael Leslie
United in Spirit

Information and referrals for many traditions.

HELP US EXTEND THE WELCOME!

Brochures and informational materials on display.

FACEBOOK EVENT LINKS

OCTOBER 6: LGBTQ SOLIDARITY SABBATH/SUNDAY

OCTOBER 6: CASTRO STREET FAIR

LGBTQ+ Solidarity Sunday / LGBTQ+ Solidarity Sabbath is an interfaith initiative that was introduced by DignityUSA in 1995 as a way all of us can make visible our opposition to violence directed against the LGBTQ+ community. Solidarity Sabbath/Sunday is held every year on the weekend before National Coming Out Day (October 11) and all are invited and welcome to participate.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
-Wear your solidarity rainbow ribbon at all times, especially religious services
-Pray for an end to anti-LGBT violence, in personal and communal prayers
-Educate your children, your faith community, your colleagues, your friends about the need to stop violence against all people, especially gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
-Take the Solidarity pledge.

For more information: https://www.dignityusa.org/article/solidarity-sunday

OCTOBER 11: National Coming Out Day

“Coming out can be one of the most courageous acts an LGBTQ person makes, and that courage is inextricably tied to our continued progress toward full equality,” says Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin. “Visibility matters, and research shows that when people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support full equality under the law. Coming out and sharing our stories is essential to advancing LGBTQ equality and fighting back against attempts to turn back the clock on our progress.”

The HRC Foundation — the educational arm of HRC — has launched several resources available to encourage and support individuals in their coming out journey, including the organization’s latest guide, Coming Out: Living Authentically as LGBTQ Asian and Pacific Islander Americans. HRC's additional coming out tools include resources on coming out in communities of faith, among different racial and ethnic identities, in the workplace and to one's doctor, and a variety of other contexts. Visit hrc.org/comingout for more information.

For more information and resources on NCOD, visit HRC’s Coming Out Center.

OCTOBER 19: OUR TOWN NON-PROFIT EXPO

United in Spirit will have a booth at OurTownSF to share about inclusive congregations. OurTownSF hopes to help connect 150+ local groups serving the LGBTQ community with new volunteers, clients and donors and over 4,000 attendees.

Please contact Rita Goldberger if you wish to bring snacks or gifts to hand out to attract attendees to our table. Rita A. Goldberger is coordinating the booth. Contact Rita at (415) 640-4439 if you have questions, ideas, or wish to volunteer or arrange to drop off or mail information.

Date: Saturday, October 19, 12:30PM-4:30PM
Schedule: Setup 10am-noon, Expo 12:30-4:30PM,Take-down 4:30-6pm
Location: Eureka Valley Rec Center, 100 Collingwood St. at 18th
Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2165897586962052/
See video from 2018 Expo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haImNxbRyV4

CONTRIBUTE TO UNITED IN SPIRIT

CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE
Your gift supports the efforts of United in Spirit to help connect the LGBT community with inclusive congregations. Your donations are tax-deductible, safe, and secure. United in Spirit is considered a project of Dignity/SF which is a 501(c)(3) religious nonprofit organization.

ONLINE
DONATE ONLINE through Dignity/SF's secure PayPal page. Click "Add a note" under the amount and enter "Unitedin Spirit. Then send an email to unitedinspiritsf@gmail.com with the name of the contributor and the amount of your donation. Thank you!

BY CHECK OR ONLINE 'BILL PAY'
Make payable to Dignity/SF and send to the following address:

DIGNITY/SF
1329 7th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122

Write "United in Spirit” on the memo line.

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