1969 The United Church of Christ Council for Christian Social Action adopted the “Resolution on Homosexuals and the Law.”
1972 The Rev. William R. Johnson became the first openly gay minister to be ordained in the United Church of Christ.
1973 The United Church of Christ’s Executive Council adopted “Human Sexuality and Ordination,” which recommended that congregations, Associations and Conferences initiate programs of study and dialogue with regard to the implications (meanings) of human sexuality, and the relationship between ordination and human sexuality.
1975 The 10th General Synod of the UCC passed the “Resolution on Human Sexuality and the Needs of Gay and Bisexual Persons.”
1975 The 10th General Synod of the UCC also passed the “A Pronouncement: Civil Liberties without Discrimination Related to Affectional or Sexual Preference” resolution.
1977 The Rev. Anne Holmes became the first openly lesbian minister to be ordained in the United Church of Christ.
1977 The 11th General Synod of the UCC passed the “Recommendations in Regard to the Human Sexuality Study” and the “Resolution Deploring the Violation of Civil Rights of Gay and Bisexual Persons.”
1980 & 1981 The Executive Council of the UCC adopted the “Equal Employment Opportunity Policy and Revision“, where it affirmed its moral and legal commitment to support and implement a program of Equal Employment Opportunity.
1983 The 14th General Synod of the UCC passed these resolutions:
- “Report of the Task Force for the Study of Human Sexuality.” This resolution urged that attention and support be given to the development of proposals and programs to end sexual violence against men, women and children, regardless of their sexual orientation.
- “Resolution Recommending Inclusiveness on Association Church and Ministry Committees within the United Church of Christ.”
- “Resolution in Response to the Concerns of Same-gender Oriented Persons and their Families within the United Church of Christ.”
- “Resolution on the Institutionalized Homophobia within the United Church of Christ.”
1985 The 15th General Synod of the UCC passed the “Resolution Calling on United Church of Christ Congregations to Declare Themselves Open and Affirming.” This resolution encourages a policy on nondiscrimination in employment, volunteer service and membership policies with regard to sexual orientation; encourages the congregations of the United Church of Christ to adopt a nondiscrimination policy and a Covenant of Openness and Affirmation of persons of lesbian, gay and bisexual orientation within the community of faith.
1987 The 16th General Synod of the UCC passed the “Resolution on the Right to Privacy.” This resolution urges individuals, congregations, Associations and Conferences to work for repeal of current laws which make private consensual sexual behavior a crime.
1989 The 17th General Synod of the UCC passed the “Resolution Deploring Violence against Lesbian and Gay People.”
1991 The 18th General Synod of the UCC passed the “Resolution on Virginia Privacy Laws“. This resolution urged the decriminalization of private and non-commercial sexual activity between consenting adults. General Synod also passed the “Resolution on Affirming Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Persons and their Ministries.”
1993 The 19th General Synod of the UCC passed the “Resolution Calling on the Church for Greater Leadership to End Discrimination against Gays and Lesbians“.
1993 The 19th General Synod of the UCC also passed the “A Call to End the Ban against Gays and Lesbians in the Military” resolution.
1996 The Directorate of the Office of Church in Society of the UCC voted for “Equal Marriage Rights for Same-sex Couples.”
1996 The Board of Directors of the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries of the UCC voted for “Equal Marriage Rights for Same Gender Couples.”
1997 The 21st General Synod of the UCC passed the “Fidelity and Integrity in all Covenanted Relationships” resolution.
1998 The Executive Council of the UCC called for the “Passage of Hate Crimes Legislation“. In this, they called for immediate passage of the Federal Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 1998 and urged all United Church of Christ members to communicate support for this legislation to their congressional representatives.
1999 The 22nd General Synod of the UCC passed the “Prevention of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth Suicide” resolution. General Synod also passed the “Affirming and Strengthening Marriage” resolution.
2003 The 24th General Synod of the UCC passed these resolutions:
- “Affirming the Participation and Ministry of Transgender People within the United Church of Christ and Supporting their Civil and Human Rights”
- “Reaffirming the United Church of Christ’s Denouncement of Violence Against Lesbian and Gay People and Calling for the Inclusion of Transgender people within that Anti-violence Statement”
- “The United Church of Christ and the Boy Scouts of America” resolution. This resolution encouraged settings of the church to urge the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America to adopt a membership policy that does not discriminate based on sexual orientation.
2004 The Executive Council of the UCC released a “Call to Action and Invitation to Dialogue on Marriage” during their April meeting.
2005 “Equal Marriage Rights for All” resolution passed by the 25th General Synod of the UCC.
2008 The UCC Florida Conference passed a resolution at its annual meeting in opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
2009 The General Synod of the UCC has joined an Amicus Curiae brief (friend of the court brief) with both California-Nevada Conferences, the California Council of Churches and others in support of the petitioners claiming that Prop 8 should be ruled invalid.
2009 “Affirming Diversity/Multi-Cultural Education in the Public Schools” resolution passed by the 27th General Synod of the UCC. This resolution urges churches to assist public school efforts to protect children and help them understand people of other races and sexual orientation.
2010 The UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns expanded its criteria for new Open and Affirming (ONA) Statements to include gender identity and gender expression effective July 14, 2010.
Adapted from the National UCC website.