You may have heard it said that queer people never stop coming out. It’s true. I first came out when I was sixteen (around 2001). I started by telling my father that I was bi. Not long after that, I told my mother, and then a few close friends. It wasn’t a big deal, really. My family had always celebrated love and self-expression, and my friends were always kind to everyone. But, for some reason, it was still terrifying. Then, as a young adult, I learned the term Pansexual, and suddenly, I felt I had to come out all over again – “Oh, actually, y’all, I’m Pan, not bi.” And, you know what? It was still scary.

Most recently (within the past five years), I’ve started examining my gender. It began when I was asked to identify my pronouns, and I found I really did not want to. Ultimately, through self examination, I came to understand myself as a person who is mostly ‘not a girl,’ and I adopted She/They as my pronouns. But, to tell you the truth, I am still exploring my gender. And, I am terrified I may have to come out yet again. Because, what it comes down to is this – coming out, even in the best of circumstances, is scary.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it does get easier over time. These days, I don’t think twice about wearing my pride merch and telling anyone who asks that I am pansexual, or that my pronouns are she/they. But, in the beginning, it can be terrifying. That’s why, this coming out day, I want to make sure you are aware of The Coming Out Handbook from The Trevor Project. And, I want to assure you that if you aren’t ready to come out just yet, that’s okay too. Out or not, you are still loved, and you are still valid.

First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati became the 249th UU congregation in the nation to adopt the 8th Principle. The congregation on May 21, 2023, unanimously voted, “First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati, as a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, adopts the 8th Principle to covenant to affirm and promote journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community that by our actions accountably dismantles racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.” All congregations belonging to the Unitarian Universalist Association affirm and promote Seven Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides. First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati also adopted an 8^th Principle, specific to our congregation, that affirms our legacy of building a diverse multicultural Beloved Community to dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.