For 16 years in the ecumenical welcoming movement, The Coalition had the only paid staff position devoted to youth. Only recently, has the Methodist Reconciling Ministries Network added a similar paid position. The Youth and Young Adult (YYA) Program has appeared in the now-defunct, ecumenical publication, Open Hands, as well as newsletters of our sister organizations in the ecumenical welcoming movement.  From time to time, colleagues consult us about our policies and practices.

Read the Open Hands article by Greg Anderson from Spring 1994
www.ucccoalition.org/fileadmin/news/94SprOpenHands.pdf

Workshops have been presented several times for the National Youth Advocacy Coalition, an organization that advocates for LGBT youth.  NYAC holds both regional and national events for LGBTQ youth.  We have also participated in regional LGBT college student events.

Over time, our number of volunteers has increased, which has in turn increased our capacity to make educational presentations and support and mentor LGBT young people. The 2008 National Youth Event (NYE) of the UCC was staffed by ten volunteers and two staff members. This meant that we were able to present in 16 workshop slots and in one pre-event slot—which is a major shift from just two in 1996.  At NYE 2008, 484 people took a Coalition workshop.  Including various presentations in other settings, nearly 700 people took a YYA workshop in 2008, a year that also marked the first workshop at NYE addressing issues of gender identity.

Over these formative years, we have shifted from having a few YYA brochures on the corner of a table to having a table or two entirely devoted to YYAs.

How You Can Help: Your help is needed to increase the support available for youth and young adults who are considering issues of sexuality and gender identity.  Contact Tim Brown at yya (at) ucccoalition (dot) org if you are willing to consider volunteering with the YYA program at national or regional events in the UCC.

The success of the YYA program has been particularly manifest in having easier (and even expected) access and participation at denominational youth and young adult events. 

Our first Safe Space arose spontaneously by youth request at 2000 National Youth Event in Ames, Iowa.  The necessity of holding Safe Space is no longer questioned (or rarely so).  At both the 2004 and 2008 NYE's, Safe Space was listed in the program booklets and held several times over the course of the event.  Having this official designation is an acknowledgement that the UCC has LGBT youth and gives us more legitimacy and credibility than looking for an informal space on our own. 

Safe Space is also now a regular part of General Synod activities.  We have given workshops geared for young people at every General Synod since 1997.  We are also now included in the “regular line-up” of those who are introduced to youth at events along with denominational and conference staff.

In its history, the Youth and Young Adult Program has been involved with two General Synod resolutions concerned with LGBT youth and young adults.

• In 1999, General Synod 22 adopted the resolution, “Prevention of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth Suicide.”  A packet of materials was created (and has been updated in 2008) titled Life or Death: Resources for Communities of Faith Addressing the Issue of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgeder Youth Suicide.  As with the 1985 Open and Affirming Resolution and ONA work, the Coalition has been the home for work with youth suicide prevention and intervention.

• In 2003, General Synod 24 adopted the resolution, The Boy Scouts of America and the United Church of Christ.  It is the policy of the Boy Scouts of America to prohibit participation by gay and bisexual boys and men.  There are 1,425 troops of the BSA chartered by United Church of Christ congregations, accounting for approximately 55,000 boys and men. The resolution was two-pronged, supporting congregations that wished to sever ties with the organization, as well as supporting congregations that wished to engage in dialogue with the BSA. 

How You Can Help: Announce your office or church as a Safe Space. Posters are available for a small fee through our resource center or you can print them yourself for free: http://www.ucccoalition.org/resources/SafeSpacePoster.pdf