Church takes its message to Pride Parade

Members of a Palatine church want everyone to know they are open and welcoming.

To drive that message home, more than 25 members of the Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist joined thousands of others marching in Sunday's 39th annual Gay Pride Parade.

"This is awesome," said Susan DeLuca, co-chair of the church's Rainbow Friends Committee, as she marched down Halsted Street in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. "There is a lot of positive energy."

Sunday's parade was the first since the church was designated a "welcoming church" last year by the Boston-based Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations.

The 18-month accreditation process aims to make every level of church life more inclusive and expressive of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender, or GLBT, concerns.

"The parade is an opportunity to walk the walk," DeLuca said. "We've done the preparation and this is the actual outreach."

Having marched in the parade previously, Jeff Hamrick, the church's music director, said he was thrilled to see the congregation as a whole participating.

"I am so excited that our church is finally marching," Hamrick said.

By participating, parishioners hope the more than 400,000 spectators take notice of Countryside.

"We just wanted to come out and show people they are welcome (at our church)," John Kamowski said.

Unitarian Universalism has supported the rights of the GLBT community for decades, but officials say the "welcoming church" program was an opportunity to better educate church members, as well as make a public statement of inclusion.

As part of the accreditation process, Countryside put on a series of workshops covering topics such as biblical perspectives on homosexuality, gender socialization and how internalized homophobia develops.

Recent Hoffman Estates High School grad Sarah Tilford said there are plenty of young supporters, too. She joined the contingent of marchers with several other members of Countryside's youth group.

"It's always important to speak up for what you believe in and that others see it's not just adults supporting GLBT people," Tilford said.

Another Northwest suburban church making its parade debut was the Congregational United Church of Christ in Arlington Heights.

The church has been declared "open and affirming" by the Cleveland-based UCC Coalition for GLBT Concerns, having gone through a process similar to Countryside. Members are marching under the umbrella organization Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches.

"Probably 95 percent (of the congregation) are straight folk, but we have a deep sensitivity," said the Rev. Rex Piercy.

Deluca said she really hopes people come away from Sunday's parade knowing there is a church in Palatine accepting of everyone.

"There is a community in the suburbs that is welcoming," DeLuca said. "There is a safe place for you."