INTERWEAVE - All Souls
The Unitarian Church of All Souls

1157 Lexington Avenue @ East 80 th Street
New York, NY 10021-0440

Our Welcome to Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Persons

   INTERWEAVE - ALL SOULS is an alliance of bisexuals, gays, lesbians and transgender persons and their heterosexual friends at The Unitarian Church of All Souls, a congregation of open minds and hearts, of deeds not creeds since 1819. INTERWEAVE strives to involve its members in the general life of the congregation. It is a consistent presence in the church while providing support services for its members and friends.

What is a Unitarian?

   We strive to affirm and promote:

The inherent worth and dignity of every person;

Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;

Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our    congregation;

A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our    congregations and in society at large;

The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;

Respect for the interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part.

Activities Great and Small  

   INTERWEAVE sponsors numerous events throughout the year. Evening and Sunday events are organized around bi-monthly social gatherings, the Interweave Film Series, guest lectures, topic centered panel discussions and Sunday brunch. Programs vary from year to year depending on the interests of the members and offer the opportunity for B-G-L-T people to socialize and celebrate together.

Societal Concerns and Outreach

   INTERWEAVE is addressing the crisis facing the more than 7000 homeless gay, lesbian and transgender youth living on the streets of our city. We have chosen to support the Greater New York Task Force for Homeless Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Youth through fund raising efforts at All Souls and technical assistance in the Task Force’s efforts. More than $1500 has been raised as of June 2006.

   INTERWEAVE actively reaches out to the community through co-sponsorship and participation in ecumenical events such as the Shower of Stoles Project honoring religious leaders discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. We support the faith based efforts of the Empire State Pride Agenda and the Human Rights Campaign.

   INTERWEAVE members were among those who raised questions about the church's continued funding of the Boy Scouts of America. This led to the development of All Souls’ own alternative to scouting known as The Navigators.

Social Events and Activities

   In the past year INTERWEAVE sponsored bi-monthly social events including a Fire Island beach outing and barbecue, fall and spring Central Park picnics, a country-western dance, and theatre and cultural outings.

   The Interweave Film Series has shown a diverse program of films of topical interest to members, allies and the curious. Films shown most recently include Chutney Popcorn, Another Country, It’s in the Water, A Home at the End of the World, My Beautiful Laundrette, If these walls could talk 2, and The Boys of St. Vincent’s. Films are chosen for their value as entertainment and as catalyst for discussion of contemporary B-G-L-T concerns. An annotated filmography of over 400 films of special interest to the gay community has been prepared by the chapter and is available free of charge.

Political Concerns

   The same-sex marriage issue was the topic of a recent panel discussion with guests Andrew Borchini, Christopher A. Cormier, Renee Hill, and Barbara Raab. A recent brunch meeting on the topic included special guests State Senator Liz Krueger and leaders from Marriage Equality NY and the Wedding Party. Future adult education programs at the church are being planned on this important topic.

   After the 2004 election, INTERWEAVE sponsored a discussion with a diverse panel of guests from the media and gay political action groups.

Cultural and Educational

   In addition to outings to theatrical and cultural events, INTERWEAVE has sponsored adult education programs on books of special interest to our members.

   INTERWEAVE-ALL SOULS hosted the nationwide 2004 Convocation of Interweave Continental of the Unitarian Universalist Association, February 27-29, 2004.

Planning Committee

   The Planning Committee meets on the first Thursday of each month to direct the activities of INTERWEAVE-ALL SOULS. We welcome all interested persons to join the committee or just sit in to discuss issues of concern.

For information, please visit interweavenyc.org or visit allsoulsnyc.org (click OUTREACH then INTERWEAVE) or call the church at 212-535-5530. For additional information, please contact Rod Sorensen, by email at rodneysorensen@aol.com or call 212-505-8662.