Unitarian Universalist Church Donating Sunday Service Collection to Trevor Project

With National Coming Out Day less than a week away, one church is making an effort to become more inclusive toward LGBT people.

Held on Oct. 11 each year to commemorate the first March on Washington by LBGT people, National Coming Out Day gives gay, lesbian and bisexual people the opportunity to "come out" to others about their sexuality.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Studio City announced earlier this week that it will be celebrating the international event with a sermon at its upcoming Oct. 9 service centered around "coming out," entitled, “If Sex Isn’t Religious, Nothing Is.” Collections from the Sunday service will be donated to the Weho-based nonprofit The Trevor Project, which is devoted to LGBT youth suicide prevention.

It is all part of a volunteer curriculum developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association known as "A Welcoming Congregation."

"We recognize that people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender have often been rejected by their faith communities," said Jon Bassinger-Flores, an elected co-chair for the program at Unitarian Universalist.

He notes on their website the process includes a series of workshops, classes, discussions and events, as well as taking a closer look at their mission statement and hiring policy in order to "positively affirm that there are no barriers to LGBT participation" in the life of the church's congregation.

"Our goal is to complete the process within one year and have our congregation vote to become a 'Welcoming Congregation' at that time," writes Bassinger-Flores.

Regular services are every Sunday at 10 a.m. at 12355 Moorpark Dr. just over the hill in Studio City. For more information, visit www.uustudiocity.org.