Thoughts from our Ministerial Intern
By Elizabeth Foster, March 24, 2023
A couple of weeks ago, I preached about the more disturbing aspects of Unitarian and Universalist involvement with progressive causes in the early 1900s, including sex education and the birth control movement. However, although our motives were complex and bear examination, it is also true that even at that time, Unitarians and Universalists were committed to providing thoughtful sexual education that allowed people to make choices about their own sexual health. Both the Unitarians and the Universalists were among the first supporters of Planned Parenthood, and several Unitarian and Universalist women compiled sex education information (some of which, surprisingly, still holds up today!) for young people, even though publishing information about birth control and sexual health was illegal in America at the time. This legacy continued for many years; in 1972, a Unitarian church in Milwaukee was famously sued for teaching About Your Sexuality, the precursor to our current sex education program, Our Whole Lives (OWL), developed in collaboration with the United Church of Christ.
First Parish is planning to hold OWL (Our Whole Lives) classes for our Canton community next year, hopefully in collaboration with another local congregation. Offering OWL has often been a way for UU congregations to engage with their larger communities; many OWL programs are sought out by families who otherwise have not previously been involved with a faith community, due to OWL’s excellent reputation. As the UUA puts it, OWL “helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their relationships, sexual health and behavior. It dismantles stereotypes and assumptions, builds self-acceptance and self-esteem, fosters healthy relationships, improves decision making, and has the potential to save lives.” Today, with alarming anti-LGBT laws being passed across the country, our youth need OWL more than ever. If you would like more information about the OWL program in general, you can visit https://www.uua.org/re/owl. And if you think you might like to volunteer to teach OWL next year, please reach out to me about the process!
Warmly,
Elizabeth Foster
P.S. If you want to learn more about 1920s birth control censorship and the Unitarian and Universalist women who fought against it, my door (or inbox) is always open!