Two Flags Reflect our Principles
By First Parish, July 6, 2022
Displayed on the meetinghouse at First Parish Unitarian Universalist-Canton on Washington Street are two flags: the Progressive Pride flag and the Black Lives Matter flag. Says Diana Levy, chair of the Welcoming Congregation Committee, “Our denomination has a long history of support for justice and equality and recognizes the inherent worth of each person and the value of diversity. Hanging these flags is significant. June is Pride Month, a time set aside to celebrate LGBTQ+ people, their daily contributions to our world, and to pay respects to the struggles that have yet to be overcome. Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States.”
“Here at Canton Unitarian Universalist,” Levy continues, “we wanted to let the public know that our congregation stands in solidarity with the goals of both the Black Lives Matter movement and the fight for equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people of all colors and genders, including non-binary individuals. These flags let people who drive or walk past our building know they can find a welcoming, safe place here for worship and community.”
The Progressive Pride flag shows the six traditional rainbow colors for LGBTQ folks, black and brown stripes representing people of color, and five arrow-shaped stripes that are pink, blue and white for the transgender and other marginalized communities. The arrows are facing right towards making progress and are placed on the left edge to indicate that progress still needs to be made.
The Black Lives Matter flag represents the international human right movement against systemic racism in our society. The call for Black lives to matter is a rallying cry to work for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically and disproportionately targeted for violence. This flag affirms each person’s humanity, their contributions to society, and their resilience in the face of deadly oppression.
First Parish Unitarian Universalist-Canton is located at 1508 Washington Street, Canton. We welcome all who share the principles and goals of our faith community. The Meetinghouse is accessible to wheelchair users and those who are hearing impaired. We embrace diversity and are intentional about the participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender persons and other marginalized identities in all aspects of congregational life.
Unitarian Universalism has roots that are hundreds of years old and a modern outlook on the important things in life: we strive to treat every person with respect and dignity, and to work for justice and equality in our congregations, our communities and in the wider world. There are over 1,000 self-governed Unitarian Universalist congregations world-wide ready to welcome you as you are.