Inclusiveness and Diversity Committee

IDC was established in November 2010 to carry forward the work started by the Building the World We Dream About class conducted during 2008 and continued by the Cultural and Racial Inclusiveness Committee in 2009, as well as the Welcoming Congregation Committee founded in 2002. IDC's mission is to help guide Mission Peak into becoming a community where people of all ethnic, cultural and gender (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning) identities feel welcome and safe. Beth Schaefer is chair. If you would like to join, please contact her.

Sunday, February 5, - Late Fremont Mayor Bob Wasserman to be honored with MPUUC's "Standing on the Side of Love" Award
posted by Beth Schaefer

See Standing on the Side of Love's publicity about the event.

Mission Peak's Inclusiveness and Diversity Committee will honor the late Mayor of Fremont, Bob Wasserman, with a "Love Award" during the Sunday service on February 5. "Wasserman's greatest legacy is the way he embraced diversity, appointing commissioners from different backgrounds and helping pass a council resolution opposing Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage," said Vice Mayor Anu Natarajan. In a time when the city transformed from majority white to majority Asian population, he led the city with little of the acrimony seen in other communities, encouraging others to respect diversity. He was always a beloved presence at the Interfaith Thanksgiving Day Celebration. Wasserman died last month; his wife, Linda Wasserman, will accept the award.

This is the second annual Love Award the IDC has given. Last year the local chapter of PFLAG, Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays, received the honor. It is given during the Unitarian Universalist Association's national Standing on the Side of Love month, which runs between Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Valentine's Day, and is dedicated to promoting the values of kindness, love and respect for all.

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Sunday, February 26 - Highly Recommended Local Event for Black History Month
posted by Barbara Meyers

On Sunday Feb 26 at 1:30 pm there will be an interactive walking tour on African American Spirituality and History called "A Bridge Over Troubled Waters" led by Pastor Horacio Jones of the Family Bible Fellowship at 37620 Filbert Street in Newark. This congregation has 1300 members. It will include exhibits, booths, displays etc. of black history. The Newark and Fremont school districts are promoting it at their schools. I attended a recent training by Pastor Jones on this material and it was fabulous. I really GOT it. I will be attending and recommend this very highly.

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February 13 - IDC Monthly Meeting
posted by Beth Schaefer

IDC's monthly meeting will be held in the church office. Anyone with an interest in multicultural and multiracial issues is invited to attend. We usually meet on the second Monday of each month, so our next meeting will be on March 12.

February 13 - Not in Our Town - Fremont
posted by Paul Clifford

Our monthly meeting is from 7 to 8:30 pm at the Fremont Congregational Church (UCC), located at 38255 Blacow Road, between Eggers and Central, in Fremont. Remember, we meet on the second Monday of each month except August, so our next meeting will be on March 12.

NIF's focus is on ways to make Fremont safer for Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, or Bisexual youth, and more accepting for our most vulnerable religious communities of Sikhs and Moslems. It is co-chaired by MPUUC member Paul Clifford.

You can follow activities of the larger organization at NIOT.ORG.

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It Gets Better Video
posted October 9, 2010 by Calista Ames

Mission Peak member Debra Lovendusky shared with us a video that includes her son Eugene (he's the one in the teal plaid shirt saying "You can make it through"). This is one of many "It Gets Better Videos" videos you can watch on YouTube, encouraging lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning young people to overcome the harassment and bullying, and to choose life instead.

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Last updated 2-6-2012