Project Description

LQBTQ Welcoming Congregation

No matter who you are – or who you love – you are welcome here

What is a welcoming congregation?

The Unitarian Universalist Church of the North Hills proudly became a Welcoming Congregation in 2003. The Welcoming Congregation Program is a voluntary program for Unitarian Universalist congregations that want to take intentional steps to become more welcoming and inclusive of people with marginalized sexual orientations and gender identities.

First launched in 1990, the program grew out of an understanding that widespread prejudices and ignorance about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people existed within Unitarian Universalism, which resulted in the exclusion of LGBTQ people from our congregations.

Today, 66% of U.S. Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations and 94% of Canadian UU congregations are recognized as Welcoming Congregations. The program is supported by LGBTQ Ministries.

What is a welcoming congregation?

The Unitarian Universalist Church of the North Hills proudly became a Welcoming Congregation in 2003. The Welcoming Congregation Program is a voluntary program for Unitarian Universalist congregations that want to take intentional steps to become more welcoming and inclusive of people with marginalized sexual orientations and gender identities.

First launched in 1990, the program grew out of an understanding that widespread prejudices and ignorance about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people existed within Unitarian Universalism, which resulted in the exclusion of LGBTQ people from our congregations.

Today, 66% of U.S. Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations and 94% of Canadian UU congregations are recognized as Welcoming Congregations. The program is supported by LGBTQ Ministries.

Who is welcome at UUCNH?

We say it in our service each week –

Whatever your gender identity, gender expression, affectionate or sexual orientation, family, or relationship, you can be at home here.

That means that people like these and more are welcome at our church:

  • If you are a divorced lesbian who would like her children to receive LGBTQ inclusive religious education 

  • You are a trans woman of color who is struggling with the rejection of  family and friends 

  • You are a 19 year old who is looking for other queer adults to connect with 

  • You are a fifty-something bi-sexual man who recently lost a partner 

  • You are simply questioning what gender you identify with late in life

We have lead the way for inclusion and acceptance of LQBTQ people

Unitarian Universalism has a proud history of supporting full equality for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people and their families, Church of the North Hills proudly became a Welcoming Congregation in 2003. The Welcoming Congregation Program is a voluntary program for Unitarian Universalist congregations that want to take intentional steps to become more welcoming and inclusive of people with marginalized sexual orientations and gender identities.

Our greater faith community has called and ordained openly lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer ministers.  Here at UUCNH, we had an openly lesbian called minster in our recent history.

Here in Pittsburgh, we have been standing on the side of love with the LGBTQ community for close to 20 years.

We have lead the way for inclusion and acceptance of LQBTQ people

Unitarian Universalism has a proud history of supporting full equality for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people and their families, Church of the North Hills proudly became a Welcoming Congregation in 2003. The Welcoming Congregation Program is a voluntary program for Unitarian Universalist congregations that want to take intentional steps to become more welcoming and inclusive of people with marginalized sexual orientations and gender identities.

Our greater faith community has called and ordained openly lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer ministers.  Here at UUCNH, we had an openly lesbian called minster in our recent history.

Here in Pittsburgh, we have been standing on the side of love with the LGBTQ community for close to 20 years.

Welcoming Renewal

In 2019, the Group TrUUe Colors was formed to renew our Welcoming Congregation status, according to the new renewal process recommended by the UUA. It also serves as a social group for those identifying as LGBTQ+ and their allies.

The Five Practices of Welcome Renewal are five benchmarks that UUCNH is following in order to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, two-spirit, genderqueer, non-binary, and the like feel fully welcomed, centered, and embraced in our Unitarian Universalist congregation. Welcoming Congregations are required to meet the following benchmarks annually in order to remain “current” as a Welcoming Congregation.

  • Become a Welcoming Congregation

  • Welcoming Worship Services

  • Welcoming Days of Observance

  • Welcoming Religious Education

  • Support a Welcoming Project

You can contact the TrUUe Colors group by emailing them.

You are always welcome to visit

The best way to experience our church community is to visit either online or in person.  Please fill out the Visitor information on the link below.