We do not want a piece of the pie; it is still a patriarchal pie.
We want to change the recipe!
--Rosemary Matson,
W&R foremother and Resolution implementer
In 1977 the UUA General Assembly unanimously passed the Women & Religion Resolution, calling all individual UUs and UU organizations to examine and put aside sexist assumptions, attitudes and language, and to explore and eliminate religious roots of sexism in myths, traditions and beliefs. Lucile Schuck Longview, visionary UU laywoman working in tandem with individuals and organizations, initiated the Resolution. And a vital, ongoing movement was born.
For two decades the UUA Board-appointed Women and Religion Committee led in transforming Unitarian Universalism toward greater inclusiveness and gender equality. Significant changes in the denomination were inspired by the Resolution. At the same time Women & Religion groups formed and grew at the District level, where W&R programs and retreats deepened and enriched the lives of countless women, UU or not. These gatherings continue to nurture and support women of all ages, expanding and broadening horizons of possibility. Oftentimes, W&R newcomers subsequently joined UU churches in their District.
In 1996 the UUA Board declared the work of the Resolution complete and "sunsetted" its Women and Religion Committee, ending its UUA funding. District W&R groups, however, continued to meet, and there was much conversation across the continent about what to do next. In 1997 at its 20th anniversary, W&R’s "sunrise" logo was introduced—a broad umbrella under which District activities carried on and flourished. Active District groups called themselves ‘stars in the night’ and the overall movement ‘The Continental Constellation’ of Women & Religion, moving “Onward...to the sunrise.”
In 2002, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Resolution, UU Women & Religion officially became an independent affiliate organization of the Unitarian Universalist Association in order to continue the work of establishing gender equality in our religious movement and the world. The religious roots of sexism persist in pervading the secular world today, reinforcing sexism and patriarchy throughout civilization. Clearly, we still have work to do!
In 2006, a new motto was coined for the sunrise logo: ‘Toward a new day...’
We're Women & Religion
And we're here to say
We're Women & Religion
And we're here to stay!
We're Women & Religion
And we're here to say
The work to do's not done
So we're here to stay!
