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The author of this website wishes to thank Danny Enright for the following material.<\/p>\n
Congratulations on your decision to honour yourself and celebrate a vital part of who you are as a complete person. We are delighted that you wish to celebrate your coming out with our Unitarian*Universalist community. We look forward to working with you to create a \u201cComing Out Ceremony\u201d which will celebrate your values, your life and your journey ahead.<\/p>\n
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This information will provide you with a template for your Coming Out Ceremony to which you will add meaningful content. \u00a0It provides a suggested structure for your celebration (which can be altered as necessary) and some suggested texts, songs, symbols and actions (which can be chosen, edited, discarded or added to).<\/p>\n
The possibilities are limited only by our imaginations. Keep in mind, however, that the goal is not so much to create a unique ceremony as it is to create a ceremony that celebrates your values and your freedom, and that works to sustain and enrich your life with your family, friends and community.\u00a0 The more care taken in choosing the contents of your service, the more it will become yours.<\/p>\n
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UNITARIAN*UNIVERSALIST FAITH AND QUEER PEOPLE<\/strong><\/p>\n Our vision is that all Canadian Unitarian*Universalist congregations and organizations concretely reach out to and support communities who may be experiencing oppression based on their gender and\/or sexual identities.<\/p>\n — Welcoming Congregation Vision Statement<\/p>\n The Unitarian religion has a 500 year old progressive tradition. The Unitarian movement challenges limiting beliefs, works for social freedom and emancipates the human spirit.\u00a0 Whether it is providing education to girls in strongly patriarchal societies, ending child labour in young capitalist markets or protecting the rights of atheists to religion-free public institutions, Unitarians are united by their conviction to respect the dignity and worth of all humans.<\/p>\n In North America, Unitarian*Universalists have been one of the leading faith groups in advancing homosexual rights, starting in 1970 when a Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) General Assembly resolution was passed calling for an end to discrimination against homosexuals and bisexuals, and calling for the creation of \u201csex education programs that promoted a healthy attitude towards all forms of sexuality.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Dozens of resolutions have been passed and legal interventions made to support queer rights over the decades, most recently in favour of same sex marriage in Canada.\u00a0 At that time, the President of the Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) affirmed the right of everybody to participate fully and equally in the life of our communities by declaring; \u201cHomophobia is against our religion.\u201d<\/p>\n As evidenced by Winnipeg Unitarian minister Rev. Norm Naylor’s attempt to register the same-sex marriage of Richard North and Chris Vogel in 1974, Unitarian Churches have been long-time supporters of the celebration of same-sex relationships. The CUC also promotes the Welcoming Congregation program, which helps congregations wanting to become more inclusive towards LGBT people.\u00a0Information on the CUC website about LGBTQ Welcoming Congregations<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Through ritual, we can take control of the isolation, confusion and fear we may associate with coming out, and instead celebrate this passage out of the closet with power, creativity and love.\u00a0 As Beck and Metrick state, \u201cAs we plan and prepare for the ritual event, we are involved in the process of doing versus being done to.\u00a0 This in itself is empowering.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a><\/a>SELF DISCOVERY<\/p>\n For your Coming Out Ceremony to be meaningful, you should seek out the relevance to your life by investigating some of your beliefs, motivations and experiences in coming out.\u00a0 Here are some questions to consider:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In your self-discovery reflection, you may have come upon music, art, symbols, texts, artefacts or other things that are tangible icons of who you were, are and will be.\u00a0 These are important personal touches that can enrich your Coming Out Ceremony.\u00a0 Consider retrieving some of these souvenirs of your life, and work with the Minister or Lay Chaplain to find ways to include them in your celebration. \u00a0\u00a0Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Find a location for your ceremony that moves you.\u00a0 It could be in a special spot outdoors, but have a back-up plan in case of bad weather.\u00a0 Check if you need permission to use your spot (such as a park).\u00a0 Balance your need to be courageous with your need to be safe; find a spot where you won\u2019t have to worry about outside interruptions. We encourage you to be conscious of the accessibility of the site (can Grandma clamber over those rocks?), whether the site is big enough to accommodate everybody, or too big to create the sought after cozy feeling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Once you have chosen your site, consider creative ways to use the space. \u00a0The space, along with the components of your ritual will help determine the logistics; how people gather together, how furniture is placed and perhaps even how to make the best use of acoustics.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some thoughts to consider:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Consider having music playing before the ceremony to set the mood.\u00a0 How will the ceremony begin?<\/p>\n Walk into the space with a significant song playing. People are standing. Ask everybody to sit.<\/p>\n Stand in the middle of a circle of people, all standing very close together; enveloping you. With the words from the leader: \u201cLet us begin\u201d, the crowd opens up and you are revealed.<\/p>\n As the music fades, move to the focus point, and ask everybody to take their places.<\/p>\n An entourage of festively dressed attendants escort you \u201cdown the aisle\u2019.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Among us right now is the spirit of all that is divine. As we bless each other with our presence, so too are we blessing __________ as we witness her\/his\/their Coming Out as (gay man, lesbian, transgendered, male, female, queer, bisexual, intersexed, etc.).\u00a0 My name is _______________ and I have been asked to help with this coming out ceremony.\u00a0 Let us be fully present as we come to this time of celebration. \u00a0Let us breathe together silently for a moment to bring ourselves fully here.\u00a0There are two lasting gifts we can give our loved ones; one is roots, and the other is wings.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Welcome to this ceremony marking an important and pivotal time in _____\u2019s life.\u00a0 I am ____________ and I will help lead us through a Coming Out Ceremony to help us all deepen our connection to one another, as we support and encourage ________ through this wonderful process.\u00a0 Let\u2019s weave this group into community by saying your name and a word about your relationship with _________.<\/p>\n Come in.<\/p>\n Come into this place which we make holy by our presence. <\/p>\n Now let us pause and look around at these beautiful surroundings for a moment, to create for ourselves and this ceremony a sense of Sacred Space which brings meaning to our lives, and substance to our hopes and dreams. (pause for 60 seconds)<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Please become comfortable in your bodies, and let your mind be quiet and still. Breathing in, breathing out….<\/p>\n In your mind’s eye, move into a peaceful place, adorned with beauty that is special to you. (pause for 60 seconds)<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Let us open our minds and hearts to the place of quiet, to the silent prayer for the healing of pain and the soft, gentle coming of love. (pause for 60 seconds)<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Let us bring our spirits together in meditation, prayer and song. I will sing a chant once and then ask you to join in with me.\u00a0 We will continue to sing it five times.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n (Chant)<\/p>\n Gathered here in the mystery of the hour,<\/p>\n Gathered here, in one strong body,<\/p>\n Gathered here through the struggle and the power,<\/p>\n Spirit, draw near!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We have come here to celebrate the Coming Out of ____________, potentially the most significant transition in her\/his\/their life. We are gathered here to deepen this experience as she\/he\/they steps from one world into another.\u00a0 The chasm can be deep between the worlds, but we can use the power of our affection to build a bridge, offering support.\u00a0Our goal is to safely and lovingly see ____________ safely to the other side\u2026.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n We all experience disconnection and feeling scattered. _______________ has been struggling for years with his\/her\/their identities; man\/woman, straight\/gay\/lesbian\/bisexual.\u00a0 The strain of seeming to be one thing, yet knowing in our heart and soul that we are the other is immense. Then, thankfully, we arrive at a time when we say \u201cEnough! I must be whom my soul calls me to be. \u00a0I will be honest to myself and the world, consequences be damned! \u201d<\/p>\n The consequences often are a life rich in friendship, freedom and fresh thinking.\u00a0 It\u2019s not always easy, but being our authentic self is life-affirming.\u00a0 If you spend your time worrying about what one person may say, you\u2019ll miss the glorious love, acceptance and encouragement you receive from so many more.<\/p>\n In this process of being authentic, we create ourselves anew; we take the finest of what was, and merge it with the wonders yet to come.\u00a0\u00a0 We are not becoming somebody else; we are becoming whole.\u00a0 We are here today to participate in the creation of a whole person, __________.\u00a0 Alive, complete and loved.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Not very long ago, the thought of Coming Out as (lesbian, gay, transgendered, bisexual, interesexed, queer, etc.) was virtually unthinkable. Some of us may still be uncomfortable, or confused by the notion.\u00a0 This ceremony is an enlightened and brave first step on a journey of self discovery, for _____________, and for the rest of us as we share in her\/his\/their awakening of this important part of her\/his\/their identity.\u00a0 We are here to open our minds and our hearts, and share in a marvellous transition in _____________\u2019s life.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n There is only one purpose for all of life, and that is for you and all that lives to experience fullest glory. The wonder of this purpose is that it is never-ending.\u00a0 An ending is a limitation, and God\u2019s purpose is without such a boundary.\u00a0 Should there come a moment in which you experience yourself in your fullest glory, you will in that instant imagine an ever greater glory to fulfill.\u00a0 The more you are, the more you can become, and the more you can become, the more you can yet be.\u00a0 The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation.\u00a0 You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew.\u00a0 Seek, therefore, not to find out who you are, seek to determine who you want to be.<\/p>\n — God in \u201cConversations with God\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A reading by Henri Nouwen.<\/p>\n To give someone a blessing is the most significant affirmation we can offer. It is more than a word of praise or appreciation; it is more than pointing out someone’s talents or good deeds; it is more than putting someone in the light. To give a blessing is to affirm, to say “yes” to a person’s Belovedness. And more than that: to give a blessing creates the reality of which it speaks.\u00a0 A blessing goes beyond the distinction between admiration or condemnation, between virtues or vices, between good deeds or evil deeds. A blessing touches the original goodness of the other and calls for his or her Belovedness.<\/p>\n Do you, who have known ___________ for many years, seen her\/him\/them through times of joy and sorrow, now give blessing to her\/his\/their Coming Out?<\/p>\n If so, please respond, `We do.’<\/p>\n Response:<\/strong> We do.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Coming Out is an important personal journey that is about personal authenticity and freedom. But it also has a wider effect in the lives of relatives and friends, and in community at large. Do you who are gathered here pledge your support to _________ in the ceremony that she\/he\/they celebrate today?<\/p>\n If so, please respond, `We do.’<\/p>\n Response:<\/strong> We do!<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Bless _____________, for she\/he\/they is a child of the Universe. Blessed Be.<\/p>\n So Be It.<\/p>\n Amen<\/p>\n <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n Choose a reading, or more than one.\u00a0 Consider having friends read passages.<\/p>\n From Grimm Tales<\/p>\n Once, on the other side of the mountains, on the edge of the Endless Forest, a boy lived in a cottage with his mother and father, his brothers and sisters. It was winter, the coldest winter the boy had ever experienced, the coldest winter anyone could remember in a land memorable for the cold\u00adness of its winters, and there was no firewood in the cottage for the boy. There was firewood for his brothers, who would grow up to be just like their father, and firewood for his sis\u00adters, who would grow up to be just like their mother. But for the boy, who would grow up to be like himself and no other, there was none.<\/p>\n One morning the boy woke up before sunrise. The night had been the coldest one yet, and the frost was heavy on his blankets. The boy determined that, rather than spend an\u00adother such night, he’d go into the forest and get firewood for himself. He dressed and left the cottage while everyone slept, dragging his sled behind him over the snowy fields and under the eaves of the forest. Here everything was frozen and silent, and because the winter had been so hard there wasn’t much wood to be found. The boy ventured deeper into the forest, finding a few twigs here, a pine cone there, a fallen branch further on, and gradually he loaded his sled.<\/p>\n By the time he had enough wood, he was so cold and had wandered so far that he decided to build a fire for himself right where he was. He was brushing the snow away when suddenly the sun, which had risen while he searched, gleamed on something at his feet. The boy saw it was a key, a golden key, and picked it up eagerly. “It’s mine,” he laughed, tossing it into the air and catching it, and the key sparkled and glittered in the sunlight as if it were laughing with him.<\/p>\n After a while it occurred to him that where there was a key, there must be a lock that opened to it. He swept the snow away all around him but, finding nothing, began digging into the ground. Oh, the ground was hard, harder than stone, harder than steel, and the boy had no tools to work with but his hands. It was a long while that he dug, but whenever he got tired or discouraged he pulled the golden key out of his pocket, and let his eyes rest on its promise, and went back to his labour refreshed.<\/p>\n At last he uncovered a small iron chest and pried it away from the grip of the frozen earth. He turned it in his hands, searching for a lock, and at first it seemed there was none. The boy was patient, though, and finally he found one, so small he’d missed it. He fit the key into the lock and began to turn it. And now we must wait for him to unlock his chest completely, and lift its lid, before we learn what its wonder\u00adful contents are, and how they changed his life in ways no one could have imagined.<\/p>\n — Peter Cashorali<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n We are Powerful<\/p>\n \u201cOur deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.\u00a0 Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.\u00a0 It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.\u00a0 We ask ourselves, \u201cWho am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?\u201d Actually, who are you not to be? You are the child of God.\u00a0 Your playing small does not serve the world.\u00a0 There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that others won\u2019t feel insecure around you.\u00a0 We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.\u00a0 It\u2019s not just in some of us; it\u2019s in everyone.\u00a0 And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same.\u00a0 As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.\u201d<\/p>\n –Marianne Williamson<\/a><\/p>\n or<\/p>\n From \u201cThe Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah\u201d<\/p>\n There was a race of little creatures who lived at the bottom of a river. Always subject to the river’s relentless current, they survived by grabbing on to stones, twigs, or branches at the river bottom. There they lived, in the mud, at the mercy of the current and passing debris, “for clinging was their way of life and resisting the current what each had learned from birth.” Eventually one of the creatures tired of his life and announced that he was going to let go, because if he didn’t, he would “die of boredom.” Mocking him, but more than likely terrified inside, the others warned him: “Fool! That current you worship will throw you tumbled and smashed across the rocks, and you will die quicker than boredom!” But the creature had had enough of his meaningless existence. He let go. Sure enough, at first he was tossed and tumbled and thrown against stones, but eventually the current lifted him up and steadied him. The creature was liberated from his fearful, clinging existence; easily and gracefully he floated downstream, at one with the current, as if he were flying. Eventually, he drifted over another village of creatures who had never seen one of their kind do anything but hold on for dear life at the river bottom. Looking up in awestruck amazement, they called out “See, a miracle! A creature like ourselves, yet he flies. See the Messiah, come to save us all!” The creature responded, “I am no more Messiah than you. The river delights to lift us free, if only we dare to let go. Our true work is this voyage, this adventure!” And then he was swept away, leaving the others to make up elaborate stories about their saviour.<\/p>\n — Richard Bach<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Reading: Now I Become Myself<\/p>\n Now I become myself,<\/p>\n it\u2019s taken time,<\/p>\n many years and places;<\/p>\n I have been dissolved and shaken,<\/p>\n worn other people\u2019s faces,<\/p>\n run madly, as if time were there,<\/p>\n terribly old, crying a warning….<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now to stand still, to be here,<\/p>\n feel my own weight and density!<\/p>\n the black shadow on the paper is my hand,<\/p>\n the shadow of a word<\/p>\n as thought shapes the shaper<\/p>\n falls heavy on the page,<\/p>\n is heard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n All fuses now,<\/p>\n falls into place<\/p>\n from wish to action,<\/p>\n word to silence,<\/p>\n my work, my love, my time,<\/p>\n my face gathered into one intense<\/p>\n gesture of growing like a plant…<\/p>\n So all the poem is, can give,<\/p>\n grows into me to become the song,<\/p>\n made so and rooted so by love…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n O, in this single hour I live<\/p>\n all of myself and do not move…<\/p>\n — May Sarton<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Words of Aspiration<\/p>\n To look out upon the astounding universe with eyes unblinking and a face unblanched; to ignore no truth and fear no fact; to be ready at all times to recast opinion in the crucible of new experience; to build high hopes upon a firm foundation; to forgive without demanding apology; to keep affection in spite of misunderstanding; to set our thought upon the things of value and spend our strength in the fulfilling of noble purposes; to reverence the reverences of others rather than what they revere; to be alert to Nature’s pageantry of beauty, though we dwell amid the city’s clamour; to get the most out of Life and give the most we can; to be sincere, faithful to responsibility, cherishing honour above indulgence and service above gain; to be guided in our conduct by the shining angel of Intelligence and not by the gaunt spectre of Fear; to approach our last hour with the calm of a philosopher and the gentleness of a saint, and to leave the world enriched by a treasury of kindly deeds and a memory of love: this is our Aspiration, this is our Ideal.<\/p>\n \u2014 Arthur Wakefield Slaten<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Coming Out is Letting Go<\/p>\n Coming out is a profoundly spiritual act. Coming out means letting go \u2014 letting go of fear; letting go of limitation; letting go of anything and everything that has held us back, or anything we have been grabbing on to. It’s about rejecting the lies, and embracing the truth, whatever the consequences. Coming out is an act of courage, and an act of love; it means relinquishing our self-protection, casting off the illusion of “security,” and allowing ourselves to be who we are, regardless of what anyone else says or thinks we should be or do. Although it can be easy for others to see when we are not being ourselves, no one but ourselves can tell us who we are. Coming out also means renouncing our futile attempts to control ourselves and our emotions \u2014 and all the conditioning to which we have been subjected: that it’s wrong to feel emotions, or enjoy sex, or laugh too loudly, or display affection in public.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Coming out is about letting go of victim consciousness and assuming active responsibility for our lives. It means giving up the self-consciousness that has held us back for way too long. Who cares what anyone thinks of us? What matters is that we become who we are, that we let our true selves come out. In the ultimate sense, coming out is about being ourselves. If that means coming out as a gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered person, then go for it. If it means coming out as an artist, or a poet, when everyone around you thinks you should go to medical school or law school or trade school, then go for what you really want. It may mean coming out as a spiritual person.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Coming out spiritually is also about letting go. It means rejecting feelings of shame or embarrassment because we are on a conscious spiritual path, whatever that may be. For queer people, it includes and presumes coming out, and all the shedding that entails. It’s about coming out of the quagmire of our lives\u2014freeing ourselves from our neurotic patterns\u2014and emerging as liberated whole beings. It involves emancipating ourselves from the expectations others have of us, and our expectations of them. Coming out spiritually also means “letting go and letting God,” as they say in recovery circles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It is time for us to come out as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, or queer within the spiritual communities we are a part of. It is also time for us to come out as spiritual beings to our gay friends. In both cases, exemplars are sorely needed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By letting go, trusting that we will not be alone, we release our fearful, white-knuckled hold on our lives. After tumbling and getting thrown and tossed about a bit\u2014and if only we will resist long enough the urge to grab on again, to hold on for dear life to the illusion of safety and security\u2014then the current will lift us up. As we stabilize, pretty soon we are able to glide in unison with the current. We learn how to use its force. But “using it” implies too much separation, because as we use “The Force,” we also give ourselves up to it. We put ourselves in its hands. We trust that it knows where we are going. We stop fearing and resisting the current and become one with it.<\/p>\n — Christian de la Huerta<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Adapted from \u201cWhat We May Become\u201d<\/p>\n We must grow with our universe! It is turning out to be much more marvellous than we had ever dreamed, more beautiful while more complex, fuller of that which we consider good than philosophers of earlier days could dare to expect. Our new directions of thought are filled with meaning for the coming races of humanity, and will lead us into new fields of awareness, new challenges of attainment, and new realizations of human destiny.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is still far more in heaven and earth than is dreamt of in all our philosophies, but we are climbing and nature loses nothing of its wonder as we climb. Beyond the human state stretch apparently unlimited opportunities for further evolution. We have seen the gods and goddesses, the essences of perfection, and we know within our hearts that by following our inner light, learning how to be free in the ever-increasing reaches of our universe, we can become like them.<\/p>\n \u2014 George R. Harrison<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n The Truth Come Out<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now that we make the truth come out we find we have all kinds of ancestors\u2014spiritual forebears\u2014goddesses and gods as you will, stories to retell as they have been told thousands of years. We retell them in making our lives\u2014the making that lies at the root of art, and as we “make love,” at the root of our loving as well. This is our spiritual occasion: that we are a people who define our identities by the fact of love. In calling ourselves gay we say that love is central, and after the shame and guilt, and yes after the anger, love remains a word we can speak unabashed while others cringe at its too-telling power. We are the subjects of the power of love.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I say we “make” the truth and that is the other part of our occasion\u2014we each face this definition that is at first a horror and then a joy. We do this sorcery: We stop the world, say “No, I am not that” (recoil)\u2014look deep into ourselves\u2014and “Yes, I am this” (expand). We make of our oppression a gift of direction. This we each do, must do, to find our route to love. That we are willing to face that unknown urge, fly in the face of that adversity to a home we only feel in our blood is waiting, is the measure of our courage. I say this “coming out” is a deep occasion of the spirit that will not be swayed, of a mind that must know itself through the body. Then at last we’re on our way; then we make our way.<\/p>\n — Aaron Shurin<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Omaha Prayer<\/p>\n Sun, Moon, Stars, all you that move in the heavens, hear us!<\/p>\n Into your midst has come a new life.<\/p>\n Make his path smooth, that he may reach the brow of the first hill!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Winds, Clouds, Rain, Mist, all you that move in the air, hear<\/p>\n us!<\/p>\n Into your midst has come a new life.<\/p>\n Make her path smooth, that she may reach the brow of the second hill!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hills, Valleys, Rivers, Lakes, Trees, Grasses, all you of the earth, hear us!<\/p>\n Into your midst has come a new life.<\/p>\n Make his path smooth, that he may reach the brow of the third hill!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Birds, great and small, that fly in the air,<\/p>\n Animals, great and small, that dwell in the forest,<\/p>\n Insects that creep among the grasses and burrow in the ground, hear us!<\/p>\n Into your midst has come a new life.<\/p>\n Make her path smooth, that she may reach the brow of the fourth hill!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n All you of the heavens, all you of the air, all you of the earth, hear us!<\/p>\n Into your midst has come a new life.<\/p>\n Make his path smooth, then shall he travel beyond the four hills!<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Aakulujjuusi and Uumarnituq<\/p>\n In Inuit folklore, the first two humans were a male couple, Aakulujjuusi and Uumarnituq.\u00a0 Soon after emerging on the earth, on the island of Igloolik, they began to desire the company of other humans.\u00a0 They realized that they would have to mate if there were to be more humans.\u00a0 They did so, and miraculously, Uumarnituq became pregnant.\u00a0 It was only when he was ready to give birth that Uumarnituq realized that he did not possess a passageway large enough through which the child might pass into the world.\u00a0 Aakulujjuusi chanted some magic words and this spell caused Uumarnituq to transform into a woman.\u00a0 On doing so, he, now she, gave birth to a male infant, from whom the Inuit trace their descent.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n From the song \u201cEverything is Possible\u201d<\/p>\n You can be anybody you want to be,<\/p>\n You can love whomever you will<\/p>\n You can travel any country where your heart leads<\/p>\n And know I will love you still<\/p>\n You can live by yourself, you can gather friends around,<\/p>\n You can choose one special one<\/p>\n And the only measure of your words and your deeds<\/p>\n Will be the love you leave behind when you’re done.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are girls who grow up strong and bold<\/p>\n There are boys quiet and kind<\/p>\n Some race on ahead, some follow behind<\/p>\n Some go in their own way and time<\/p>\n Some women love women, some men love men<\/p>\n Some raise children, some never do<\/p>\n You can dream all the day never reaching the end<\/p>\n Of everything possible for you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Don’t be rattled by names, by taunts, by games<\/p>\n But seek out spirits true<\/p>\n If you give your friends the best part of yourself<\/p>\n They will give the same back to you.<\/p>\n — Fred Small<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n The Journey<\/p>\n <\/p>\n One day you finally knew<\/p>\n what you had to do, and began,<\/p>\n though the voices around you<\/p>\n kept shouting<\/p>\n their bad advice<\/p>\n though the whole house<\/p>\n began to tremble<\/p>\n and you felt the old tug<\/p>\n at your ankles.<\/p>\n “Mend my life!”<\/p>\n each voice cried.<\/p>\n But you didn’t stop.<\/p>\n You knew what you had to do,<\/p>\n though the winds pried<\/p>\n with its stiff fingers<\/p>\n at the very foundations,<\/p>\n though their melancholy<\/p>\n was terrible.<\/p>\n It was already late<\/p>\n enough, and a wild night,<\/p>\n and the road full of fallen<\/p>\n branches and stones.<\/p>\n But little by little,<\/p>\n as you left their voices behind,<\/p>\n the stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds,<\/p>\n and there was a new voice<\/p>\n which you slowly<\/p>\n recognized as your own,<\/p>\n that kept you company<\/p>\n as you strode deeper and deeper<\/p>\n in to the world, determined to<\/p>\n do the only thing you could do<\/p>\n determined to save<\/p>\n the only life you could save.<\/p>\n — Mary Oliver<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n from The Velveteen Rabbit<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat is REAL?\u201d asked the Velveteen Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. \u201cDoes it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReal isn\u2019t how you are made,\u201d said the Skin Horse. \u201cIt\u2019s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes it hurt?\u201d asked the Rabbit.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes,\u201d said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. \u201cWhen you are real you don\u2019t mind being hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes it happen all at once, like being wound up,\u201d he asked, \u201cor bit by bit?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t happen all at once,\u201d said the Skin Horse. \u201cYou become. It takes a long time. That\u2019s why it doesn\u2019t often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don\u2019t matter at all, because once you are Real you can\u2019t be ugly, except to people who don\u2019t understand. The Boy\u2019s Uncle made me Real,\u201d he said. \u201c and once you are Real, you can\u2019t become unreal again. It lasts for always.\u201d<\/p>\n — Margery Williams<\/p>\n Be awake, everyone, for what we are about to experience is nothing short of a miracle; it is a life-changing transformation. ____________, who until now has been known to the world as a heterosexual\/man\/woman is now about to change.\u00a0 We are here to experience the liberation of a soul!<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n We are here to exalt a life and be glad for it. Like a birthday, we are here to say it’s good that you are alive: it’s good that you are walking with us on this earth. Let’s be glad and rejoice.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n When you come to the edge of all the light you have,<\/p>\n and must take a step into the darkness of the unknown,<\/p>\n believe that one of two things will happen to you:<\/p>\n either there will be something solid for you to stand on,<\/p>\n or you will be taught how to fly.<\/p>\n — Patrick Overton<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n We stand at the door, waiting for it to open. Perhaps somebody else will pass through, and we can catch a glimpse of what is on the other side.\u00a0 We\u2019ve imagined dark and fearful things, and bright and wonderful experiences.\u00a0 We knock, but nobody answers, for it is our door, and we are the ones inside.\u00a0 It is time to grab the handle and turn.\u00a0 It is time to open the door and step out — into life.<\/p>\n <\/a>\u00a0_____________, at this moment we are formally recognizing something you have known for most of your life. Here, among those who love you, you are expressing aloud an essential part of who you are.\u00a0 Your experiences have created you, just as you now choose to create this experience.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n From the moment of your first steps, you have been on a journey of learning and discovery. You are about to step through a portal into a fuller life, and you do it with the affection of those gathered here.<\/p>\n Please repeat after me:<\/p>\n I vow to hold this new life gently in my heart,<\/p>\n I vow to keep my heart open through all doubt, fear, anger and pain.<\/p>\n I vow to open to the truth of each moment.<\/p>\n I vow to be as spacious as the sky, and give myself the space to grow.<\/p>\n With my heart, with a clear mind, and with each breath,<\/p>\n I vow to love, honour and cherish my new life.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n I am in awe of the everydayness and specialness of this ceremony.\u00a0 This is just like every other night; there is no pause in the turning of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things as we mark this transition of _______________ from one state to another.\u00a0 Yet the universe will never be the same, and no one here will have quite the same thoughts or experience after this evening.\u00a0\u00a0 Everybody experiences the beauty of individual life transitions every time they see a caterpillar become a butterfly.\u00a0 It\u2019s marvellous to behold part of creation becoming more clearly who he\/she\/they is destined to be.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n To be said by the transitioner:<\/p>\n One small step for a person, One giant leap for humankind.<\/p>\n One step forward, no steps back.<\/p>\n Every journey begins with a step, and my journey as a gay man\/lesbian\/man\/woman begins right now.<\/p>\n Into the light I step, and love has never felt so good.<\/p>\n With this step, I begin my dance with life\u2026 and I\u2019m leading!<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n To be said by ceremony leader:<\/p>\n It gives me great pleasure to present to you, (new name) ________________________.<\/p>\n The world has experienced the birth of a new soul, and it\u2019s a (boy\/girl\/person). I present to you ________________.<\/p>\n We are here to abet creation and to witness to it,<\/p>\n To notice each other\u2019s beautiful face and complex nature<\/p>\n So that creation need not play to an empty house.<\/p>\n — Annie Dillard<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s a moment of celebration, support and love.\u00a0 This is a time for those gathered to welcome the \u201cnew\u201d you to the world.\u00a0 Be creative and enjoy.\u00a0 Here are some ideas:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Let us share our expressions of affection with ___________________.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Everyone has a bead that can now be added to a string for you to remember this transition.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Everybody has a magic wand or stick, and touches you and expresses a heart felt wish.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Everybody adds their flowers together to create a bouquet.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n A ring is a powerful symbol, and you may wish to have a ring blessed by the group as a reminder to the brave, liberating step you have taken, and the loving support you have<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEverything the “power of the world” does is done in a circle. The sky is round and the earth is round like a ball, and so are the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. Even the seasons form. a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were.\u00a0 Life is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.<\/p>\n – Black Elk, OgIala Sioux<\/p>\n On small pieces of paper, have written positive, loving wishes for the future.\u00a0 Have each participant take a piece of paper, and in turn express the wish and personalize the thought.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Use body paint to mark one another\u2019s face or body, and celebrate!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Everybody has a puzzle piece, perhaps with positive attributes or stories from your past.\u00a0 They put their piece into the puzzle, and then final piece is done by you.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Everybody lines up in two rows facing each other, about 3 feet apart.\u00a0 You cross your arms in front of you and close your eyes.\u00a0 Walk slowly down the aisle between your friends, and allow them to guide you and whisper wonderful wishes in your ears.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Everybody joins in creating a cloud of bubbles to welcome you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Celebrate this great event with a favourite beverage amongst friends.\u00a0 A chance for toasts all around.\u00a0 Speaking of toast\u2026<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s part of queer folklore that queers are given a toaster oven for converting a certain number of straight people to homosexuality.\u00a0 A fun twist to your Coming Out Ceremony would be to include a toaster oven somehow; either as a gift or as a way to cook up some hors d\u2019oeuvres.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n You may wish to have a certificate to commemorate this event.\u00a0 It would be signed by you, the officiant, and some witnesses.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n If so inspired, share your thoughts and feelings with your guests, or permit your guests to do the same with you.<\/p>\n We are on the other side, where millions of our tribe have gone before us. Every journey is unique, every soul is special.\u00a0 Yet together all queer people share one story; one destiny.\u00a0 Today, ______________, along with this community of family, friends and allies, you have changed thought into action, fear into joy, and love into a path leading to your destiny.\u00a0 Take the strength given to you today, add it to your own courage, and move bravely down your path.\u00a0 Your destiny awaits!<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n We have all been given a gift here today. Thank you _____________ for letting us share in this transformative moment in your life.\u00a0 This is the first step in your journey, but go knowing that hurts can heal, that broken pieces can be mended seamlessly together and that love is contagious\u2026 so go forth and spread the love you have lived here today.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n We have laid the foundation for a wonderful future, for you, for all of us, and for the world. Let us use the power of our convictions to change ourselves, and in doing so, transform the world.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As Edward Everette Hale wrote:<\/p>\n I am only one<\/p>\n But still I am one<\/p>\n I cannot do everything,<\/p>\n But still I can do something.<\/p>\n And because I cannot do everything<\/p>\n I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n We have seen the light within each other today, and made it brighter and stronger for one another. As Albert Schweitzer wrote: At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.\u00a0 Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n The great sea has set me in motion,<\/p>\n Set me adrift,<\/p>\n Moving me like a weed in a river<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The sky and the strong wind<\/p>\n Have moved the spirit inside me<\/p>\n Till I am carried away<\/p>\n Trembling with joy.<\/p>\n — Inuit Shaman Uvavnuk<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Go out into the highways and by-ways.<\/p>\n Give the people something of your new vision.<\/p>\n You may possess a small light,<\/p>\n But uncover it, let it shine,<\/p>\n Use it in order to bring more light and understanding<\/p>\n To the hearts and minds of men and women.<\/p>\n Give them hope and courage.<\/p>\n Give them kindness and love.<\/p>\n Amen<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n I thank you God for most this amazing day;<\/p>\n For the leaping greenly spirits of trees<\/p>\n And a blue true dream of sky,<\/p>\n and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (I who have died am alive again today,<\/p>\n And this is the sun\u2019s birthday, this is the birth day of life and of love and wings;<\/p>\n And of the gay great happening illimitably earth.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How should tasting touching hearing seeing breathing any – lifted from the no of all nothing \u2013 human merely being doubt unimaginable You?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now the ears of my ears awake and the eyes of my eyes are opened.<\/p>\n — e.e. Cummings<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Look at this day!<\/p>\n For it is life, the very life of life.<\/p>\n In its brief course lie all the verities<\/p>\n And realities of your existence:<\/p>\n The bliss of growth,<\/p>\n The glory of action,<\/p>\n The splendour of beauty;<\/p>\n For yesterday is but a dream,<\/p>\n And tomorrow is only a vision;<\/p>\n But today, well lived, makes every yesterday<\/p>\n A dream of happiness<\/p>\n And every tomorrow a vision of hope.<\/p>\n Look well, therefore, on this day.<\/p>\n — Kalidasa<\/p>\n May the love which overcomes all differences,<\/p>\n Which heals all wounds,<\/p>\n which puts to flight all fears,<\/p>\n which reconciles all who are separated,<\/p>\n be in us and among us<\/p>\n now and always.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Go in Peace<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n May the blessing of God go before you, may her grace and peace abound.<\/p>\n May her spirit live within you, may her love, wrap you round.<\/p>\n May her blessing remain with you always. May you walk on holy ground.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Go in Peace<\/p>\n or<\/p>\n Deep peace of the running wave to you.<\/p>\n Deep peace of the flowing air to you.<\/p>\n Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.<\/p>\n Deep peace of the shining stars to you.<\/p>\n Deep peace of the infinite peace to you.<\/p>\n — adapted from Gaelic Runes<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How do you envision your ceremony ending?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Books on Ritual:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Books for Inspiration:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Music: songs<\/strong><\/p>\n Everything Possible by Fred Small<\/p>\n We are a Gentle, Angry People by Holly Near<\/p>\n Rainbow Connection by Kenny Ascher and Paul Williams<\/p>\n It\u2019s Not Easy Being Green by Joe Rapposo<\/p>\n I\u2019m Coming Out by Diana Ross<\/p>\n Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat<\/p>\n We are Family<\/em> by Sister Sledge<\/p>\n Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cindi Lauper<\/p>\n Over the Rainbow<\/em> by Judy Garland<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Music: CDs<\/strong><\/p>\n Hedwig and the Angry Inch<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The world wide web is full of excellent independent artists with transgendered, lesbian, gay or queer music.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thanks and appreciation for the support and encouragement I received from the Canadian Unitarian Council; its Executive Director Mary Bennett; Unitarian Church of Vancouver Parish Minister Rev. Dr. Steven Epperson; Board President Leslie Kemp and the board; and fellow Lay Chaplains in the Unitarian Church of Vancouver and across the country.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Special acknowledgement to the Canadian Unitarian Council for supporting all of us in offering this valuable service to our community.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This ceremony written and edited by:<\/p>\n Danny Enright, Lay Chaplain, Unitarian Church of Vancouver<\/p>\n August 2006<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>OVERVIEW OF RITUALS<\/h4>\n
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<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>PREPARATION<\/h4>\n
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\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>SETUP<\/h4>\n
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<\/a><\/a>PRELUDE & PROCESSIONAL<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>OPENING WORDS<\/h4>\n
Opening reading<\/h4>\n
\nCome in with all your vulnerabilities and strength, fears and anxieties,
\nLoves and hopes.
\nFor here you need not hide, nor pretend, nor be anything other than who you are and are called to be.
\nCome into this place, where we can touch and be touched, heal and be healed, forgive and be forgiven.
\nCome into this place, where the ordinary is sacred, the human is celebrated, and
\ncompassion is expected.
\nCome into this place with your self made whole, and shame can\u2019t touch you here.”\u2026<\/p>\n<\/a>SETTING SACRED SPACE<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/a>STATEMENT OF PURPOSE<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>BLESSINGS FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS<\/h4>\n
\nBless his\/her\/their mind, so that it may be open and free to choose her\/his\/their self-path.
\nBless his\/her\/their eyes, that they may see beauty.
\nBless his\/her\/their ears to hear the song of freedom.
\nBless his\/her\/their nose to smell the essence.
\nBless his\/her\/their lips to speak words of healing and wisdom.
\nBless his\/her\/their creative centre of his\/her\/their body from which comes forth new life.
\nBless his\/her\/their feet to walk a path of understanding and self-forgiveness.
\nBless ____________ for he\/she\/they is\/are a child of the Universe.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>READINGS<\/h4>\n
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<\/a><\/a>PREFACE TO STEPPING THROUGH<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/a>STEPPING THROUGH<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/a>PRONOUNCEMENT<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/a>SYMBOLS OF LOVE<\/h4>\n
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\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>SPECIAL WORDS<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/a>RESTATEMENT OF PURPOSE<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/a>PRAYER \/ BEST WISHES FOR THE FUTURE<\/h4>\n
<\/h1>\n
<\/a><\/a>CLOSING WORDS \/ BENEDICTION<\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/a>POSTLUDE<\/h4>\n
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\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>SOURCES FOR THIS BOOKLET<\/h4>\n
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\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>OTHER SUGGESTED RESOURCES<\/h4>\n
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\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>THANKS AND APPRECIATION<\/h4>\n
![\"coming](\"http:\/\/www.unitariancongregation.org\/ceremonies\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/coming-out-rainbow-hands-300x166.png\")
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