On Sunday, we talked about Queering the Church — questioning and challenging the status quo, the beliefs, behaviors, tastes, etc. that society has decided are “normal.” (Which is often tied up with power and privilege.)

Unitarian Universalism is a transgressive religion. We challenge the common understandings of religion. The expectations of what “church” means in our society include that it is Christian, conservative, anti-LGBTQIA+, sexist, and more.

Our definition is quite different. We are progressive, pluralist, Queer affirming, feminist, and deeply invested in human rights and in affirming the authentic nature of every individual.

And … we can go further. Because we are still often working within a cisgender, heteronormative, white supremacist framework.

Once we see that so much of our world is defined as “normal” not by any objective facts but by tradition, then we can push further into our own assumptions. What is the purpose of marriage? Who does what in a relationship, and why? What does it mean, to be a man or a woman or a nonbinary person? What makes something a family?

Overall, our society prefers conformity to the status quo, and limiting definitions. (Believe me – every week on social media, I get comments from people who would like to restrict us from using words about ourselves like religion, church, worship, and minister.)

To be transgressive is to question the limits and move beyond them. And in the process, to free ourselves from what keeps us small, and to create a more expansive, and inclusive, world.