On March 24th and 29th, DignityUSA hosted virtual town hall meetings in response to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s statement released on March 15th. The CDF’s statement rejected the possibility of the Church offering blessings to same-sex unions.

We offered the DignityUSA town halls to give our members and allies the chance to respond and express their feelings and reactions to the Vatican statement and to strategize together as a national community as we chart a path forward. We were joined by friends and allies from every part of the country.

While we heard a diversity of responses, one thing was clear: the work of DignityUSA is as critical now as ever. If you couldn't attend, we've compiled a report highlighting the conversations that occurred and that will be guiding us as we move forward. 

On Holy Thursday, CORPUS, the national organization for an inclusive priesthood, announced the recipients of the first ever John and Roberta Hydar Small Faith Community Awards. Two of the five recipients were Dignity-affiliated communities. 

Dignity/Boston was awarded $2,000 for its work as co-sponsor of the Friday Night Supper Program, which has served healthy dinners to Boston’s homeless and hungry residents every Friday night since 1984, including through the pandemic. The funds will continue the work of providing meals, clothing, toiletries, and other essentials to the program’s guests.

Living Beatitudes Community, a ministry of Dignity/Dayton, received $500 towards its “Why We Say Black Lives Matter” project. This initiative, sponsored in conjunction with its host Christ Episcopal Church in downtown Dayton, will include a public witness through a series of banners hung on the church, each with a compelling message about the need for the Black Lives Matter movement. In addition, the project offers a 10-part movie and film-based discussion program called Sacred Ground, aimed at developing a deeper understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement’s roots and motivations. The goal is “to foster meaningful dialogue, racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society.”

DignityUSA is grateful to our longtime ally CORPUS for recognizing and supporting the social justice work of small faith communities and congratulates Living Beatitudes Community and Dignity/Boston on these grants, which will further their work.

We're celebrating a major stride forward as Secretary of State Blinken last week renounced the work of the Commission on Unalienable Rights, a group formed under Michael Pompeo that promoted a narrow vision of religious liberty as a guiding principle of American foreign policy at the U.S. State Department. The Commission's recommendations came at the expense of LGBTQI inclusion and women’s rights and ignored violations against Muslim and Jewish communities. 

DignityUSA was a leading organizer of a coalition of Catholic groups that opposed the Commission. We called for its dissolution in 2019 and condemned the Commission's July 2020 final report in a statement signed by over 300 Catholic scholars and faith leaders.

Executive Director Marianne Duddy-Burke called the change “a major victory for human rights." Learn more about the commission and our organizing against it.

We want to invite DignityUSA members who are passionate about advocating for LGBTQI inclusion and justice in the church and society to consider joining our Board of Directors. This year we will be electing At-Large Board Members and a new President/Vice-President team.

The Board of DignityUSA needs people with professional skills in areas like law, administration, fundraising, public speaking. People of Color, young adults, members of the Transgender/Nonbinary community and Allies, are particularly encouraged to consider serving as board members.
 
Learn more about serving on the Board or serving as President or Vice President. Questions? Email Bob Butts, Nominations Co-Chair at Secretary@dignityusa.org. Nominations open through April 15, 2021.

DignityUSA is seeking a member to serve as Treasurer for the organization. This is a critical role as an Officer and member of the Board of Directors. The incumbent, Linda Roberts, has signaled an intention to step down at the end of September and will remain on the Investment Committee and will be available to train and advise the incoming Treasurer.

The two-year term begins October 1, 2021.

The Treasurer is a member of the Executive Committee and serves as Chair of the Finance and Investment Committees. Among the most critical responsibilities of this position include developing the annual budget, preparing monthly financial reports, and liaising with DignityUSA's broker, auditor, and bank officials.

For more information or to express interest contact Marianne Duddy-Burke at execdir@dignityusa.org.