In our society, a white, cis, able-bodied, heterosexual male is normative. That is the norm–what is best– and consciously or unconsciously we value other people only insofar as they can approximate what is normative. Derogatory terms for women, people of color, people with disabilities and people who are queer are abundant and betray our bias against people who are not the norm. This is tragic.
Our strength as a species, our beauty, lies in our diversity. When we, as a society, fail to accord power, voice and worth to every person we are impoverishing humanity and squandering gifts.
Unitarian Universalists have a complicated history with racism and unity. We continue to unpack that collectively and individually. Step one is understanding our own bias regardless of our social location. Then we can begin to create something better. We will be learners to the end–perfection is not within our grasp. Yet we can and must continue to move closer to a world where every person is able to live into their full and complex beauty, where every person is the norm and cherished. Our path to unity is not through conformity, but through diversity.
Elizabeth Sollie 