Dear Members and Friends of First Unitarian Church,

This morning brought the news that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe vs. Wade—and with it an almost 50-year precedent that protected the right to reproductive choice. While a leaked draft opinion let us know this day was coming, it does not lessen the pain, the anger, the terror many of us are feeling. We know that there is a great deal of work that is now ours to do, but let us also take time to be together, to grieve, to witness.

As we find our way forward, may we be grounded in a commitment to the tenets of reproductive justice developed by Black women and defined by SisterSong, that all people have the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children they have in safe and sustainable communities.

We want to let you know about plans for public witness today. As you may know, the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly is in town and we are coordinating ways to show up with our UU siblings:

• Today at 5 pm, Planned Parenthood of Oregon is gathering at Salmon St. Springs, and will march to a larger coalition rally at Lownsdale Square at 5:30 pm (across from the Federal Courthouse at SW Main and SW 3rd). UUA President Susan Frederick-Gray will be speaking at Lownsdale Square. Please come with a buddy, prepared for heat and sun.

• In addition, this evening Summer Minister Carter and Rev. Tom will hold a prayer vigil on zoom as a space for reflection and lamentation.

Please register to join us this evening at 7:30 p.m.

Keeping the faith,

Carter Smith, Summer Minister
Dana Buhl, Director of Social Justice
Rev. Tom Disrud, Associate Minister