This Valentine’s Day has been proclaimed Standing on the Side of Love Day. People of many faiths across America are worshipping, meeting, and taking action to stand with those who most need our love and compassion today. We are calling on our fellow citizens and elected officials at all levels to stand on the side of love as well.

The Unitarian Universalist Association of Uganda is preparing to take a strong and courageous stand against the Ugandan government's proposed "Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009." Ugandan UUs plan to hold a conference on February 14, 2010, to highlight the need for an end to discriminatory treatment of the BGLT population—and their allies—in the country.

Seminarian Darcy Baxter says, “There is this moment, when you talk with women about abortion, where the guilt and the shame can lift a little and these women can focus on being a good mother to the other children they want to care for and feel equipped to care for. And you can see the shift in energy and in the conversation, when the women realize that they are doing a hard but right, and even good, thing.”

In the wake of devastation wrought by the earthquake which struck the island of Haiti on January 12, 2010, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) are launching a joint relief effort to bring aid to the impoverished island nation.

"Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story" had been unavailable for almost a decade.  King's unparalleled historical account of the first successful large-scale application of nonviolent resistance in America  is now 'must' reading for a new generation."Where Do We Go from Here:  Chaos or Community?" had been unavailable for more than a decade.  King's final book offers an astute analysis of American race relations and the movement after a decade of civil rights efforts.

UU Legislative Ministry-New Jersey Director Julia Hamilton said, "Every time we have the chance to stand on the side of love, we move one step closer to the beloved community that we are building together, right here and now."

Rev. Dan Schatz, the minister of the BuxMont Unitarian Universalist (UU) Fellowship in Warrington, Pennsylvania, has been nominated for a Grammy award for 2009.

District of Columbia (DC) Mayor Adrian M. Fenty signed a marriage equality bill into law on December 18, 2009. Fenty signed the legislation at a public ceremony held at All Souls Church, Unitarian.

I encourage you to be with your own most precious memories of the holidays. Experience the love and joy once again. Our most precious memories have much to teach us. Our most cherished experiences are much more than nostalgia; they are religious teachers. Remembering is a spiritual practice.

Eboo Patel, founder and executive director of Interfaith Youth Core, has received the 2010 Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Religion for his autobiography, Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation. Patel was selected from among sixty-seven nominations worldwide.

The faith leaders’ panel called on religious communities to stand in solidarity with immigrant workers and thanked the workers who testified for having the courage to come forward and tell their stories.

"What Moves Us" provides a framework for Unitarian Universalists (UUs) to engage in theological reflection as a process of meaning-making that can equip us to live in the world as a person of faith.

Rev. Keith Kron issued a statement on December 2, 2009 following the defeat of a marriage equality vote in the New York state senate, saying, in part, "This is a sad day, but it is only a setback in a long and worthy struggle, one that we eventually will win."

UUs joined with hundreds of people from across the country for a day of rallying and lobby visits. During the lunch hour activists overflowed the Dirksen Senate Office Building's largest auditorium to hear members of Congress and other speakers discuss what is at stake.

In many Unitarian Universalist congregations, a moment during a Sunday worship service has been set aside to remember that violence and hatred still exist, and to grieve the lives changed and lost due to this violence.

As we celebrate, contemplate, and grieve during this Veterans Day, let us recall the commitments and the sacrifices of our veterans, especially the fallen. Let us think on what we might do to build a future worthy of their sacrifice. And for all of our deployed service men and women, let us be part of the community of love and support that surrounds them on their return.

Jerry Davidoff died November 7, 2009, at the Connecticut Hospice unit at Norwalk Hospital of complications from encephalitis, a virus of the brain. He was 83. Mr. Davidoff was an attorney by profession, a former elected official in his longtime home of Westport, CT, a champion of civil liberties, and a nationally active lay leader in the Unitarian Universalist faith movement.

Whatever hurt you may feel, know that your work is valued, appreciated, and respected. The Unitarian Universalist Association has committed itself to standing with you. We know that we must stand together when times are hard, that healing happens through love, and that love will win.

Morales said, "Unitarian Universalists and other people of faith across America remain firmly committed to equality, and we will not be deterred from working for a better future for same-sex couples and their families."

Riley said, “Today, our nation’s elected officials have powerfully advanced not just long-overdue legal protections, but our moral leadership. We applaud them for acting to prevent hate-based crimes and standing on the side of love with millions of Americans across the country.”