Standing on the Side of Love is the way our church supports marriage equality and the rights of the LGBTQI community. Auckland Unitarian Church held the first legal same sex marriage in New Zealand in 2013.

We are a welcoming congregation. What does that mean?

• We are inclusive and expressive of the concerns of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender at every level of congregational life – in worship, in programme, and in social occasions – welcoming not only their presence but the unique gifts and particularities of their lives as well.
• We do not assume anyone’s affectional/sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Vocabulary of worship reflects this perception; worship celebrates diversity by inclusivity of language and content.
• We offer congregational and ministerial support for services of union and memorial services for persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender, and celebrations of evolving definitions of family.
• We seek to nurture ongoing dialogue between people of different affectional/sexual orientations and gender identifications, and to create deeper trust and sharing.
• As an advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, we promote justice, freedom, and equality in the larger society. We speak out when the rights and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are at stake.
• We celebrate the lives of all people and their ways of expressing their love for each other.