Hello Friends,

Amid all that is difficult and disturbing, I bring you a burst of good news. Welcome to our new LGBTQ Ministries and Gender Justice Fellow, Adrian Ballou!

In this position funded by the UU Women’s Federation (UUWF), Adrian will work with two staff groups Ministries and Faith Development (MFD) and the Organizing and Strategy Team (OST). Their work will be centered on building relationships among trans/non-binary lay UUs; strengthening gender justice ministries in UU congregations; and supporting and improving reproductive justice initiatives and partnerships.

Adrian is a first-year student at Cherry Hill Seminary in the Department of Ministry, Advocacy, and Leadership as well as a Multimedia Arts student at Sessions College for Professional Design. They spent nearly four years as the Youth Director at the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence, and their youth ministry is focused on youth leading with adults supporting. Adrian's dream is to deepen community ministry for multiply marginalized UUs, with a focus on trans, non-binary, and disabled experiences.

Adrian’s ministry has also included connecting activists with mentorship, funding, and other resources; running social justice education programs; writing about gender and disability justice with Everyday Feminism and other publications. They co-founded groups such as Holy Queers!, the Trans Satirical Choral Band, and The Alphabet Soup Care Collective (connecting LGBTQIA+ disabled people to support networks). Adrian is currently involved in The Network/La Red's Community Conversations Series, focused on supporting LGBTQIA+ survivors.

Adrian spends their free time making art and tasty food, acting in queer Bible musicals, hanging out with their friends' pets (and friends), and creating fabulous new neon sparkly styles. Adrian is thrilled to be joining the UUA as the LGBTQ Ministries and Gender Justice Fellow. They look forward to being in relationship with the community and at the opportunities for us to learn and grow together!

Please join me in welcoming, Adrian!

Gratefully,

Michael