UUA Proposes Gender Identity Protections at Walmart Meeting

[Worldwide Faith News]

UUA Proposes Gender Identity Protections at Walmart Meeting

June 5, 2008

Tomorrow the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations 
(UUA) will take their proposal for gender identity non-discrimination 
to the annual Walmart shareholder meeting in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 
Proposal #4 calls for Walmart to add gender identity protections to 
their employment non-discrimination policy, which already includes 
sexual orientation.

Speaking on behalf of the UUA will be Rev. Jonalu Johnstone. In 
addition to serving as Program Minister at the First Unitarian Church 
of Oklahoma City, Johnstone is also president of Interweave 
Continental, the UUA's network of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and 
transgender members and allies. Many Unitarian Universalist (UU) 
ministers and congregations around the country currently minister to 
openly transgender people, and last year the UUA's annual General 
Assembly passed an official resolution in support of transgender people.

The resolution reads, in part, "Walmart will enhance its competitive 
edge by joining the growing ranks of companies guaranteeing equal 
opportunity for all employees." The full text of the resolution can 
be read online.

The UUA filed a similar gender identity non-discrimination resolution 
last month with Verizon. It was a first-time filing, and the vote of 
16.83% far exceeded the 3% needed to bring the resolution back next 
year.  UUA Treasurer Tim Brennan was happy with the vote. "For a 
first-time filing, this vote is tremendously encouraging. Our goal 
was to educate board members and shareholders and begin an important 
conversation about one of the last groups not currently protected by 
federal civil rights laws. We're very pleased with this strong start, 
and we'll be back next year."

For more information about the UUA's shareholder advocacy work, 
please see our Socially Responsible Investing site, which includes 
details about current campaigns in five advocacy areas: Diversity, 
Climate Change, Executive Compensation, Separate CEO and Board, and 
Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Non-Discrimination.

The Unitarian Universalist Association is a faith community of more 
than 1000 self-governing congregations that bring to the world a 
vision of religious freedom, tolerance and social justice. For more 
information on the UUA, including recent press releases and news 
articles, please visit our online pressroom.

Contact:

Rev. Jonalu Johnstone
Programs Minister for the First Unitarian Church of Oklahoma City
President of Interweave Continental
jonalu @ sbcglobal.net
(405) 627-3859  (cell)

Janet Hayes
UUA Public Relations Director
25 Beacon St.  Boston, MA, 02108
pr @ uua.org
(617) 948-4386