Justice Advocacy Corner

Welcome to the Justice Advocacy Corner! Here is a central hub for information sent to the UUCB Office about what steps can be taken to stand up for justice - on both local and federal levels.

Advocacy in Bloomington

From the Democracy Task Force - Write Your Lawmakers!

Sunday, July 27, at 11:30 a.m. in Room 106 at UUCB

Since the response has been good and the need certainly hasn't gone away, we'll keep hosting "write your lawmakers" sessions after each Sunday service starting at 11:30 a.m. We'll have information on current outrages, such as attacks on trans rights and on low-income housing programs, but feel free to write about other pressing issues! We will provide writing supplies, the addresses of our local Federal lawmakers, and some suggestions for text. Also, cookies. See you there! 

Advocacy From Home

Sign Up for ACLU's Newsletter!

"Right now, DOGE and other agencies, at the president's instruction, are reportedly using shady, unvetted AI systems to "consolidate" our data – creating mass dossiers with our employment records, social security numbers, political donations, and more that any government agency could access." - ACLU Newsletter

The ACLU's newsletters bring you issues like this, along with a quick way to contact legislators about your concerns. Use the following link to sign up and stay informed with ACLU newsletters: https://action.aclu.org/signup/get-updates-fight-freedom

Student Summer Training Series

The UU's for Social Justice national group sent out information on a weekly Student Summer Training Series. Tuesdays at 6:30pm ET, including today! This series is listed as hybrid format, though initially planned as an in-person Washington, DC event. If you are interested, please be in contact with kouimet@citizen.org. This is primarily for college students.

RSVP and read more below.
"Emerging or Young Adults are invited to join a Weekly Student Summer Training Series and learn the skills they need to be effective mobilizers, organizers, and advocates to champion the best version of our American democracy. As part of this program, we are trying to connect with Unitarian Universalist University Students who may be interested in getting a youth-focused version of the Rise for Freedom National Training Series, which we partnered on this past spring. See our recent email for more context." 

Tuesday, July 8 Democracy Summer: Weekly Student Summer Training Series
Hosted by Public Citizen, in partnership with UUSJ

Every Tuesday, through August 5
6:30 p.m. ET • 5:30 p.m. CT • 4:30 p.m. MT • 3:30 p.m. PT
RSVP for full details
July 8 — Firewalls for Freedom & Intro. to Campus Organizing
July 15  — Campus Campaign Planning I (Goal Setting)
July 22 — Campus Campaign Planning II (Strategy & Structure)
July 29 — Campus Campaign Planning III (Outreach Planning)
August 5 — Strategic Escalation
August TBD/Virtual — Community-Building, Mutual Support, & Action Teams

Emerging or Young Adults are invited to join a Weekly Student Summer Training Series and learn the skills they need to be effective mobilizers, organizers, and advocates to champion the best version of our American democracy. As part of this program, we are trying to connect with Unitarian Universalist University Students who may be interested in getting a youth-focused version of the Rise for Freedom National Training Series, which we partnered on this past spring. See our recent email for more context.

Find Your Legislators!

Use the link below to find your legislators.
https://iga.in.gov/information/find-legislators

• Also, consider using the "5-calls" app - Susan Swaney, our Director of Music, recently recommended this. It is an easy way to make 5-calls a day to your representatives and legislators covering the topics you would like to express. The team behind the app does research on policies and even writes scripts that are helpful to use when calling your legislators. Click this link to find out more: https://5calls.org/

• Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray recently mentioned a very helpful tool for getting in contact with her representatives - her phone! She saves all of their numbers in her phone with their names, affiliations, and job title. That way, when you have an issue you would like to discuss with their offices, their phone numbers are already saved to your phone. Taking the time to do this once makes the effort much easier later!

Advocacy in Indianapolis

Community Care

Rainbow Room Summer Session—an LGBTQ+ sex education webinar series that's expanding nationally this summer! This initiative is deeply important, offering education that is free, accessible, inclusive, and medically accurate, specifically created to affirm and empower queer and trans communities, while remaining free and welcoming to everyone.

• Every Sunday | June 1 – August 24
  4:00 PM EST / 1:00 PM PST
  Free & virtual via Zoom
  Each session dives into a different topic co-presenter by educators across the country—from medically accurate sex ed to gender-affirming care, queer history, healthy relationships, and more.

You can view all Upcoming Topics + Registration Links here:
Feel free to register for as many sessions as you'd like!

Gender Affirming Health Care 101
https://ppswcf-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/lQDJVN0lR0ewGNCGaQ5VRQ

Mental Health, Community Support, and Resilience
https://ppswcf-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/Qrz6ozXTTaSDVSMSBUGvpA

Deconstructing Sexual Scripts (18+)
https://ppswcf-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/6Jko1ZpDS5iv-lzDKQ5bQQ

Safer Sex: STIs, Birth Control, and Stigma
https://ppswcf-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/UFSTrDFtS_mprZvoOFtOzQ

HIV/AIDS: Health, History, Advocacy, and the PrEPsent of Access
https://ppswcf-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/oLZuX8a0SpWMrFiWZ9Y_9Q

Modern Queer Healthy Relationships
https://ppswcf-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/50HAL-OZTPqkNLbi5sWhYw

Body Image, Body Changes, and Transitioning
https://ppswcf-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/lLyycBzbTimb5QmivAeoug

Queer Family Building
https://ppswcf-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/dBOTpmKERSasJiogSjwLmg

Resources

From Side with Love

"Grounded, Resilient, & Responsible. Responding and Organizing In Authoritarian Times" Webinar Slides (PDF)

"Grounded, Resilient, & Responsible. Responding and Organizing In Authoritarian Times" Toolkit (PDF)

Information about Bills and Policies

This is a good overview of how federal cuts in workforce personnel harms our local communities: https://mailchi.mp/monroedems/action-alert-71022-call-houchin-no-doge?e=f94d1e7939