News: February 7, 2025
Dear Members and Friends
I just returned from the Southwest UU Ministers’ Retreat. It was held in Belton, Texas, and my drive there on Monday afforded me time on both expressways and roads passing through small towns. About twenty minutes out, I realized I had forgotten my hoodie. I knew it would probably be warm, and I thought, I’ve gone too far to go back. As is my custom, during road trips, my car radio is tuned to satellite radio, the Broadway Channel to be specific. So it was serendipity that as I pulled into the Cedarbrake Catholic Retreat Center the radio began playing “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” from Godspell.
Due to less than ideal planning, I had flown back to Houston the day before, having spent the week with Conrad in Dallas. That Saturday night, we had attended the Founders’ Day celebration for the dinner club we belong to.
The dinner club is named OLITA, but was not named for Olita Rause, the Latvian chess champion. It is an acronym for Oak Lawn Investment and Travel Association. Oak Lawn is the neighborhood in Dallas similar to Montrose in Houston, where many gays live and frequent bars.
The club was formed fifty-two years ago. Which is well within my lifetime and until recently, the club had original members. It was formed because, at the time, single men congregating for dinner parties, sans women, was suspicious if not downright illegal. Camouflaged as a business venture, gay men could congregate, socialize, and offer support.
It was mostly couples at our dinner table that night, and one couple had actually met at OLITA. We were all concerned about the current and upcoming events in our country. Already, the new administration has dropped LGBT references and HIV-related content from US government websites. Pride centers at universities are being shut down and drag shows regulated and outlawed. Will certain people be harassed by the police again for simply congregating?
Monday morning, before taking off for the retreat, I had a doctor’s appointment, and I was hit again with the possibility of losing what has been won. I was asked up update pages of paperwork, and wrote down Conrad as my emergency contact. I wrote ‘husband’ on the line where it asked relationship. How long before they roll back marriage equality? They’ve already jettisoned Roe v. Wade.
Driving through small towns on my way to the retreat, each hamlet would invariably have a Dollar General Store and often a Dairy Queen. But if you added up how many of those I saw, it would be less than the Trump/Vance signs still prominently displayed on the fences of ranches and acreage.
So I was a little surprised when, slowing down to drive through Cameron, Texas, I spotted a large billboard with two names and four words: Harris, Walz, We Won’t Go Back.
Fifty-two years ago, we didn’t know how much progress would be made. We do now. We have come too far to go back.
Holding you in hope and love,
Rev. D. Scott Cooper
Associate Minister
First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston
scott@firstuu.org
Where are the Ministers?
Rev. Colin will be leading the service on February 9th and 23rd. He will be on vacation from February 13th - 17th
Rev. Scott will be in Houston for most of the month of February. He will be joining Rev. Colin on the Chancel on February 9 and 23.
Rev. Colin will be leading the service on February 9th and 23rd. He will be on vacation from February 13th - 17th
Rev. Scott will be in Houston for most of the month of February. He will be joining Rev. Colin on the Chancel on February 9 and 23.
