The Compass, June 17, 2026—Last One of the Church Year
- Jun 18
- 6 min read
From the UUA
On Being Nonbinary
By Cat Rambo
June 17, 2026
“My use of their is socially motivated…: a deliberate response to the socially and politically significant banning of our genderless pronoun by language legislators enforcing the motion that the male sex is the only one that counts. I consistently break a rule I consider to be not only fake but pernicious. I know what I’m doing and why.”—Ursula K. Le Guin
Early on in my life, I learned that it was a terrible thing to be mistaken for the opposite gender. But I often was, as a shaggy-haired kid with thick glasses and a science fiction paperback stuffed in my back pocket—and I found that my mother cared about it much more than I did.
When I played Dungeons and Dragons as a young adult, I was usually the only female in the group. No matter what character I ran, the other players persisted in treating my character as the person to be protected, even when I was running the biggest bad-ass in the group. And socially I was presumed to be the peacemaker of the group, the advisor, the confidante—even when I didn’t want to be.
It’s fitting that I realized I was nonbinary at a 2019 science fiction convention. In that revelatory space, I was finally able to articulate something I’d been fumbling my way towards, and say it to others: I’m nonbinary. Moving outside of femininity is how I manage to be myself. Being nonbinary lets me evade much of that internal programming, and braces me to resist other parts of it.
The universe is nonbinary, too, but we keep trying to impose a binary nature on it. I believe that the binary that’s done more harm than any of the others is Us versus Them. It’s a seductive binary, because being “one of us” is a human instinct. We want to fit in; we want to be accepted; we want to be part of the crowd and not the outsider.
But everyone is us, whether we or they like it or not. We’re all inhabitants of the same planet, and so we must figure out how to get along. The stranger you do not know is not an enemy but a potential friend, and certainly a comrade on this small lifeboat, surrounded by sharks whose primary characteristic is not their gender but their hunger.
The universe is a complete entity, and I am a reflection of its entirety—not just parts. To be nonbinary is to say “I’m choosing my own path. I know it will be rocky from time to time, but there are things to experience along the way. There are flowers. And there are companions. There are all of you.”
Prayer
Thank you, universe, for all the complexity around me, and for manifesting me as part of that complexity. Help me perceive and appreciate it in the people around me.
The hours I spent sorting his papers, running my fingers over the worn inked notebook pages of his mind and heart were bittersweet. When I finished, I knew I needed to complete this book for him. To ensure his last inspired vision became a reality for both of us. -Tracey Saloman
Jazz Concert Presale Announcement: Everett Hoagland’s Final Poetry Collection
Honor the legacy of Everett Hoagland by reserving a copy of his newest and final book, lovingly edited and brought to completion by Tracey Salomon.
For more than two decades, Tracey knew Everett first as a student, then as a friend, fellow writer, and ultimately as his editorial and technical assistant. Together, they collaborated on several projects, including his award-winning collection The Ways: Poems of Affirmation, Remembrance, Reflection, and Wonder. When Everett passed away in 2025 before this manuscript could be completed, Tracey made it her mission to ensure that his final vision would not remain unfinished.
Originally conceived as a modest collection exploring poets, poetry, and the search for truth through verse, the project became a poignant testament to Everett’s lifelong commitment to celebrating Black poets, honoring the Black Arts Movement, and championing honest, uncompromising expression. For Tracey, sorting through his notes and carefully assembling the manuscript became an act of remembrance and devotion, preserving the last work he hoped to share with the world.
Jazz Concert Presale Price: $10 per copy
As an added gift to the community that supported Everett’s work and values, 50% of all presale proceeds will be donated to First Unitarian Church in New Bedford.
Your purchase helps celebrate Everett’s remarkable literary legacy while supporting the ongoing mission and programs of the church. We hope you’ll join us in bringing this final chapter of his extraordinary career to readers everywhere.
Please visit Tracey's table at the Jazz Concert on July 28. Cash and Venmo accepted!
UUNB Seeks a New Director of Religious Education
The utmost priority for the DRE and the church membership at large is to expand enrollment and participation in our religious education programs for young people on Sunday morning.
Click below for the full job description.
Please submit a cover letter and resume to admin@uunewbedford.org no later than June 22nd. Interviews will take place with the Personnel Committee during the week of July 6, 2026.
Endowment Meeting Scheduled for Sunday, June 21
The Endowment Committee, led by Carlton Dasent, will meet this Sunday, June 21, during coffee hour. If you are interested in learning more about the Endowment and its Committee, please attend.
ATTN: Committee Chairs
Please plan to hold a meeting before the end of the Fiscal Year on June 30 to identify new committee members and/or select a chair for the committee if you are stepping down.
FY27 is going to be the year of COMMUNICATION and building our committees!!
Thrift Shop Update
June sale: 50% off pre-season summer clothes.
The Thrift Shop will be open regular hours, Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 AM to 1 PM during the summer, with occasional extended hours. The Thrift Shop will also be open on Sunday, June 28, for the Jazz Concert, as well as on the second Thursday of the month during AHA! through the summer from 5 PM to 7 PM.
Jazz Concert Vendor Update
The Garden Committee is raising money for the church by selling seedlings and house plants outdoors under a tent at the Jazz Service on Sunday, June 28. All are welcome to bring in your extra garden starts, perennial plant divisions, and house plant babies and join us!
Other vendors joining us are:
Sarah Mulvey, Anomoly Poetry
Erik Andrade
Tracey Salomon, pre-sales of Everett Hoagland's final collection of poetry
Bonnie Stone, Native Plants
Hand-painted seashells
Brianna LaBrie, Watercolor Paintings
Mari Fay-Martin, Handmade pillows
Deb Carmel, Pottery
Ayla Simmons, Crochet Stuffed Animals
Catalina Roman, Upscaled Decorative Accessories and Planters
Together Press
Did you miss the last Sunday Service? Watch it here!
LAST Service of the Church Year—See You in September!
Food Pantry
Our food pantry is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 AM to 1 PM. In order to keep the pantry running over the summer, we would love a few volunteers to sit in the Parish House and assist visitors on those days. If you are interested, please email admin@uunewbedford.org
Please share these events with your family and friends, and consider attending yourself. We would love to see you!
Friday, June 12, at 11 AM. This group will continue to meet every Friday through the summer. All are welcome!
Advocacy Days & Fun on the Fridge
Interfaith
● Summer Solstice/Litha (Pagan/Wiccan) - June 21, 2026
Unitarian Universalist
● General Assembly - virtual business meeting, June 12-14, 2026; national online gathering,
June 26-28, 2026
● Olympia Brown was ordained - June 25 (1863)
National & Cultural Holidays
● Father’s Day - June 21, 2026
● Juneteenth Emancipation Celebration - June 19
● World Refugee Day - June 20
● Stonewall Uprising - June 28
Our Mission is to encourage diversity and mutual acceptance and work for positive change in ourselves and our community.
"We envision a congregation in which we practice the principles of our faith. We seek to enjoy peaceful reflection and inspiration in intellectually and spiritually satisfying church services. We aim to embrace the people and efforts of our church community by supporting our children and their programs, our committees and their goals, our staff and their efforts on our behalf, and each other."
Our Promises
Each person is important.
Be kind in all you do.
We help each other learn.
We search for what is true.
Each person has a say.
Work for a peaceful world.
The web of life’s the way.
Build the beloved community, free from racism and oppression.
First Unitarian Church in New Bedford
71 8th Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 994-9686
Administrator ext. 10
Minister ext. 13
Karen cell: (508) 441-9344
Thrift Shop ext. 12
Board Members & Officers
Camilla Brooks, President
Jack Vitale, Vice President
Mary O'Beirne, Treasurer
Elise Rapoza, Secretary
Trustees
Camilla Brooks
Niko Tarini
Mary Rapoza
Jack Vitale
David LaBrie
Ed Rooney
Elise Rapoza
Committee Chairs
Staff
Rev. Karen Leblanc, Minister
Yasmin Flefleh Vincent, Director of Religious Education
Randy Fayan, Director of Music
Jessica DeCicco-Carey, Administrator
Tony Gonsalves, Facilities Manager
John Manning, Sunday Sexton
Mari Fay-Martin, Sunday School Teacher
Sam Angelini, Sunday School Teacher
The Thrift Shop is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 AM to 1 PM
(508)994-9686 ext.12
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