Hello, everyone! As a new feature of the website, I want to introduce “Reflections” – a UU Tampa blog featuring submissions from members & friends. For this first one, I figured I’d write a little bit about how much UU Tampa has meant to me (and Jeanne).
At the start of 2026, my wife Jeanne and I were left feeling isolated, frustrated at the state of the world, and adrift in a sea of endless worrying. The feelings were not particularly new, given that things have been in rough shape for a while, but on top of our usual sense of despair was this gnawing feeling that we shouldn’t have to be doing this alone – we needed our village.
As two queer women who faced plenty of pain from religious institutions, we NEVER imagined stepping foot into a church again in our lives. If you’d told us a year ago that we’d be not only part of a church, but heavily involved in various aspects of the community, we’d have laughed at you.
Luckily, a friend of ours who’d visited UU Tampa before thought to recommend that we check it out. We were very hesitant at first, but the day we walked in, we were welcomed with such warmth and care that I remember crying as I sat in the Sanctuary for the first time. The sight of rainbow flags everywhere, and the incredibly kind people who greeted us, was almost overwhelming with how lovely it was – and how different it was from everything I’d experienced as a born-and-raised Catholic.
I honestly couldn’t even tell you who the speaker was that day, or what the sermon was about.
I remember grabbing all the pamphlets I could about this magical place, and nervously heading over to Coffee Hour.
I remember sitting with people (who I now consider good friends) for the first time, as we sipped coffee and quickly got past the small talk and into larger political discussions.
I remember feeling better than I ever had in any other religious space. No shame, no judgement, just Love at the center of everything.
I remember feeling cautiously optimistic – that maybe, just maybe, we could make a home for ourselves here.
And make a home, we did.
Less than a year later, we’ve found ourselves with an entire community we are so happy to be a part of.
We’ve jumped right into committees, and even started Pride & Joy, the affinity group for the LGBTQ+ members, friends and allies.
We never could have imagined that our first nervous journey into the Dome would bring us so much.
So, as the very first blog post on this shiny new website, I just wanted to take a moment to express gratitude to each and every one of you, who makes this place so very special.
Thank you for the love, the laughter, the support, the coffee, the friendship, the MUSIC…and most of all, thank you for being you.
This place is incredibly special, and I feel so fortunate to get to be a part of it.
With love, Aimée