Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance

Background

Unitarian Universalists founded the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance in 2001 as the Metro UU Social Justice Alliance. The first Unitarian Universalist Association multi-congregational organizing effort in Minnesota was the UU Affordable Housing Partnership which was active in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in 2000. The success of the housing campaign led to the creation of the broader left-of-center advocacy group. ²

In 2006, the group adopted its current name after taking part in a statewide organizing effort to promote recognition of same-sex marriage in Minnesota. In 2020, the group increasingly organized online and included North Dakota and South Dakota in its areas of operation. ²

Advocacy

Line 3 Pipeline

In December 2020, the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance published a blogpost calling the Line 3 pipeline the “white supremacist destruction of the Earth.” The group organized a digital rally organizing opponents of the pipeline. ¹

Intersectionality

In February 2021, the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance publishing a blogpost called “It’s All Connected” which outlined its support for the far-left worldview of “intersectionality” claiming that “common cause is recognizing and resisting harms designed to privilege some by oppressing others.” Among the things the post opposed was the policing of racial minorities, any restrictions on immigration, “settler colonialism” and the destruction of the environment, and discrimination against and “conversion” of LGBT people. ³

Alternatives To Policing

In October 2021, the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance published a blogpost urging support for the People’s Response Act legislation. The proposed legislation would create a public safety division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The blogpost had a link to a video presentation titled “Our Seven Principles and Defund the Police.” ⁴

Support For Abortion

In July 2022, the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance held a series of events to support abortion. The group cited the Unitarian Universalist’s Sunday school curriculum on sexuality and human relationships which claim “active consent is essential” and that the U.S. Supreme Court missed this lesson when reaching the Dobbs decision which sent abortion regulation back to the states. One of the events was a Zoom-based workshop on how to support expanding abortion. ⁵

Voter Outreach

The Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance has a series of ostensibly nonpartisan events called “UU The Vote.” The group works to increase voter turnout for left-of-center candidates. The group partnered with former First Lady Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote. The group also engaged in voter-contact programs in battlegrounds under the guise of “overcoming voter suppression.” ⁶

Leadership

The Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance’s executive director is Katie Kline. She was previously a spiritual director for the group, and she took over the group’s leadership in August 2023. ⁷

Finances

According to the Minnesota Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Alliance’s 2022 tax return, the group had $99,023 in revenue, $80,653 in expenses, and $128,901 in assets. ⁸

In 2019, the group received a grant from Still Ain’t Satisfied. ⁹