Much has been made of the broadcast networks’ refusal to run this UCC ad. But I think the real amazing story here is the courage of the UCC to run an ad campaign targeting gay Christians. The ad shows people of color, the disabled, and gays being denied admittance to a church while wealthy whites are welcomed. While I’m sure many minorities and disabled are made to feel unwelcome in some churches, as a group they don’t have anywhere near the trouble being accepted in a church that openly gay couples do. What stands out to me (and I’m sure the major networks) is the male gay couple holding hands as they approach the church, and the lesbian couple in the closing shot. I have to believe that the UCC made an explicit decision to reach out to gays. Implicit in this is a confidence that the congregations of UCC churches will have no problems with the commercial, and will in fact be welcoming towards any gays taking them up on their offer. This is a brave and admirable move, especially as we begin another four years of the Rove era.
The other mainline protestant denominations (I’m a long-time member of an ELCA church) won’t even think about openly inviting gays to their churches. While many of the leaders of other denominations would like to follow the UCC’s example, they can’t risk having their congregations rise up in revolt. The ECUSA is battling schism, the ELCA is carefully handling their own potential timebomb while already dealing with conservatives making veiled threats, and the UMC has defrocked a lesbian minister. The UCC’s courage should make the rest of us mainline protestants feel a bit chagrined at how far we have to go.