Editing Homosexuality and Quakerism (section)

== Friends' policy and decision-making ==
Since [[Religious Society of Friends#Decision Making Among Friends|Quaker decision making]] is generally based on seeking "unity" at the level of a [[Monthly meeting]] (convened periodically for business, and more often for worship, and is the basic unit of Quakerism – a meeting is equivalent to a single congregation, sometimes to a parish or group of churches in an area), determining a particular Quaker attitude is difficult on this or any topic. Monthly meetings are organized into larger groups such as [[Yearly meeting]]s or other "umbrella" groups, but often these larger groups have conflicting stances on particular issues. Some groups, for example the [[57th Street Meeting]] in [[Chicago]], may have joint membership in umbrella groups that have mutually contradictory stances on the issues. In the end, the true "Quaker view" on homosexuality is probably best analysed meeting by meeting (or, better, Friend by Friend). However, there are some general patterns, and for reasons of space and completeness this article deals mainly with the largest organizations on a country-by-country basis.  Until the 1960s the topic of homosexuality was untouched among Quakers.  London Yearly Meeting's publication of ''Towards a Quaker View of Sex'', including norms for sexual relations that were inclusive of equitable same-sex relations, provoked on-going questioning.  By the time the first same-sex relationship was taken under the care of a Friends meeting in 1982 (University MM, North Pacific Yearly Meeting, Seattle, Washington)<ref>Minutes of UFM, 1982</ref> the scene was set for ongoing discernment and disagreement.

Quakers as a whole do not have a specific, set [[creed]]. The [[Richmond Declaration]] is a confession of faith that expresses the experience of two branches of American Quakerism, but does not reflect the views of others.