"Members of the congregation have painted the church's front steps in rainbow colors in what its pastor, the Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison, calls an act of "sacred resistance." Church leaders and congregants wanted "to make sure that our neighborhood had a visible, bold statement to say that they are not being erased," she says. Oak Lawn is a heavily LGBTQ+ enclave, and Griffin-Allison sees her church as a sanctuary for the community in Dallas and all of Texas."
"Those joining in the painting included Griffin-Allison's wife, filmmaker Cheryl Griffin-Allison. The two married in 2023 outside of Dallas, and they didn't announce their marriage until the following year, after the denomination removed language from its governing documents banning "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" as clergy members. Rachel, a sixth-generation Methodist minister - the only woman and the only gay one among them - was one of those fighting for the removal."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered removal of rainbow crosswalks, and Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas painted its front steps rainbow as a visible act of sanctuary and resistance for the LGBTQ+ community and others. The pastor, the Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison, called the painting an act of sacred resistance and a love letter to the neighborhood. Painting occurred October 21–November 1, with a consecration ceremony November 2. Congregants and leaders participated; some passersby expressed gratitude while some protesters arrived. Griffin-Allison's wife, filmmaker Cheryl Griffin-Allison, joined the effort; the couple married in 2023 and announced the marriage after the denomination removed a ban on self-avowed practicing homosexuals as clergy.
Read at Advocate.com
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