Oak Lawn United Methodist Church Takes a Stand—One Rainbow Step at a Time
Oak Lawn United Methodist Church has painted rainbow steps following Gov. Abbot’s order to remove rainbow crosswalks. Here’s what to know.
Dallas’s Oak Lawn neighborhood is, as NBCDFW aptly described it, known for its sense of advocacy. In the wake of Governor Greg Abbott’s recent order to remove rainbow crosswalks around the city, this advocacy is even more prominently on display. The Oak Lawn United Methodist Church decided to paint its front steps in rainbow colors in an act they say is “not one of defiance, but of faith.”
For the Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, faith is something that’s extended to everyone. The front page of its website reads, “Welcome to our radically inclusive, tri-lingual community—where you’re loved exactly as you are, no matter who you are, who you love, or what you believe. We amplify God’s unconditional love through radical hospitality, serving our neighbor, and standing up for justice.”
Oak Lawn as a neighborhood is, in many ways, reflective of this stance on justice. When the crosswalk order was initially announced, crowds gathered to protest the decision and to stand in solidarity with their queer neighbors. As Paul Ridley, the council member representing Oak Lawn, said to The Dallas Morning News during the protest, “Sexual orientation is not an ideology. Gender identity is not an ideology. No one calls being straight an ideology — expression of identity harms no one.”
The United Methodist Church wholeheartedly agrees.
The church’s actions are reflective of its welcoming role within the community
Painting the Oak Lawn United Methodist Church steps in rainbow hues in the aftermath of Gov. Abbott’s order is, in senior pastor Reverend Rachel Griffin-Allison’s words, “important because silence is not neutral—silence in the face of harm always sides with the oppressor.” During an increasingly oppressive time, this act of solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community speaks volumes. It signals to those living under oppression that they’re not alone, and that even in the most isolating of times, they can always seek out a sense of belonging in a space that may have otherwise seemed inaccessible to them.
Rev. Griffin-Allison wants people to know that “every person is created in the image of God.” The steps are merely “a reminder that God keeps showing up — especially for those the world tries to silence — we want every person who approaches our doors or passes through the neighborhood to know: There’s a place for you here, and the love of God meets you exactly as you are.”
Queer inclusion, and queer joy, cannot be erased regardless of how many political orders are issued in the vain attempt to do so. Oak Lawn United Methodist Church knows that, and now the rest of Texas does too.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
