In response to governor Greg Abbott’s order that cities in Texas remove rainbow crosswalks, a Texas church is defiantly fighting back.
Oak Lawn United Methodist Church (OLUMC) in Dallas has pushed back against the governor’s order — which mandates the removal of “decorative crosswalks, murals, or markings conveying artwork or other messages” from roadways or risk losing state funding — by painting each of its steps in the colours of the rainbow.
The governor said on 8 October: “Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways. Today, I directed the Texas Department of Transportation to ensure Texas counties and cities remove any and all political ideologies from our streets.”
Work on painting the steps, led by Robert Garcia Sr, began on Tuesday (21 October) and is expected to take about two weeks.
OLUMC Senior Pastor Rachel Griffin-Allison said in a statement, as per Dallas Voice: “It’s important because silence is not neutral — silence in the face of harm always sides with the oppressor.
“Painting our steps in the colors of the rainbow is a visible witness to the gospel we preach: that every person is created in the image of God and worthy of safety, dignity and belonging.”
The church’s leadership has said that it hopes the rainbow steps will act a a statement of solidarity and sanctuary of hope for the LGBTQ+ community.
You can see a full gallery of photos of the inspiring project and read more information about it on Dallas Voice.
Last week, protestors were arrested in Texas after standing on a rainbow Pride crossing to prevent it from being removed.
Also, earlier this month, officials in Florida destroyed an LGBTQ+ rainbow crosswalk in Miami Beach that had stood since 2018, and had become a symbol of LGBTQ+ visibility and history. Rainbow and Pride flags have been hung near the intersection as a sign of defiance.
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