By Sam Cohen
Dallasâs Oak Lawn neighborhood is, as NBCDFW aptly described it, known for its sense of advocacy. In the wake of Gov. Greg Abbottâs 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 ânot one of defiance, but of faith.â
For the Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, faith is something thatâs extended to everyone. The front page of its website reads, âWelcome to our radically inclusive, tri-lingual communityâwhere youâre loved exactly as you are, no matter who you are, who you love, or what you believe. We amplify Godâs unconditional love through radical hospitality, serving our neighbor, and standing up for justice.â
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, âSexual orientation is not an ideology. Gender identity is not an ideology. No one calls being straight an ideologyâexpression of identity harms no one.â
The United Methodist Church wholeheartedly agrees.
