By Sam Cohen
Dallasās Oak Lawn neighborhood is, as NBCDFW aptly described it, known for its sense of advocacy. In the wake of Gov. Greg Abbottās 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 ānot one of defiance, but of faith.ā
For the Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, faith is something thatās extended to everyone. The front page of its website reads, āWelcome to our radically inclusive, tri-lingual communityāwhere youāre loved exactly as you are, no matter who you are, who you love, or what you believe. We amplify Godās unconditional love through radical hospitality, serving our neighbor, and standing up for justice.ā
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, āSexual orientation is not an ideology. Gender identity is not an ideology. No one calls being straight an ideologyāexpression of identity harms no one.ā
The United Methodist Church wholeheartedly agrees.
