In response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s order that cities remove rainbow crosswalks, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church is painting its front steps in rainbow colors.
Oak Lawn United Methodist Church is a long-standing inclusive faith community in Dallas and a reconciling congregation.
The governor’s order claims that crosswalks are a distraction to drivers. However, studies have shown fewer accidents involving pedestrians happen in rainbow crosswalks.
For OLUMC, located at the corner of Oak Lawn Avenue and Cedar Springs Road which is the site of one of the crosswalks, church leaders say this act is not one of defiance, but of faith.
“It’s important because silence is not neutral — silence in the face of harm always sides with the oppressor,” said OLUMC Senior Pastor Rachel Griffin-Allison. “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.”
In a written statement, the church’s leadership said it hopes the rainbow steps will serve as both a statement of solidarity and a sanctuary of hope for the LGBTQ+ community and allies across Dallas.
Members of the church, led by Robert Garcia Sr., began painting the steps on Tuesday morning, Oct. 21. Garcia said it would take four or five coats of paint before a non-slip sealer is added to preserve the rainbow.
Garcia said work on the steps should take about two weeks.
Social media posts made Tuesday evening show the south side of the building at 4014 Cedar Springs Road, the former home of Resource Center’s Nelson-Tebedo Health Center, painted a dark, dull gray. The blank slate wall came as a shock to many of the area’s residents, visitors and business who were used to seeing a vibrant, multi-color mural honoring the LGBTQ+ community and the fight against HIV/AIDS.
As Lee Daugherty noted in a post to the Friends of Oak Lawn page on Facebook, “Today a new tenant on Cedar Springs at the old Nelson-Tebedo [clinic] took it on themselves to paint over a 2018 mural of the AIDS quilt, a solemn remembrance and a dedication that we take care of each other. I’m unaware which clinic is moving in at this time, but it’s brave to move into a community and immediately erase it.”
The mural, known as Dallas Red Foundation’s HIV/AIDS Commemorative Mural, was conceived as a joint project between Dallas Red Foundation’s REDucate Committee and the community art group Arttitude, designed by Arttitude muralist Lee Madrid “after talking with community leaders and employees of Resource Center’s Nelson-Tebedo Clinic upon which the mural is painted. The mural offers a message of hope and community while acknowledging the HIV/AIDS crisis and the continued need for HIV/AIDS to be at the forefront of public attention,” John Anderson, secretary of Dallas Red Foundation and a member the REDucation Committee, explained in a January 2019 Voices column in Dallas Voice.
Anderson told Dallas Voice Tuesday night that the new tenant in the building is the AIDS Healthcare Foundation clinic. He wrote in a post on his own Facebook page, “A LOT of work was put into this by a few different local organizations. Community art is not something you can just erase. Someone has some explaining to do.”
In his 2019 column for Dallas Voice, Anderson explained that the mural was designed, with input from community leaders and employees of Resource Center’s Nelson-Tebedo Clinic, to “offer a message of hope and community while acknowledging the HIV/AIDS crisis and the continued need for HIV/AIDS to be at the forefront of public attention.”
He said that the mural featured “four diverse hands coming together to create red heart shapes” intended as the perfect backdrop for selfies. In addition, “References to the decline in deaths over time and the ever-increasing number of individuals living with HIV [were] incorporated between multicolored, geometric shapes” painted in colors “reminiscent of the quintessential rainbow motif common in LGBTQ art and culture. A large portion of the mural depict[ed] silhouettes looking over sections of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, created as a memorial celebrating the lives of people who have died of AIDS-related causes.”
Dallas Voice Senior Staff Writer David Taffet has written several articles chronicling the conception of the mural and its progress along the way. Read some of them here, here and here.
Dallas Voice will be contacting AHF to ask why the mural was painted over and who made the decision to do so. When we hear from them, we will update this post.
*Opinion written by Harvey Haberman on the Dallas Voice.
I recently received a message on Facebook from my friends from Florida (and I use the term “from” loosely because they no longer live there) who, like several other friends, are leaving the country. They have moved to Curaçao in the Dutch West Indies. It’s an LGBTQ-friendly country that they felt was a safe haven in a world marching toward authoritarianism.
I don’t blame them for leaving, nor do I blame my other friends who have moved to Ireland, Canada and Mexico. They believe the handwriting on the walls of social media warning that the United States is becoming 1930s Germany.
And, frankly, that scares me.
What I find frightening is that a billionaire huckster and his cronies can so easily create chaos in a country which I had seen as being on the right track. Instead, they have derailed the country for no other reason than to grab power and steal money from American’s pockets. What I find even more frightening is that so many of my friends are willing to give up and leave.
And it’s frightening also because I know the poem that starts, “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist.”
That poem was a sad commentary on Germany at the time, but the key take away for me from it is that part: “and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist.”
The poem as a whole was not so much about the oppression of certain groups, but instead about the inaction and silence of the general populace: They let it happen. In their complacency they collaborated with the Nazis as surely as if they were active supporters.
But the poem says nothing about packing up and leaving.
If all the Jews had left Germany, Hitler would have still been in power, and he would have found other scapegoats. He would have still been in power and would have continued his quest for an empire. He would have still bombed England and invaded France.
Hitler was successful, at least for a while, because not enough people spoke out.
My partner and I have discussed whether moving out of the country would be the prudent thing to do. But while it may be the prudent thing to do, I see it as capitulation. Leaving the country would leave a lot of our friends behind. I would be leaving behind my home, my family, my country. And that would be playing into the hands of a megalomaniac and a damned stupid one at that.I was heartened by Cory Booker, senior senator from New Jersey, standing up in the Senate and delivering his epic marathon speech against Trump and Musk and the whole cabal that backs them. I am heartened by the Supreme Court election in Wisconsin where — even as Elon Musk gave million-dollar checks to a few individual voters and backed a massive media campaign to install a right-wing candidate — Susan Crawford, the progressive candidate, triumphed.
Small victories as these are, they show that people are still willing to stand up and speak out against the most un-American administration in history.
A couple of weeks ago I attended a protest outside the Tesla Service Center calling for Musk to get out of the government — a government to which he was not elected. Though the turnout was small, it was visible. The turnout protesting the unlawful kidnappings by ICE drew hundreds more. And those protests are going on in every city in America. Over this past weekend, on April 5, millions turned out at events around the country in a massive national call for the administration and its unelected minions to keep their “Hands Off” things like Social Security and more.
People are speaking out. And the LGBTQ community knows a lot about speaking out. We have done it before, and we can and will do it now.
Now, I’m a stubborn old goat. My friends and I worked hard to build a community here, and, though they are a small thing, the rainbow sidewalks in Oak Lawn let me and the world know that we are here and not going away. And no matter how Trump and Musk and his cronies try to erase history and erase us, I refuse to let their fear campaign chase me away.
So, to anyone who feels they must leave, please do it safely. But as for me — I ain’t going nowhere! And I ain’t staying quiet.
Hardy Haberman is a longtime local LGBT activist and a board member of the Woodhull Freedom Alliance. His blog is atDungeonDiary.blogspot.com.
Several hundred people crowded into the parking lot between Cathedral of Hope and Resource Center on Sunday afternoon for a short rally before pouring out onto Cedar Springs Road and marching to The Crossroads.
The March for Queer & Trans Liberation, organized by a coalition of more than 20 local organizations with GLAAD’s Texas representative and communications director for Texas Latino Pride Jacob Reyes, was held in response to the ongoing wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation and policies coming out of Washington, D.C., and state Capitols around the country, including Austin where Texas lawmakers this session have introduced a record number — 205 — of anti-LGBTQ bills, especially focusing on anti-trans efforts.
In explaining the reasons last week for the march, Cece Cox, CEO for Resource Center which was one of the organizations behind the march said, “The Queer & Trans Liberation March sends a message to all in Dallas and across Texas that when we stand up and show up for our communities, we move closer to reclaiming justice.’
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is threatening legal action against the city of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas after the fair announced a new policy prohibiting guns on the fairgrounds this year.
Why it matters: The updated safety protocols come in response to a shooting incident last year that left three people injured. Previously, the fair allowed visitors with a valid handgun license to carry firearms. The shooter involved in last year’s incident did not have a license.
The latest: The State Fair of Texas recently announced new security measures, including a ban on all firearms except those carried by licensed peace officers. Paxton responded by sending a letter to interim city manager Kim Bizor Tolbert, claiming that the gun ban violates state law because the fairgrounds are city-owned. He warned that if the issue isn’t resolved within 15 days, he will take the matter to court.
The big picture: Texas has some of the most permissive gun laws in the nation, allowing most adults over 21 to carry firearms without a license. While schools and courtrooms are exceptions, private entities, like amusement parks, can impose their own restrictions.
Friction point: Fair Park, where the State Fair is held, is owned by the city of Dallas, but the fair leases the grounds during the event. Paxton argues that because the property is city-owned, the State Fair cannot legally ban firearms. However, fair officials contend that, as a private entity, they have the right to enforce their own safety policies.
State of play: The State Fair of Texas is a major event, drawing over 2.3 million attendees last year. In response to safety concerns, the fair has implemented measures like weapons detection systems at entry points and restrictions on unaccompanied minors after 5 p.m.
Context: More than 70 Republican state legislators have signed a petition urging the fair to reconsider its gun ban, arguing that gun-free zones are less safe. Fair officials, however, maintain that banning guns is in line with practices at other large gatherings and is necessary to ensure a safe, family-friendly environment.
What they’re saying: In a statement, fair officials acknowledged the significance of the issue for many Texans but stood by their decision, emphasizing their commitment to safety.
Zoom in: Cameron Alexander Turner, the 22-year-old accused shooter from last year’s incident, has been indicted on multiple felony charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His trial is scheduled for October.
What’s next: Paxton has given Dallas 15 days to change the ban, threatening civil penalties of $1,000 to $1,500 per day if they do not comply. The State Fair is scheduled to run from September 27 to October 20.
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