Oak Lawn United Methodist Church – Photo: NBCDFW screenshot
The Dallas Landmark Commission unanimously approved rainbow-colored steps outside Oak Lawn United Methodist Church as a temporary art installation, allowing the display to remain for up to three years despite objections that they violate historic preservation codes.
As a designated historic site, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church is required to seek city approval before making major exterior changes, including paint colors, according to Dallas-area PBS/NPR affiliate KERA.
The LGBTQ-welcoming church did not submit an application to the landmark commission before repainting its exterior steps in the colors of the “Progress Pride” flag, incorporating the traditional rainbow along with black and brown stripes and the blue, pink, and white of the transgender Pride flag.
The steps were painted to show solidarity with the LGBTQ community in response to a directive from Greg Abbott ordering the removal of several rainbow crosswalks, including one at the intersection where the church stands.
After repainting the steps, the church requested an exception from city code from the landmark commission. The commission’s staff recommended approving the exception and allowing the rainbow steps to remain as an art installation, with conditions including a prohibition on painting exterior walls, a required review after 12 months, and compliance with city lighting codes.
A separate task force urged the commission to reject the exception, arguing that the rainbow colors did not align with the site’s historic scheme and that the church violated city code by acting without prior approval.
During a two-hour commission meeting, more than 20 people testified in favor of granting the exception, according to NBC affiliate KXAS.
“When I see the stairs, I see love, support, inclusion, and kindness. They bring a smile to my face and my heart,” one speaker said.
“Those steps are where I got married to my husband in 2017 because, for various reasons that we won’t go into, we weren’t allowed to have our same-sex wedding inside our church,” another person testified. “But we held it on those steps to show the world what it meant to be a welcoming place for all people.”
“As a church rooted in this community, we chose to respond visibly and responsibly,” said Rachel Griffin-Allison, senior pastor of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, testifying before the commission. “Our intention was and remains simple: to communicate to every person who approaches our building that they are seen, safe, and welcome.”
The Dallas Landmark Commission ultimately granted the exception and allowed the rainbow display to remain as an art installation for three years, rather than one. After that period, the commission may choose to extend the approval or require the design’s removal.
Racers, start your engines. RuPaul’s Drag Race has revealed the 14 new queens set to grace the runway for its 18th season as they vie for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar and a grand prize of $200,000.
Premiering January 2 on MTV, the season will be accompanied by another run of RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked, where viewers get the chance to get an inside look at all the tea being spilt behind the scenes of the hit show.
The new season will also feature a bit of a twist from the outset. Unlike the recent spate of season-premiere episodes that feature a talent show -- remember Season 15, when the judges were somehow unimpressed with Irene the Alien’s keen ability to make a glass of ice water? -- the competition appears to be starting with a sewing challenge.
Conservative Christians attacked fast food giant Chick-fil-A after a franchisee in Orem, Utah, posted a Facebook message celebrating a young gay couple’s marriage.
"CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HAPPY COUPLE!" the December 3 post reads. "Dougie & Toby recently got married and we are so beyond happy for them!"
The celebratory message quickly triggered backlash from conservatives. The "Chick-fil-A Orem Plaza" Facebook account ultimately restricted public comments to users who had been following the page for more than 24 hours.
In late November, the University of Oklahoma placed Mel Curth on administrative leave after the transgender graduate teaching assistant gave a student a zero on an essay about gender roles.
The essay cited the Bible to defend traditional gender roles and described transgender people as "demonic." Curth and the course's instructor, Megan Waldron, said the paper failed to meet basic academic standards due to a lack of empirical evidence. Both noted that the paper cited no scholarly sources and failed to offer an evidence-based critique of the assigned article, which argued that children who do not conform to rigid gender stereotypes are more likely to face bullying and negative mental health outcomes.
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