Rev. Elizabeth Hall

The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth S. Hall

Presbyterian Church (USA)

Troy, NY

For 14 years I was a parish minister in two different PC(USA) churches.

When I fell in love with a woman, I knew I would have to leave my beloved ministry. I could not with any integrity serve the church, preaching of God's love and justice for all people knowing the PC(USA), and several people in the pew, could not accept me, or worse, would condemn me. Integrity, for me, is the integration of my internal feelings with my external actions. I could have no integrity if I pretended to live one way so that people would accept me, knowing full well this is not who I am.

The sentence, "I found God in myself, and I loved her, I loved her fiercely," became my fully integrated self. Outside the church, I have felt this full integration of me, God, and the world. I was, and am, at peace with God. I am still not at peace with the church.

The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth S. Hall
Honorable Retired
Spouse Pamela M. Palumbo
Dedicated on Sunday, November 16, 2008
First United Presbyterian Church - Troy, NY
Given by the More Light Ministries Team

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The Pink Triangle
Dedicated to Rev. Elizabeth Hall
Designed by Quilt Artist Renee Kroner Hoagland

Having been raised to believe we are all equal and should be treated with dignity and respect, it is sad to realize not much has changed in the last 75 years.

75 years ago Hitler started his campaign of terror and hate. Everyone knows about the near annihilation of the Jews. However, few people know the extent of Nazi madness and how many other groups of people were selected for death. As each group was selected for deportation to the death camps, the Nazis needed a way to categorize their captives so they could keep accurate records of their madness. They gave each group a colored triangle to wear on their camp uniforms. Jews wore yellow stars (two triangles), criminals wore green and homosexuals wore pink triangles. There were many others, sadly too many to mention here.

I wanted to express my sadness over the fact that we still find it impossible to accept those members of our society who are different. The Bible teaches us that we are all God's children. Why then, do so many of us believe his love is only for a select few?

This stole is designed to remind us that we still carry old prejudices and more work needs to be done to bring God's love to all. The dark pieced background represents the rigid attitudes and prejudices towards the sexually disenfranchised. As well as the loneliness and despair they must feel by not being able to fulfill their calling to serve the church and live openly. The "Holocaust" triangles remind us the LGBT members of our society are still discriminated against, even those called to serve God.

It is meant to be uncomfortable to look at, thereby forcing us to address our prejudices.