7 20 2500 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/da6c7a0b51e162d6c0a214d22098f7f8.jpg 18ed80138014a9e4479ea3eccc0dfa67 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alastair Heron pic Description An account of the resource Picture of Alastair Heron published with his obituary in InPsych 2009 from the Australian Psychological Society. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived InPsych 2009, Australian Psychological Society. https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/3603e2555806f59c1fa08417e8020d22.jpg c404a7525a27dbcd24e16cd6ec3a51d3 Person An individual. Text Any textual data included in the document Alex Patchin McNeill is the first openly transgender person to head a mainline Protestant organization. He is an openly transgender man, a life-long Presbyterian, and a nationally known educator and advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Christians. Alex spent most of his childhood in the mountains of West Virginia and western North Carolina. Before heading off to college at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Alex came out to his parents about two things: that he identified as queer and that he felt called to go to be a Presbyterian minister. However the prohibitive amendment G-6.0106b excluding openly gay and lesbian people from ordination had been put into the Presbyterian Book of Order in 1997. As the amendment became law, Alex was in high school and just beginning to understand his sense of call. Alex became an activist during college for LGBTQ inclusive polices and programs at UNC while pursuing his bachelor of religious studies and a minor in sexuality and gender studies. He attended seminary at Harvard Divinity School and concentrated his M.Div. studies on gender, sexuality and religion. He wrote his masters thesis on how Christian ethics could inform a sex-positive way to teach sex education. After graduating from Harvard in 2008, Alex moved to Washington, D.C. with his partner. The Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) was in the midst of making another attempt to repeal G-6.0106b. While waiting for the PCUSA to change it’s policies on ordination, Alex began working at the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. While fighting the growing roll-back of reproductive rights and health care, Alex also began volunteering for organizations and projects working at the LGBTQ and faith intersection. In 2010, he served as a lead trainer for the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Believe Out Loud Power Summit in Orlando, Florida. The Power Summit had a bold agenda to help move people of faith out of the pews and into action for LGBTQ equality. It was at this event that Alex met Rev. Deb Peevey who had just been contracted to work with More Light Presbyterians on another attempt to repeal G-6.0106b and replace it with amendment 10A. In 2010, the PCUSA was undergoing another national vote that would hopefully remove the barriers to ordination for LGB people. Alex vowed that he couldn’t sit on the sidelines for another PCUSA ratification vote on ordination if he wanted to continue to call himself a Presbyterian. Alex became Deb’s ‘right hand man’ volunteering over 20 hours a week during the height of the campaign while working full time at RCRC. After Amendment 10A was ratified and put into the Book of Order, the question everyone asked Alex shifted from "what are you going to do since you can’t be ordained?," to “when are you going to finally be ordained!” The shift in possibility of ordination was a wake-up call to Alex that to best serve the church he needed to face up to the growing sense that he is transgender and needed to begin a gender transition. In the fall of 2012 he ended his full time job at RCRC and began working on the marriage campaign in Maryland through the National LGBTQ Task Force, and on the documentary Out of Order. At the same time, he also began his medical gender transition. After marriage became the law of the land in Maryland, he worked with Equality Maryland to pass a state-wide non-discrimination ordinance and as a lead trainer for the Building an Inclusive Church curriculum. In the summer of 2013, he was called to serve as the Executive Director of More Light Presbyterians. Over the past four years while serving as the ED of More Light Presbyterians (MLP), Alex has led the organization through a marriage campaign and nationwide voting effort to remove discriminatory language in the Book of Order and secure marriage equality in the denomination. He has also led MLP through a visioning process for what is next after marriage equality and developed new programs to help congregations and members live into LGBTQ inclusion in their churches and advocate for further equity and welcome in their communities. His journey to ordination is chronicled in the documentary, Out of Order. He currently lives in the mountains of North Carolina with his wife and three dogs. (This biographical statement provided by Alex McNeill.) Biographical Text Alex Patchin McNeill is the first openly transgender person to head a mainline Protestant organization. He is an openly transgender man, a life-long Presbyterian, and a nationally known educator and advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Christians. Alex spent most of his childhood in the mountains of West Virginia and western North Carolina. Before heading off to college at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Alex came out to his parents about two things: that he identified as queer and that he felt called to go to be a Presbyterian minister. However the prohibitive amendment G-6.0106b excluding openly gay and lesbian people from ordination had been put into the Presbyterian Book of Order in 1997. As the amendment became law, Alex was in high school and just beginning to understand his sense of call. Alex became an activist during college for LGBTQ inclusive polices and programs at UNC while pursuing his bachelor of religious studies and a minor in sexuality and gender studies. He attended seminary at Harvard Divinity School and concentrated his M.Div. studies on gender, sexuality and religion. He wrote his masters thesis on how Christian ethics could inform a sex-positive way to teach sex education. After graduating from Harvard in 2008, Alex moved to Washington, D.C. with his partner. The Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) was in the midst of making another attempt to repeal G-6.0106b. While waiting for the PCUSA to change it’s policies on ordination, Alex began working at the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. While fighting the growing roll-back of reproductive rights and health care, Alex also began volunteering for organizations and projects working at the LGBTQ and faith intersection. In 2010, he served as a lead trainer for the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Believe Out Loud Power Summit in Orlando, Florida. The Power Summit had a bold agenda to help move people of faith out of the pews and into action for LGBTQ equality. It was at this event that Alex met Rev. Deb Peevey who had just been contracted to work with More Light Presbyterians on another attempt to repeal G-6.0106b and replace it with amendment 10A. In 2010, the PCUSA was undergoing another national vote that would hopefully remove the barriers to ordination for LGB people. Alex vowed that he couldn’t sit on the sidelines for another PCUSA ratification vote on ordination if he wanted to continue to call himself a Presbyterian. Alex became Deb’s ‘right hand man’ volunteering over 20 hours a week during the height of the campaign while working full time at RCRC. After Amendment 10A was ratified and put into the Book of Order, the question everyone asked Alex shifted from "what are you going to do since you can’t be ordained?," to “when are you going to finally be ordained!” The shift in possibility of ordination was a wake-up call to Alex that to best serve the church he needed to face up to the growing sense that he is transgender and needed to begin a gender transition. In the fall of 2012 he ended his full time job at RCRC and began working on the marriage campaign in Maryland through the National LGBTQ Task Force, and on the documentary Out of Order. At the same time, he also began his medical gender transition. After marriage became the law of the land in Maryland, he worked with Equality Maryland to pass a state-wide non-discrimination ordinance and as a lead trainer for the Building an Inclusive Church curriculum. In the summer of 2013, he was called to serve as the Executive Director of More Light Presbyterians. Over the past four years while serving as the ED of More Light Presbyterians (MLP), Alex has led the organization through a marriage campaign and nationwide voting effort to remove discriminatory language in the Book of Order and secure marriage equality in the denomination. He has also led MLP through a visioning process for what is next after marriage equality and developed new programs to help congregations and members live into LGBTQ inclusion in their churches and advocate for further equity and welcome in their communities. His journey to ordination is chronicled in the documentary, Out of Order. He currently lives in the mountains of North Carolina with his wife and three dogs. (This biographical statement provided by Alex McNeill.) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alex McNeill Alex McNeill More Light Presbyterians for LGBT Concerns Presbyterian https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/5f0998d0fe711ae3d9b3b43354af62ce.gif c91cebb9cd84bcd9a889a44ca77a8529 Hyperlink A link, or reference, to another resource on the Internet. URL http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC1788284/pdf/brmedj02203-0069.pdf Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alfred Torrie obituary Description An account of the resource Obituary of Alfred Torrie published in the British Medical Journal Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived British Medical Journal 13 May 1972 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/1f107e4251188b3cb968a80002716fb2.jpg e2818676d0048715351bb3a027ab05e5 Person An individual. Text Any textual data included in the document Alison Amyx, as Believe Out Loud's senior communications strategist, works diligently to foster healthy, authentic, and challenging conversations on justice for all LGBTQIA people. Alison was raised Southern Baptist in northwest Georgia. She accepted Jesus into her heart at the age of seven. Over the course of her childhood, she developed deep doubts about whether she was worthy of God’s love. These doubts were strong enough to lead her toward every altar call in walking distance, and eventually, these doubts led to her second baptism at the age of seventeen. By college, these doubts grew as wide as the distance between the two images of God she was presented as a child—the angry, vengeful God who sent people to Hell, and the God of Love beyond understanding. While pursuing an undergraduate degree in sociology at Mercer University, a historically Baptist school in Georgia, Alison took a required Christianity course that changed the way she read the Bible. She was hooked. By her senior year, she narrowed her focus on the sociology of religion, and her undergraduate studies culminated in project on the social factors that influence perceptions of an authoritarian God. This project, along with a growing interest in conflict transformation, led Alison to pursue a Master of Theological Studies at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Though Alison embarked on religious study as purely an “academic pursuit,” the existential angst of her childhood persisted throughout seminary. After five years of studying many types of faith (and meeting many, many Methodists), Alison found herself leaning back into her roots—the Baptist tradition. During her last semester of seminary, she realized that she was, in fact, a person of faith, and her faith was rooted in a love beyond understanding. Just one week later, she realized she was gay. Alison began her communications work in seminary—first at the Religion and Public Health Collaborative at Emory University, and then at Interfaith Power & Light, a national organization mobilizing a religious response to global warming. From the intersections of faith and doubt, to religion and environmental work, and faith and sexuality—Alison’s is called to work in spaces where gaps are bridged and conflicts are transformed. In 2012, Alison joined the staff of Believe Out Loud as the senior editor, where she was tasked with creating and curating content for the largest online network of LGBT Christians and allies. In this position, she has curated extensive conversations about mental health, race, sexuality, and gender in the LGBTQIA community. In 2016, Alison created and launched Believe Out Loud’s Blogger Payment Program to ensure the individuals who write for Believe Out Loud receive compensation for their work. This program prioritizes individuals who write about identities and experiences that are underrepresented in the wider LGBTQIA movement. From the individuals who write for Believe Out Loud, to the members of the Believe Out Loud who hold the community accountable, Alison has grown tremendously in relationship with a community of LGBTQIA believers—including the elders who bridge the gaps between generations in our movement. Alison currently lives in New Jersey with her partner Reese Rathjen. In her spare time, she visits cats, sings in choirs, and serves on the board of <a href="http://www.bpfna.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz</a>, la red más grande de Bautistas por la paz en el mundo, the largest network of Baptist peacemakers in the world. Alison believes in evolving identities and currently holds the following labels close to heart: Southerner, person of faith, trans partner, Baptist, and queer femme. (This biographical statement provided by Alison Amyx.) Biographical Text Alison Amyx, as Believe Out Loud's senior communications strategist, works diligently to foster healthy, authentic, and challenging conversations on justice for all LGBTQIA people. Alison was raised Southern Baptist in northwest Georgia. She accepted Jesus into her heart at the age of seven. Over the course of her childhood, she developed deep doubts about whether she was worthy of God’s love. These doubts were strong enough to lead her toward every altar call in walking distance, and eventually, these doubts led to her second baptism at the age of seventeen. By college, these doubts grew as wide as the distance between the two images of God she was presented as a child—the angry, vengeful God who sent people to Hell, and the God of Love beyond understanding. While pursuing an undergraduate degree in sociology at Mercer University, a historically Baptist school in Georgia, Alison took a required Christianity course that changed the way she read the Bible. She was hooked. By her senior year, she narrowed her focus on the sociology of religion, and her undergraduate studies culminated in project on the social factors that influence perceptions of an authoritarian God. This project, along with a growing interest in conflict transformation, led Alison to pursue a Master of Theological Studies at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Though Alison embarked on religious study as purely an “academic pursuit,” the existential angst of her childhood persisted throughout seminary. After five years of studying many types of faith (and meeting many, many Methodists), Alison found herself leaning back into her roots—the Baptist tradition. During her last semester of seminary, she realized that she was, in fact, a person of faith, and her faith was rooted in a love beyond understanding. Just one week later, she realized she was gay. Alison began her communications work in seminary—first at the Religion and Public Health Collaborative at Emory University, and then at Interfaith Power & Light, a national organization mobilizing a religious response to global warming. From the intersections of faith and doubt, to religion and environmental work, and faith and sexuality—Alison’s is called to work in spaces where gaps are bridged and conflicts are transformed. In 2012, Alison joined the staff of Believe Out Loud as the senior editor, where she was tasked with creating and curating content for the largest online network of LGBT Christians and allies. In this position, she has curated extensive conversations about mental health, race, sexuality, and gender in the LGBTQIA community. In 2016, Alison created and launched Believe Out Loud’s Blogger Payment Program to ensure the individuals who write for Believe Out Loud receive compensation for their work. This program prioritizes individuals who write about identities and experiences that are underrepresented in the wider LGBTQIA movement. From the individuals who write for Believe Out Loud, to the members of the Believe Out Loud who hold the community accountable, Alison has grown tremendously in relationship with a community of LGBTQIA believers—including the elders who bridge the gaps between generations in our movement. Alison currently lives in New Jersey with her partner Reese Rathjen. In her spare time, she visits cats, sings in choirs, and serves on the board of <a href="http://www.bpfna.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz</a>, la red más grande de Bautistas por la paz en el mundo, the largest network of Baptist peacemakers in the world. Alison believes in evolving identities and currently holds the following labels close to heart: Southerner, person of faith, trans partner, Baptist, and queer femme. (This biographical statement provided by Alison Amyx.) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Alison Amyx Alison Amyx Baptist Believe Out Loud Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. All Children in the Presbyterian Church Stole Text A stole in honor of ALL CHILDREN in the Presbyterian Church (USA) who are presently baptized members, being nurtured in our congregations, being taught that God's love is unconditional, being equipped for ministry in our church, who are our future ordained ministers. Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) Contribution Date 1995 Contribution Story This stole was one of the original 80 stoles that were on display on Sept. 16, 1995 when Shower of Stoles Project founder Martha Juillerat set aside her ordination before the Heartland Presbytery (see Stole #1 for details). Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 15 Title A name given to the resource All Children in the Presbyterian Church Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant St. Paul, Minnesota (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Merriam Lexington Presbyterian Church St. Paul, MN Clergy Activist Covenant Network of Presbyterians International Human Rights Minnesota More Light Presbyterians for LGBT Concerns Ordination Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) St. Paul Theology https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/203f27b95c27b0191749f9a46de7da2a.jpg 440c6eb4e006881cf52fab779e974c1d https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/49b6cd3385625131d75390d75b691d0d.jpg 9594ece662ba98a1df97bc054816fe2d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. All Gay and Lesbian Christians (Rutgers Presbyterian Church, New York NY) Stole Text IN HONOR OF All gay and lesbian Christians Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) Contribution Date 1996 Contribution Story This is one of about thirty stoles donated to the collection over the years by the members of Rutgers Presbyterian Church in New York in honor of their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members, many of whom hold leadership positions within the congregation and in the Presbytery of New York City. Established in 1798 in lower Manhattan, Rutgers has a long history of involvement in social justice and community development issues. Rutgers is a More Light congregation, working for the full inclusion of LGBT persons in the life and leadership of the Presbyterian Church. Along with More Light Presbyterians, Rutgers is a sponsor of Presbyterian Welcome (an affiliate of That All May Freely Serve) and the Covenant Network in their common pursuit for the end of discrimination against LGBT persons in the Presbyterian Church. Martha Juillerat Founder, Shower of Stoles Project 2006 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 258 Title A name given to the resource All Gay and Lesbian Christians (Rutgers Presbyterian Church, New York NY) Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant New York, New York (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Rutgers Presbyterian Church Covenant Network of Presbyterians More Light Presbyterians for LGBT Concerns New York New York City Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) That All May Freely Serve (TAMFS) https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/b67f5673df0aee68270999894237e8cd.jpg d95ffa0abcf2ff09d15cb852806d70bc Person An individual. Text Any textual data included in the document Allen V. Harris is guided by prayerful discernment, passionate play, and prophetic witness. He finds much of his spiritual wisdom in scripture (particularly Isaiah 56:1-8, Luke 4:14-21, and Romans 12), conversations with friends, colleagues, and strangers on the street, as well as in the writings of many, especially Rumi, James Baldwin, Rev. Howard Thurman, Anne Lamott, and Walter Brueggemann. He loves to sing, to jog, to drink coffee and wine (not at the same time, however), and to listen intently, especially to children. The Rev. Allen V. Harris currently serves as the Regional Minister for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Capital Area, one of 32 Regions in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. He began his ministry in the Capital Area June 15, 2015. He previously served as Senior Pastor of Franklin Circle Christian Church in Cleveland, Ohio for 14 years where he helped to transform that congregation's ministry within its richly diverse urban neighborhood just west of downtown Cleveland. Prior to that he served as Associate Pastor/Transitional Senior Pastor of the Park Avenue Christian Church of New York City for a decade, the congregation in which he was ordained into ministry in 1991. Allen has gifts and graces in many areas, but is especially experienced in leading congregations and individuals through Anti-Racism/Pro-Reconciliation, Open & Affirming, and Accessible Congregational processes. He delights in and seeks to grow in transformational leadership, using social media for mission and advocacy, and in mentoring new clergy. From 2000 to 2015 Allen was the Senior Pastor of Franklin Circle Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Cleveland, Ohio. He was called there as a “Redevelopment Pastor” for a three-year term, offered as a carefully selected candidate by the Ohio Regional staff specifically to complement the needs of the Near West Side neighborhood which is racially diverse, politically active, with a growing LGBTQ population. His call to the historic, diverse, urban congregation in the spring of 2001 grew out of heartfelt hopes of helping the congregation to reclaim a clear sense of its identity and to renew its mission to the community. In April of 2004 the Region of Ohio and the congregation affirmed the work and he continued as their fully settled Senior Pastor. Allen and the congregation successfully revitalized the congregation and it became a prophetic witness and compassionate center for those who participated in the congregation, for the community around it, and for many near and far. Within the Christian Church of Ohio (Disciples of Christ) in Ohio Allen served on the Commission on the Ministry, served as Co-Director of Advance Conference along with the Rev. Margot Connor, and as President of the Adult Conference of 2011. Allen has served on several non-profit boards, including the Community Advisory Board of Lutheran Hospital, Interfaith Partners In Action of Cleveland (InterAct Cleveland) where he served as Board President. He is a proud graduate of the Neighborhood Leadership Institute (Class 17), all in Cleveland, Ohio. Allen had moved to Cleveland from New York City with his partner (now husband), the Rev. Craig Hoffman, in 2000 after a 10-year pastorate at Park Avenue Christian Church in Manhattan. Allen was privileged to serve as Associate Pastor with the Rev. John Wade Payne, Senior Pastor, for nine of those ten years. While serving as Associate Pastor at Park Avenue Christian Allen was ordained into ministry on Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 1991. His journey to be ordained was one of both exquisite beauty and profound pain. It also paralleled in chronology the events surrounding the contested nomination of the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon as General Minister and President of the denomination, whose candidacy was defeated at the General Assembly in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1991 in large part because of an orchestrated campaign of homophobia because Rev. Kinnamon and his (then) wife, Katherine Kinnamon were supporters of GLAD Alliance. While Allen was not the “first” in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to be ordained openly LGBTQ, nor was he the “first” to be hired in a first parish setting as openly LGBTQ, he does appear to be the first to do both, and has been out as a fully-embodied queer man in all of his ministerial settings since graduating seminary. Allen has a deep dedication to both the Regional and General expressions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). As a youth he served on the Youth Commission for the Tres Rios Area (1978-81), then the Regional Youth Council for the Southwest Region (1981-1982), and then on the General Youth Council (1980-1982), a position that allowed him to join in the planning for the Youth Ministry Congress at Texas Christian University (Ft. Worth) in the summer of 1981. As an adult, Allen has also served on the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), being chosen and elected to be on both the Administrative Committee and on the Executive Committee. Allen has attended every biennial General Assembly of the Christian Church since 1979 (St. Louis), having offered Resource Groups and having been in leadership for Assembly worship services there. In his ministry at Park Avenue Christian Church Allen spent time studying and developing skills in working with multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, economically-diverse congregations. He continues to use these gifts and graces in ministry. He also developed in New York City his deep commitment to ecumenical and interfaith work, serving on both the local Yorkville Interfaith Council and the Spiritual Rainbow, a coalition of interfaith LGBTQ leaders. He would also later be a part of a similar group in Cleveland, Ohio, the Spiritual Leaders Group of the LBGT Center of Cleveland. Prior to being called to Park Avenue Christian Church, Allen became an early leader in the the Gay, Lesbian, and Affirming Disciples Alliance (now the Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance). He served on the GLAD Alliance Council for several terms and was founding co-editor of the GLAD Alliance Crossbeams newsletter with the Rev. Michael Schloff (later serving in that role with the Rev. Jon Lacey). Along with the Rev. Laurie Rudel of Seattle, Washington, Allen was one of the founding “Developers” of the Open & Affirming Ministries Program of GLAD Alliance. He served for almost ten years as the one of its Developers. Using this wisdom and experience, Allen helped to guide both Park Avenue Christian Church and Franklin Circle Christian Church and now offers himself as a resource to congregations and institutions in the Christian Church Capital Area. Allen was born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico to Sara Vernon Harris, a lifelong nurse, and Lt. Col. Wesley Dalton Harris, a career soldier in the U.S. Army. He received his B.S. in Religious Education at Phillips University, Enid, Oklahoma and his M.Div., with a concentration in Religious Education, from Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, in Ft. Worth, Texas. While at Brite he served for over three years as Assistant to the Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Grapevine, Texas under the mentorship of Rev. Eleanor Cozad Cherryholmes. He has authored articles in several journals, including DisciplesWorld, Homily, and Open Hands. He also has numerous liturgies publishes in Shaping Sanctuary: Proclaiming God's Grace in an Inclusive Church, edited by Kelly Turney [Chicago: Welcoming Church Movement, 2000; 424 pp., ISBN 0970156804]. Allen has had a sermon selected for an upcoming issue of The Living Pulpit. Allen and his husband, Craig, remodeled a historic 1880's "folk Victorian" home on Cleveland’s Near West Side using environmentally-friendly and sustainable techniques and building materials. Both are committed to sustainability and creation care lifestyles. Craig serves as the Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastor at Old Stone Presbyterian Church in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The Rev. Dr. Mary Kay Totty, Allen’s best friend from seminary days, serves as Senior Pastor of Dumbarton United Methodist Church in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. She and Allen enjoy weekly Sunday night dinners together now that he lives nearby. (This biographical statement provided by Allen V. Harris.) Biographical Text Allen V. Harris is guided by prayerful discernment, passionate play, and prophetic witness. He finds much of his spiritual wisdom in scripture (particularly Isaiah 56:1-8, Luke 4:14-21, and Romans 12), conversations with friends, colleagues, and strangers on the street, as well as in the writings of many, especially Rumi, James Baldwin, Rev. Howard Thurman, Anne Lamott, and Walter Brueggemann. He loves to sing, to jog, to drink coffee and wine (not at the same time, however), and to listen intently, especially to children. The Rev. Allen V. Harris currently serves as the Regional Minister for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Capital Area, one of 32 Regions in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. He began his ministry in the Capital Area June 15, 2015. He previously served as Senior Pastor of Franklin Circle Christian Church in Cleveland, Ohio for 14 years where he helped to transform that congregation's ministry within its richly diverse urban neighborhood just west of downtown Cleveland. Prior to that he served as Associate Pastor/Transitional Senior Pastor of the Park Avenue Christian Church of New York City for a decade, the congregation in which he was ordained into ministry in 1991. Allen has gifts and graces in many areas, but is especially experienced in leading congregations and individuals through Anti-Racism/Pro-Reconciliation, Open & Affirming, and Accessible Congregational processes. He delights in and seeks to grow in transformational leadership, using social media for mission and advocacy, and in mentoring new clergy. From 2000 to 2015 Allen was the Senior Pastor of Franklin Circle Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Cleveland, Ohio. He was called there as a “Redevelopment Pastor” for a three-year term, offered as a carefully selected candidate by the Ohio Regional staff specifically to complement the needs of the Near West Side neighborhood which is racially diverse, politically active, with a growing LGBTQ population. His call to the historic, diverse, urban congregation in the spring of 2001 grew out of heartfelt hopes of helping the congregation to reclaim a clear sense of its identity and to renew its mission to the community. In April of 2004 the Region of Ohio and the congregation affirmed the work and he continued as their fully settled Senior Pastor. Allen and the congregation successfully revitalized the congregation and it became a prophetic witness and compassionate center for those who participated in the congregation, for the community around it, and for many near and far. Within the Christian Church of Ohio (Disciples of Christ) in Ohio Allen served on the Commission on the Ministry, served as Co-Director of Advance Conference along with the Rev. Margot Connor, and as President of the Adult Conference of 2011. Allen has served on several non-profit boards, including the Community Advisory Board of Lutheran Hospital, Interfaith Partners In Action of Cleveland (InterAct Cleveland) where he served as Board President. He is a proud graduate of the Neighborhood Leadership Institute (Class 17), all in Cleveland, Ohio. Allen had moved to Cleveland from New York City with his partner (now husband), the Rev. Craig Hoffman, in 2000 after a 10-year pastorate at Park Avenue Christian Church in Manhattan. Allen was privileged to serve as Associate Pastor with the Rev. John Wade Payne, Senior Pastor, for nine of those ten years. While serving as Associate Pastor at Park Avenue Christian Allen was ordained into ministry on Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 1991. His journey to be ordained was one of both exquisite beauty and profound pain. It also paralleled in chronology the events surrounding the contested nomination of the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon as General Minister and President of the denomination, whose candidacy was defeated at the General Assembly in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1991 in large part because of an orchestrated campaign of homophobia because Rev. Kinnamon and his (then) wife, Katherine Kinnamon were supporters of GLAD Alliance. While Allen was not the “first” in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to be ordained openly LGBTQ, nor was he the “first” to be hired in a first parish setting as openly LGBTQ, he does appear to be the first to do both, and has been out as a fully-embodied queer man in all of his ministerial settings since graduating seminary. Allen has a deep dedication to both the Regional and General expressions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). As a youth he served on the Youth Commission for the Tres Rios Area (1978-81), then the Regional Youth Council for the Southwest Region (1981-1982), and then on the General Youth Council (1980-1982), a position that allowed him to join in the planning for the Youth Ministry Congress at Texas Christian University (Ft. Worth) in the summer of 1981. As an adult, Allen has also served on the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), being chosen and elected to be on both the Administrative Committee and on the Executive Committee. Allen has attended every biennial General Assembly of the Christian Church since 1979 (St. Louis), having offered Resource Groups and having been in leadership for Assembly worship services there. In his ministry at Park Avenue Christian Church Allen spent time studying and developing skills in working with multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, economically-diverse congregations. He continues to use these gifts and graces in ministry. He also developed in New York City his deep commitment to ecumenical and interfaith work, serving on both the local Yorkville Interfaith Council and the Spiritual Rainbow, a coalition of interfaith LGBTQ leaders. He would also later be a part of a similar group in Cleveland, Ohio, the Spiritual Leaders Group of the LBGT Center of Cleveland. Prior to being called to Park Avenue Christian Church, Allen became an early leader in the the Gay, Lesbian, and Affirming Disciples Alliance (now the Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance). He served on the GLAD Alliance Council for several terms and was founding co-editor of the GLAD Alliance Crossbeams newsletter with the Rev. Michael Schloff (later serving in that role with the Rev. Jon Lacey). Along with the Rev. Laurie Rudel of Seattle, Washington, Allen was one of the founding “Developers” of the Open & Affirming Ministries Program of GLAD Alliance. He served for almost ten years as the one of its Developers. Using this wisdom and experience, Allen helped to guide both Park Avenue Christian Church and Franklin Circle Christian Church and now offers himself as a resource to congregations and institutions in the Christian Church Capital Area. Allen was born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico to Sara Vernon Harris, a lifelong nurse, and Lt. Col. Wesley Dalton Harris, a career soldier in the U.S. Army. He received his B.S. in Religious Education at Phillips University, Enid, Oklahoma and his M.Div., with a concentration in Religious Education, from Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, in Ft. Worth, Texas. While at Brite he served for over three years as Assistant to the Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Grapevine, Texas under the mentorship of Rev. Eleanor Cozad Cherryholmes. He has authored articles in several journals, including DisciplesWorld, Homily, and Open Hands. He also has numerous liturgies publishes in Shaping Sanctuary: Proclaiming God's Grace in an Inclusive Church, edited by Kelly Turney [Chicago: Welcoming Church Movement, 2000; 424 pp., ISBN 0970156804]. Allen has had a sermon selected for an upcoming issue of The Living Pulpit. Allen and his husband, Craig, remodeled a historic 1880's "folk Victorian" home on Cleveland’s Near West Side using environmentally-friendly and sustainable techniques and building materials. Both are committed to sustainability and creation care lifestyles. Craig serves as the Executive Assistant to the Senior Pastor at Old Stone Presbyterian Church in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The Rev. Dr. Mary Kay Totty, Allen’s best friend from seminary days, serves as Senior Pastor of Dumbarton United Methodist Church in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. She and Allen enjoy weekly Sunday night dinners together now that he lives nearby. (This biographical statement provided by Allen V. Harris.) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Allen Harris Allen Harris Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. Allen Hose Stole Text Allen Hose Community of Christ Long Beach, CA Now that I am 57 years old, I have come to a realization about life in general. I used to think that people had to think, act, and even in some ways look the same, and that even one church was preferred over another. But in the reality of life, and what I now believe, we are not the same nor should we be the same. For it is in those differences that makes each one of us unique; whether straight or gay, male or female, black or white, Christian or Muslim, rich or poor, or any other label that humanity tries to put on us, we are all important to the human link of (and yes, even animal) existence. If whatever Deity (or not) one believes in, what matters most is how we treat each other, and that is why there are so many differences in humankind. If it were not so, we would all be sheep! While a member of the Mormon Church, Allen was called to the office of elder and served faithfully in his ward and at the Los Angeles Temple until he was excommunicated for being gay in 1979. Allen is now a member of Basileia: An Open Door Community of Christ. Denomination Community of Christ (formerly RLDS) Contribution Date 2008 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1121 Title A name given to the resource Allen Hose Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Long Beach, California (United States) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Meredith Bischoff California Church Trials Community of Christ Hose, Allen Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Theology https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/5d7577362e9ca3b7f4a6d1d50851997e.jpg d660a9d312c79133d6b0ce3d2ae64577 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/96eeabd72e5eb56c0a16b368ca93a93a.jpg 0778361f1d5a0d0bd54e94c024f03561 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. Alyssa (Church of the Covenant, Boston MA) Stole Text ALYSSA Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) United Church of Christ Contribution Date 2001 Contribution Story This is one of 52 stoles donated to the Shower of Stoles collection by members and staff of Church of the Covenant. Although each of the stoles is unique, all of them are tied together by the inclusion of a piece cloth from a common bolt of blue and ivory material somewhere in the stole. Covenant is both a More Light and Open and Affirming Congregation. Their strong and public advocacy on behalf of LGBT persons in the life and leadership of the church has drawn many LBGT persons to become a part of the Covenant church family. Their 52 stoles represent the largest subset of stoles given to the collection by any one congregation. Church of the Covenant, a federated United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church, is steeped in history. Located just off the Boston Commons, the Gothic revival building erected in the mid-1800's was one of the first churches built in the Back Bay area. In the 1890's the sanctuary was completely redecorated by Tiffany Glass and Decorating Co., including the creation of an extraordinary set of Tiffany stained-glass windows and a chandelier that is said to be the first electrified light installed in a public building by Thomas Edison. Covenant's history of social justice and human rights work is equally rich. When I visited Covenant, I was intrigued to learn that the church was a designated stop along the "Boston Women's Heritage Trail." One of Covenant's members, Abbie Child, was the head of the Women's Board of Missions of the Congregational Church in the late 1800's. Another member, Dr. Elsa Meder, was one of the first women ordained as an elder in the Presbyterian Church. Elizabeth Rice and Alice Hageman, ordained in 1974 and 1975 respectively, were the first women to serve as pastors at a Back Bay church. When they were joined by Donna Day Lower, the church became the only one in the United States with three women clergy. Since opening the "Women's Lunch Place" in 1982, the church has served as a haven for poor women and their children. It is fitting, then, that one of the Tiffany windows is "Four Women of the Bible," including Miriam, Deborah, Mary of Bethany, and Dorcas. Covenant remains on the forefront of work for equality and justice, and is active in the LGBT Welcoming movement in the Boston area and beyond. Martha Juillerat Founder, Shower of Stoles Project 2006 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 755 Title A name given to the resource Alyssa (Church of the Covenant, Boston MA) Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Boston, Massachusetts (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Church of the Covenant Boston Feminism Massachusetts More Light Presbyterians for LGBT Concerns Open and Affirming in the UCC (ONA) Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) Theology United Church of Christ Women and Religion https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/dad2f873e5ee3037abacfe137f2d4dba.png 5fc2cff57a22aec3ae138d86c4031da5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Historical Development of BIPOC Trans-spiritual Leadership Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Amanda Berry Smith, a prominent Holiness preacher was the first black woman to do missionary work overseas. Subject The topic of the resource Born a slave, freed by her father, she pursued religion and became an international figure. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://blackhistorynow.com/amanda-berry-smith/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Smith https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/cd241526d1e6a0d25fd083557384615d.jpg a5a74c5332ae7f6b539a79ee56fffaa2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Historical Development of BIPOC Trans-spiritual Leadership Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource America First Description An account of the resource Photo of a man with cross and America First cap. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Photo: Mark Peterson/Redux https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2022/09/mixing-christianity-with-nationalism-is-a-recipe-for-fascism.html https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/53d6054baf4f1f12e9311505e64b6039.jpg 8c94944c496c7ef730955db9e35b1928 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Historical Development of BIPOC Trans-spiritual Leadership Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource An Act for Suppressing Outlying Slaves, 1691 Subject The topic of the resource An attempt to control the rate of enslaved Africans who run away. Description An account of the resource Transcription Source: William Waller Hening, ed., The Statutes at Large: Being a Collection of All Laws of Virginia, from the First Session of the Legislature, in the Year 1619 (Philadelphia: R. & W. & G. Bartow, 1823), 3:86–88. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/an-act-for-suppressing-outlying-slaves-1691/ https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/9d267e459d9d6f8846a2bd3c74b26d27.jpg 37f667b8d33d2830ceb63226cb6ca6e7 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/785fbb322d9d8c63eabf15c4736032d3.jpg 68656fda936f99d48122214e7f7c7bb5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. An Anonymous Father (First United Methodist stole: "LET THE SHAME STOP!") Stole Text ANONYMOUS My gay father (in the closet until his death in 1988) and my mother were founding members of their church in Ohio. As a youth I received my call to ministry in that church. This stole is given in memory of my father, and because even now my heart is heavy at the continuing shaming of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. We who are children of the closet have suffered yet unstudied painful consequences of the discrimination and silence that our parents endured. Perhaps you can use it despite its Methodist cross and flame. After our recent General Conference one needs to make witness that we are slipping backward on this issue and losing some of the brightest and best. LET THE SHAME STOP! Denomination United Methodist Church Presbyterian Church (USA) Contribution Date 1996 Contribution Story This stole, given to us just after the 1996 General Conference of the United Methodist Church, was the first United Methodist stole given to the collection. It is a simple design, a narrow, deep red, raw silk stole with the United Methodist "Cross and Flame" embroidered in gold at the bottom each panel and edged with gold fringe. It was sent to us by a woman, who is an ordained United Methodist minister, to honor her father. The letter said that her father, who was an active lay leader in his church, couldn't live with the knowledge of the church's condemnation of gays, and after many years of trying to live a "straight" life as a husband and father, he eventually took his own life. The story that she chose to put on the stole itself does not mention these facts directly; I share this bit of the story from her letter when I talk about the stole with groups. This is one of six stoles that I took with me everywhere I went. Martha Juillerat Founder, Shower of Stoles Project 2006 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 224 Title A name given to the resource An Anonymous Father (First United Methodist stole: "LET THE SHAME STOP!") Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Unknown, (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource His Daughter Clergy Activist Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) Theology United Church of Christ United States Women and Religion Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. An Elder Stole Text Ten identical white stoles with rainbow ribbons are from Central Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. They honor the ten self-identified gay and lesbian elders who have served on Central's session since the church became a More Light Church in the early 1980's. These stoles were made by a young man who is a custom lampshade maker by trade, with the church's hope that they "will speak to the whole church for all of us who are part of its life, even though the church may not know it." Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) Contribution Date 1996 Contribution Story Central Presbyterian was one of the early More Light congregations, the first in Kentucky, working for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in the life and leadership of the Presbyterian Church. Central practiced what it preached, ordaining LGBT persons as elders from the time they first became More Light. This is one of ten identical white satin stoles with rainbow ribbons honoring the ten self-identified gay and lesbian elders who served on Central's session between the church's becoming a More Light Church in the early 1980's and the 1996 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). These stoles were made by a young man who is a custom lampshade maker by trade, with the church's hope that they "will speak to the whole church for all of us who are part of its life, even though the church may not know it." Martha Juillerat Founder, Shower of Stoles Project 2006 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 51 Title A name given to the resource An Elder Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Louisville, Kentucky (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Central Presbyterian Church Kentucky More Light Presbyterians for LGBT Concerns Ordination Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/fc38b5897f9f45231947779e3df85122.pdf ce78f3a005f1e59d55a28b32ae2d058e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource A Sampler of Early Documents Description An account of the resource Artifacts for the A Sampler of Early Documents exhibit Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource An Evangelical Look at Homosexuality Description An account of the resource An Evangelical Look At Homosexuality by Dr. Ralph Blair. (1972) An early milestone in the re-assessment of homosexuality among Evangelical Christians. https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/e3372239bd61ef17208bf241f30b105d.jpeg 24c643c44611e80be7245e737885cc16 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Historical Development of BIPOC Trans-spiritual Leadership Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Text Any textual data included in the document A woman wearing Native American ceremonial attire attends a "No Honor in Racism Rally" march, October 2015. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource An Indigenous American ceremonially dances in the protest march themed, No Honor in Racism. October 2015. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "No Honor in Racism Rally" march in front of TCF Bank Stadium before an NFL football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Kansas City Chiefs, Oct. 18, 2015, in Minneapolis. AP Photo/Alex Brandon https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/college-lecturer-claims-no-laws-against-homosexuality-abortion-before-white-people-seek-help/ar-AA18g20h?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=edc134c5adb74de2817bef98b4dfe1a3&ei=80 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Historical Development of BIPOC Trans-spiritual Leadership Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource An Open Letter to Religious Leaders on Sexual and Gender Diversity Subject The topic of the resource Promoting full and affirmative inclusion. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing. http://religiousinstitute.org/open-letters/open-letter-to-religious-leaders-on-sexual-and-gender-diversity/ https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/0695e4a0468e718313bd766fdae11899.jpg e58a014ce23275a453ec05b4d2dc6377 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/ee36fb30ceaa596f0c240ad027390054.jpg bcc24cc01101c1a5a2f78c46e032a23f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Historical Development of BIPOC Trans-spiritual Leadership YouTube Video A video hosted on YouTube. YouTube ID Eleven-character ID assigned by YouTube NyQ-G1KsLqk Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Ancient Chinese Eunuchs Subject The topic of the resource Thousands of eunuchs served in the Forbidden City, Description An account of the resource In ancient China (until the Sui Dynasty), castration was one of the Five Punishments, a series for physical punishments meted out by the Chinese penal system. Paper, one of the Four Great Inventions, is said to have been invented during the Eastern Han dynasty by a eunuch named Cai Lun. According to Chinasage: "Because of a long held belief that the body should remain complete the castrated parts were preserved and buried with the eunuch so that he may become whole again in the after-life. The severed parts were available for inspection once a year and were referred to as 宝 bǎo ‘the precious’." Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived The Fascinating Life of a Chinese Eunuch in the Forbidden City, Ancient Origins, August 5, 2020. https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/fascinating-life-chinese-eunuch-forbidden-city-china-002524 Imperial Eunuchs 宦 huàn https://www.chinasage.info/eunuchs.htm Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. Andetrie (Park Slope United Methodist Church, Brooklyn NY) Stole Text ANDETRIE Park Slope United Methodist Church Brooklyn, New York I choose to be identified as a woman of both African-American and Native American heritage (Choctaw). I have been a United Methodist for many years. I was drawn to PSUMC because, among other reasons, it was and remains a reconciling congregation. I am a lesbian. I continue to be discriminated against for that as well as my ethnic identity. In many of the indigenous nations, transgendered and gay people were respected and valued. There is evidence that homophobia was sometimes one of the reasons that the European conquerors massacred native peoples. The stole that represents me has an ankh on one end and a drum on the other and a triangle which is black with pink borders. This represents my understanding that just as gays were persecuted, forced to wear pink triangles in Nazi Germany concentration camps, that same ideology was racist. Generally, organizations that deny human freedom have done so by rigid control of gender roles and sexuality as well as defining people as in-groups and out-groups racially. Many people in the church have chosen to condemn one form of bigotry while affirming another. I pray, "Let us see the connections." Denomination United Methodist Church Contribution Date 2000 Contribution Story This is one of thirty one stoles from Park Slope United Methodist Church included in a display of UM stoles at the 2000 General Conference of the UMC in Cleveland. All are made from identically sized pieces in turquoise, lavender and purple cotton batik, With only 200 members, Park Slope has donated the largest number of stoles to the collection from a single United Methodist congregation. A diverse community, Park Slope's creed is: Hand in hand, we the people of the Park Slope United Methodist Church -- black and white, straight and gay, old and young, rich and poor -- unite as a loving community, in covenant with God and the Creation. Summoned by our faith in Jesus Christ, we commit ourselves to the humanization of urban life and to physical and spiritual growth. A scrappy congregation utterly committed to putting their faith into action, Park Slope has been unrelenting in its pursuit of justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UMC. The story included on Andetrie's stole is perhaps the collection's strongest statement on the connections between racism, sexism and homophobia -- and, more important, the church's complicity in all three. To her prayer that we "see the connections," I would add, "May the church finally acknowledge the damage done through its own history of racism, sexism, and homophobia; and work without ceasing to end all three." In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April. At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection. We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend. Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves. In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference. Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland. Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240. Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested. As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles. Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth. A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles”. In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide. Martha Juillerat Founder, Shower of Stoles Project 2006 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 537 Title A name given to the resource Andetrie (Park Slope United Methodist Church, Brooklyn NY) Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Brooklyn, New York (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Park Slope United Methodist Church African American American Indian International Human Rights Methodist New York New York City Reconciling Ministries Network (formerly Reconciling Congregation Program) United Methodist Church Women and Religion Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Shower of Stoles Description An account of the resource Items (stoles) for the Shower of Stoles exhibit Stole A stole in the Shower of Stoles exhibit Honoree The person honored by the creation of thestole. Andrea Hartman Stole Text ANDREA HARTMAN I was half way through my ordination program through the United Methodist Church when I attended a particular interview session. I was asked questions concerning my position on the Reconciling Movement. I answered honestly that I was very interested in it and would support it through my ministry. After the interview was over, I was followed after by a woman who attended the meeting and she asked me a simple questions, "Are you gay?" Before I gave my response, I remembered a certain female UMC pastor who helped me through my coming out process. Even though I have know what the Discipline has said regarding ordination of homosexuals. I said… "Yes, I am." She kindly looked at me and said, "Well, you don't need to continue with us then." Just like that, I was asked to leave the Methodist Church. Denomination United Methodist Church Contribution Date 2000 Contribution Story This is one of three stoles (#581, 582, 583) given to us by Joyce Steiner in advance of the 2000 General Conference of the United Methodist Church in Cleveland, OH. Joyce Steiner was Andrea Harman's roommate in school. In 1999, the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) inquired about the possibility of having a display of the Shower of Stoles at the General Conference the following April. At the time, there were only around twenty United Methodist stoles in the collection. We decided to introduce the Shower of Stoles to the Reconciling community by bringing the twenty UM stoles and about a hundred others to RMN’s Convocation in Denton, TX over the Labor Day weekend. Stoles started to trickle in during the fall, and by February they began coming in droves. In all, we received 220 United Methodist stoles – the vast majority of them arriving within eight weeks of the Conference. Thanks to a monumental effort by a number of volunteers who pitched in to help record, inventory, sew labels and make last-minute repairs, all of the new stoles were present in Cleveland. Twenty more people brought stoles directly to Cleveland, bringing the total number on display to 240. Towards the end of the General Conference, twenty eight lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists and allies stood on the Conference floor in silent protest over the Conference’s failure to overturn the ban on LGBT ordination – a profound witness and act of defiance for which they were later arrested. As these twenty eight moved to the front of the room, another 200 supporters stood up around the balcony railing, each wearing one of the new United Methodist stoles. Hundreds more stood in solidarity as well, in the balcony and on the plenary floor, wearing symbolic “stoles” made from colorful bands of cloth. A group of young people from Minneapolis, members of a Communicant’s Class, had purchased bolts of cloth the preceding evening and stayed up all night cutting out close to a thousand of these “stoles”. In less than eight months, a handful of stoles had grown to become a powerful, visible witness to the steadfast faith of LGBT United Methodists nationwide. Martha Juillerat Founder, Shower of Stoles Project 2006 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 581 Title A name given to the resource Andrea Hartman Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Unknown, (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Joyce Steiner and Andrea Hartman Clergy Activist Hartman, Andrea Methodist Ordination Reconciling Ministries Network (formerly Reconciling Congregation Program) Theology United Methodist Church United States Women and Religion