53 20 2479 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/4752154d6bf14936932721636f124d9c.png 2c603f71975ea6c9ce9f36aac05612e1 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 Joshi meditates at the Hartford Street Zen Center Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived San Francisco Public Library https://digitalsf.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A204025?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=8acc43ce1341d709be3b&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=10 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center, San Francisco Public Library 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. Joyce (Park Slope United Methodist Church, Brooklyn NY) Stole Text JOYCE Park Slope United Methodist Church Brooklyn, New York I am what I call a third generation Methodist. I have very fond memories of going to a small church in a farming community in the Midwest with my Mother and Grandmother who both enjoyed singing all the various hymns. They taught me to sing harmony and my Mother and I have always enjoyed singing together when I go home to see her. My Grandmother was a religious person who practiced what she read in the Bible. She spent her time simply by reading her Bible and working on her quilts. My Mother and Grandmother taught me the very basic principles that guide me today. I have lived in New York for over 30 years and until two years ago I was never able to find a church where a lesbian could worship without discrimination. I then found my home at the Park Slope UMC, a reconciling congregation that has members who really practices the principles I was taught. I find it disheartening to now hear that the general board of the UMC does not want to treat people like me the same as any other person. The way I lead my life is no different than any other Methodist and I can't understand why we shouldn't be treated the same. At PSUMC, I am the treasurer, co-president of the UMW, choir member, reconciling committee member, fill in as an usher, and cut the grass and help in our garden in the summer. I am trying to live my life the same as the generations before me and hope that the delegates at the General Conference will treat us as they would want to be treated; we are no different. 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. One passing statement in Joyce's story takes my breath away. Joyce is the sort of person that church membership committees dream of: a woman of faith with deep roots in the United Methodist church, one who is called to put her faith into action through service in a local United Methodist congregation, a leader who is ready and willing to step into positions of responsibility. Despite all this, Joyce spent twenty-eight years searching for a congregation where she would be welcome, simply because she is lesbian. What a tragedy that one should have to spend so many years wandering in the desert, and what a loss to the church all those years. And yet, if it weren't for Park Slope, Joyce might be wandering still, because the UMC fails to see the gifts of God before their very eyes. 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 549 Title A name given to the resource Joyce (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 Clergy Activist Methodist New York New York City Reconciling Ministries Network (formerly Reconciling Congregation Program) Theology 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. Judge Jefferson Cleveland Stole Text JUDGE JEFFERSON CLEVELAND In memory of Judge Jefferson Cleveland. His work, as editor of the Songs of Zion hymnbook will be an enduring legacy to the United Methodist Church. His death of AIDS in 1986 was hidden by the Black church community. We honor him and his ministry of music. Denomination United Methodist Church Contribution Date 2000 Contribution Story This is one of thirteen stoles given to us by Dumbarton UMC in advance of the 2000 General Conference of the United Methodist Church in Cleveland, OH. Dumbarton is a Reconciling congregation, working for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people into the life and leadership of the United Methodist Church. 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 657 Title A name given to the resource Judge Jefferson Cleveland Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Washington, District of Columbia (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Chip Aldridge and Dumbarton United Methodist Church African American AIDS Clergy Activist Cleveland, Jefferson Methodist Reconciling Ministries Network (formerly Reconciling Congregation Program) Theology United Methodist Church Washington, D.C. https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/a65ed1db4dc8559a593fcbdc7474fa4e.jpg a79efa89c04e50240b01df9e202fa4fe Person An individual. Text Any textual data included in the document The Rev. Judith Hoch Wray, Ph.D., is a biblical scholar, teacher, homiletician, writer and editor, and carpenter. Coming out as lesbian in 1969, she has remained committed to integrating her own sexuality and spirituality, standing visibly in the church as one committed to justice for all. Judith developed an AIDS education program in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1984 that began by enlisting and training grandmothers in the African American community. She was a founding member and first moderator of the Coordinating Committee that established the Gay, Lesbian and Affirming Disciples Alliance (GLAD) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)—now, Disciples LGBTQ Alliance. Judith was a founding member of CLOUT (Christian Lesbians OUT Together), and the first moderator of the Buchanan Group at New Brunswick Theological Seminary which initiated the Holy Relationships movement through a major national Conference on Theology and Sexuality in 2005. Dr. Wray's writings include scholarly books and articles as well as numerous columns and articles for The Living Pulpit. Her lay-friendly Bible study entitled Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Christians in the Church: Reflections for Disciples of Christ Who Seek to Discern God’s Will served as a template for the development of the Bible study components of Listening to the Spirit: a Handbook for Discernment (ed. William Paulsell, Chalice, 2001), written by a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) nationally-appointed task force on which she served. She was a member of the Out in Scripture Editorial Advisory Board of the Human Rights Campaign. A powerful preacher and speaker, Dr. Wray is a preaching coach and leads workshops and retreats around the country. Judith continues to provide leadership to several national organizations that support LGBTQI persons and allies who seek justice and integration of sexuality and spirituality. Judith lives in Indianapolis, IN, with her long-time partner/wife, the Rev. Donna M. Prince. She has taught part-time at several theological seminaries and, in retirement, Judith is active in Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis, continuing to teach, write, and model prophetic loving and living. (This biographical statement provided by Judith Hoch Wray.) Biographical Text The Rev. Judith Hoch Wray, Ph.D., is a biblical scholar, teacher, homiletician, writer and editor, and carpenter. Coming out as lesbian in 1969, she has remained committed to integrating her own sexuality and spirituality, standing visibly in the church as one committed to justice for all. Judith developed an AIDS education program in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1984 that began by enlisting and training grandmothers in the African American community. She was a founding member and first moderator of the Coordinating Committee that established the Gay, Lesbian and Affirming Disciples Alliance (GLAD) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)—now, Disciples LGBTQ Alliance. Judith was a founding member of CLOUT (Christian Lesbians OUT Together), and the first moderator of the Buchanan Group at New Brunswick Theological Seminary which initiated the Holy Relationships movement through a major national Conference on Theology and Sexuality in 2005. Dr. Wray's writings include scholarly books and articles as well as numerous columns and articles for The Living Pulpit. Her lay-friendly Bible study entitled Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Christians in the Church: Reflections for Disciples of Christ Who Seek to Discern God’s Will served as a template for the development of the Bible study components of Listening to the Spirit: a Handbook for Discernment (ed. William Paulsell, Chalice, 2001), written by a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) nationally-appointed task force on which she served. She was a member of the Out in Scripture Editorial Advisory Board of the Human Rights Campaign. A powerful preacher and speaker, Dr. Wray is a preaching coach and leads workshops and retreats around the country. Judith continues to provide leadership to several national organizations that support LGBTQI persons and allies who seek justice and integration of sexuality and spirituality. Judith lives in Indianapolis, IN, with her long-time partner/wife, the Rev. Donna M. Prince. She has taught part-time at several theological seminaries and, in retirement, Judith is active in Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indianapolis, continuing to teach, write, and model prophetic loving and living. (This biographical statement provided by Judith Hoch Wray.) 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 Judith Hoch Wray Buchanan Group Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) CLOUT CLOUT (Christian Lesbians OUT Together) Disciples LGBTQ Alliance Gay GLAD Holy Relationships Judith Hoch Wray Lesbian and Affirming Disciples Alliance (GLAD) RTSA Ecumenical Planning Team https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/3b8ad5cfee076de8e83ec7cf2a0cd6c9.jpg 49c4100c27dfa89b85a62ae41c333569 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/fccd71ad2952e14ec45437b69fd4e20d.jpg 1a809c214d0dcdf89ac5dc57e06290ea 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. Judith J. (Westendorf) WestLee Stole Text Judith J. (Westendorf) WestLee Elder, United Methodist Church Minnesota Annual Conference I was raised in a denomination that taught me I had an angry, judging God who was to be feared. I was in my 30's before I heard I had a God who loved me "Warts and all." After a series of events I turned my life over to God. I heard God's call to ministry. I served 10 years in small parishes. All I ever wanted to do was to share in God's love and walk with God's people. After coming to my first appointment, I finally faced my sexual identity. I was 41 years old. I struggled to justify my new sexual identity with my understanding of scripture and Christian tradition. I came out to my bishop and cabinet. I took a personal vow of celibacy. Then I met the most remarkable woman! We fell in love. We had a union service. I am now on Leave of Absence. I constantly miss ministry and serving God through serving God's people. My ministry today is as a volunteer in Affirmation -- United Methodists for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Concerns and in the Reconciling Congregation movement. I make my living today selling water heaters for Sears. Denomination United Methodist Church Contribution Date 2000 Contribution Story Two lines in this rather compact stole story have caught the attention of many people. The first line always brings a chuckle: "I took a personal vow of celibacy. Then I met the most remarkable woman!" (How many of us could say the very same thing?) The second line stops people cold: "I make my living today selling water heaters for Sears." This is the abrupt ending to her story. In a denomination with a pastor shortage, one that is particularly acute among small and rural parishes, here is a gifted pastor who loved small church ministry -- and who is now working as a retail clerk, simply because of her sexual orientation. Such a loss to the denomination, and to these small churches she served. Judy and her partner, Janet, have been volunteers with Affirmation and the Reconciling Ministries Network for many years. They continue to be an active leaders in a Reconciling Congregation in Minneapolis. They are members of Wesley United Methodist Church in Minneapolis (see stole #518) This stole was given to us in advance of the 2000 General Conference of the United Methodist Church in Cleveland, OH. 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 519 Title A name given to the resource Judith J. (Westendorf) WestLee Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Judith J. (Westendorf) WestLee Clergy Activist Methodist Minneapolis Minnesota Ordination Reconciling Ministries Network (formerly Reconciling Congregation Program) United Methodist Church WestLee, Judith J. (Westendorf) Women and Religion https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/ad14ed7ecaab64d8fc7035cf37b6a9e9.png eb2c509d17fd5ba67ca9fba8cc3b308d 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 Upstairs Lounge Fire 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 memorial worship service in memory of the New Orleans fire victims Sunday, July 1 St. Mark’s United Methodist Church 1130 N. Rampart Street (corner of gov. nicholls) 2:00 p.m. for further information call: metropolitan community church of New Orleans 524-4425 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 July 1 Memorial Service Flyer Description An account of the resource Flyer that circulates in New Orleans announcing plans for July 1 memorial service at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Big Easy MCC, New Orleans 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. Justice and Joy - Reconciling Ministries Network's Convocation (Solidarity Stole) Stole Text Justice and Joy Reconciling Ministries Network’s Convocation Estes Park, CO September 2009 This stole, and hundreds like it, was created by Parents Reconciling Network, an extension ministry of RMN. These stoles are distributed at every gathering of RMN and the wider United Methodist Church as a visible witness in support of ending the denomination’s anti-homosexual stance. Denomination United Methodist Church Contribution Date 2009 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 1175 Title A name given to the resource Justice and Joy - Reconciling Ministries Network's Convocation (Solidarity Stole) Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Estes Park, Colorado (USA) Ally Colorado Methodist Ordination Reconciling Ministries Network (formerly Reconciling Congregation Program) United Methodist Church https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/c6c68d0d24486dbba3b2a64b69ab8945.jpg 3494bb169fb9e7a23603b6081ed71762 Person An individual. Text Any textual data included in the document Justin Tanis is a theologian and activist for LGBT rights. His work focuses on the intersections of sexuality, gender, theology, and the arts. Raised in the Presbyterian Church (USA), he spent his childhood in New England, Pennsylvania, and in the Netherlands, where his father completed his Th.D. and did sabbatical studies. Interested in interdisciplinarity from an early age, he majored in International Relations at Mount Holyoke College with a focus on religion. He continued his education at Harvard Divinity School, earning a Master’s of Divinity in 1990. During seminary, he participated in actions with ACT-UP and Queer Nation; his Master’s thesis described contemporary religious responses to the AIDS epidemic. While in school, he interned at a state organization providing services to victims of crimes and later worked as the coordinator of a program for children who had experienced domestic violence. Immediately after graduation, he began work first as the interim pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of Boston, and then as the Pastor of Ke Anuenue O Ke Aloha (Rainbow of Love) MCC in Honolulu. While there, he also served as a spokesperson and media coordinator for the Hawai’i Equal Rights Marriage Project. Next, he moved to California to serve as the Associate Pastor of MCC San Francisco before taking a position as Director of Leadership Development for Metropolitan Community Churches. His job included coordinating educational programs and leadership training for current and future MCC leaders in 22 countries. In 2002, Justin completed his Doctor of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary. His dissertation was published in 2003 by Pilgrim Press as Transgendered: Ministry, Theology, and Communities of Faith and was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award that year and the first in a series published with the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at Pacific School of Religion. The book examines Biblical and theological references to gender identity and makes the case for gender as a calling, much like a vocation. He also has chapters in the Queer Bible Commentary and Take Back the Word: A Queer Reading of the Bible. Justin has worked as an advocate for LGBT rights in national non-profit organizations. He was the Community Education and Outreach Manager at the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) in Washington, DC. While there, he co-authored a number of works with Lisa Mottet, then of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, including Opening the Door to Transgender Inclusion: Nine Keys to Make Your Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Organization Fully Transgender-Inclusive. He is also the co-author, with Mottet, Jaime Grant, Mara Keisling, Jody L. Herman, and Jack Harrison, of Injustice at Every Turn: The Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, the largest study conducted to date about discrimination based on gender identity. In addition, while at NCTE he worked on policy initiatives and legislation focusing on hate crimes and employment rights. He went on to work as the Director of Communication for Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, based in San Francisco, which advocates for equal employment rights for LGBT people. An artist and photographer, he has had a lifelong passion for the arts. Justin’s scholarly interests include the theology expressed by LGBT visual artists, which is the focus of his PhD studies at the Graduate Theological Union. In 2012, he presented a paper at the American Academy of Religion on “David Wojnarowicz: Outsider Theologian,” on the late gay artist’s spiritual themes. He is now an Adjunct Faculty member at Pacific School of Religion, teaching courses on sexuality and spirituality, and is also on the faculty of the GTU’s Center for Art, Religion, and Education (CARE). He is a member of the Unitarian Universalist church. (This biographical statement provided by Justin Tanis.) Biographical Text Justin Tanis is a theologian and activist for LGBT rights. His work focuses on the intersections of sexuality, gender, theology, and the arts. Raised in the Presbyterian Church (USA), he spent his childhood in New England, Pennsylvania, and in the Netherlands, where his father completed his Th.D. and did sabbatical studies. Interested in interdisciplinarity from an early age, he majored in International Relations at Mount Holyoke College with a focus on religion. He continued his education at Harvard Divinity School, earning a Master’s of Divinity in 1990. During seminary, he participated in actions with ACT-UP and Queer Nation; his Master’s thesis described contemporary religious responses to the AIDS epidemic. While in school, he interned at a state organization providing services to victims of crimes and later worked as the coordinator of a program for children who had experienced domestic violence. Immediately after graduation, he began work first as the interim pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of Boston, and then as the Pastor of Ke Anuenue O Ke Aloha (Rainbow of Love) MCC in Honolulu. While there, he also served as a spokesperson and media coordinator for the Hawai’i Equal Rights Marriage Project. Next, he moved to California to serve as the Associate Pastor of MCC San Francisco before taking a position as Director of Leadership Development for Metropolitan Community Churches. His job included coordinating educational programs and leadership training for current and future MCC leaders in 22 countries. In 2002, Justin completed his Doctor of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary. His dissertation was published in 2003 by Pilgrim Press as Transgendered: Ministry, Theology, and Communities of Faith and was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award that year and the first in a series published with the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at Pacific School of Religion. The book examines Biblical and theological references to gender identity and makes the case for gender as a calling, much like a vocation. He also has chapters in the Queer Bible Commentary and Take Back the Word: A Queer Reading of the Bible. Justin has worked as an advocate for LGBT rights in national non-profit organizations. He was the Community Education and Outreach Manager at the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) in Washington, DC. While there, he co-authored a number of works with Lisa Mottet, then of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, including Opening the Door to Transgender Inclusion: Nine Keys to Make Your Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Organization Fully Transgender-Inclusive. He is also the co-author, with Mottet, Jaime Grant, Mara Keisling, Jody L. Herman, and Jack Harrison, of Injustice at Every Turn: The Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, the largest study conducted to date about discrimination based on gender identity. In addition, while at NCTE he worked on policy initiatives and legislation focusing on hate crimes and employment rights. He went on to work as the Director of Communication for Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, based in San Francisco, which advocates for equal employment rights for LGBT people. An artist and photographer, he has had a lifelong passion for the arts. Justin’s scholarly interests include the theology expressed by LGBT visual artists, which is the focus of his PhD studies at the Graduate Theological Union. In 2012, he presented a paper at the American Academy of Religion on “David Wojnarowicz: Outsider Theologian,” on the late gay artist’s spiritual themes. He is now an Adjunct Faculty member at Pacific School of Religion, teaching courses on sexuality and spirituality, and is also on the faculty of the GTU’s Center for Art, Religion, and Education (CARE). He is a member of the Unitarian Universalist church. (This biographical statement provided by Justin Tanis.) 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 Justin Tanis ACT UP Equal Workplace Advocates Justin Tanis National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) Out Pacific School of Religion Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) PSR Queer Nation RTSA Ecumenical Planning Team Unitarian Unitarian Universalist 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. Juston Stole Text Juston Metropolitan Community Church Louisville, KY From my earliest memories, I knew God. I wasn't taught that, I seemed to have come into the world knowing that. I grew believing in Jesus, but my relationship was with God my Father. When I reached maturity, I struggled with the God I always knew and the interpretations of “Christians” that judged me an “abomination.” I spiraled closer to suicide. On my darkest night, convulsing in tears, begging God to change me, I fell asleep and awoke, directed by the Holy Spirit to read Matthew 19:11–12. Jesus was affirming that He knew I was born gay and there was nothing about me He wanted to change. Jesus struggled with traditionalists and legalists, and they wouldn't accept Him and chose to crucify Him. The Christian traditionalists and legalists of today are part of the Church and the Body of Christ, and with their best intentions, their words couldn't be further from the example of Jesus. The Covenant of Jesus is inclusive and unconditional love offered freely to all. Denomination Metropolitan Community Church 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 1164 Title A name given to the resource Juston 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 Juston Kentucky MCC Queer/nonconforming Theology https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/509ee740e4739149624abef22476fa4c.jpg 3365fe520da9a86d8600f30ffb5b5a9d https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/4ac53f86591803b5df00df820a1e9e25.jpg 0d60ab87aabf651be09db3bbf5ed86ff 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. K. E. Butler Stole Text Dedicated by K.E. Butler, called to ministry in the PCUSA, a student at McCormick Seminary. Lesbian, bipolar, suffering in mind and spirit. I gift this stole, as I will most likely never wear one, to those of the dream -- and the conviction for justice. Ich Glaube an Alles noch nie Gesagte I believe in all that has never yet been spoken. I want to free all that waits within me so that what no one has dared to wish for may for once spring clear without my contriving. If this is arrogance, God, forgive me, but this is what I need to say. May what I do flow from me like a river, no forcing and no holding back, the way it is with children. When in these swelling and ebbing currents, these deepening tides moving out, returning, I will sing you as no one ever has, streaming through widening channels into the open sea. Rainer Maria Rilke Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) Contribution Date 2003 Contribution Story This stole was donated during a display at McCormick Seminary in 2003. The display was sponsored by "Acts 10:15", an LGBT student group at McCormick. Acts 10:15 is also a Student Chapter of More Light Presbyterians. The donor is an extraordinarily bright young woman who carries the double burden of bipolar disease and the church's discriminatory practices against LGBT people, the combination of which she knows will undoubtedly prevent her from being ordained. 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 921 Title A name given to the resource K.E. Butler Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Chicago, Illinois (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource K. E. Butler Butler, K.E. Chicago Illinois More Light Presbyterians for LGBT Concerns Ordination Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) Theology Women and Religion https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/8d3892a1fe5c26abbf083e0030402509.jpg 48bdbdcd29b4575008bd3f0c91172f1b 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 Kabbalat Shabbat Description An account of the resource Shabbat candles, challah, and kiddush cup for CBST’s Friday night Kabbalat Shabbat service at the Church of the Holy Apostles, July 1975. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Archives of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, New York City, NY 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 Kahal B'raira Description An account of the resource Location of Kahal B'raira in Cambridge, Massachusetts https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/8843d10f739ea319ffceee34f2b9a586.jpg 3a52e1975eae50a455e06a4131049b90 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 Vimeo Video A video hosted on Vimeo Local URL The URL of the local directory containing all assets of the website https://vimeo.com/502313188/df9e91cea3?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=12690154 URL https://vimeo.com/502313188/df9e91cea3?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=12690154 Vimeo ID Character ID assigned by Vimeo 502313188 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 Kapaemahu Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://vimeo.com/502313188/df9e91cea3?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=12690154 Official website: http://kapaemahu.com Bishop Museum Exhibition: http://bishopmuseum.org/kapaemahu Childrenʻs Picture Book:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/704844/kapaemahu-by-hinaleimoana-wong-kalu-dean-hamer-and-joe-wilson-illustrated-by-daniel-sousa/ Written, Directed and Produced by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson Director of Animation Daniel Sousa Sound and Music Dan Golden Original Chant Kaumakaiwa Kanakaole PREMIERE: Tribeca Film Festival - Special Jury Mention Description An account of the resource Kapaemahu is a multimedia education and community engagement project rooted in Hawaiian culture and dedicated to acceptance, respect, and inclusion for all. It is based on the story of four large stones that were long ago placed on Waikiki beach as a monument to the mahu – extraordinary individuals of dual male and female spirit – who brough healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii. Few of the millions of people who pass by the stones of Kapaemahu today know their true meaning and significance. Our hope is to start a conversation that will restore this storied site as a permanent reminder of Hawaii’s long history of healing, inclusion and aloha.   <a href="http://kapaemahu.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://kapaemahu.com</a> https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/2611a92b794f21aac9befe406f3cc75f.jpg 8c2f8ecd307e46d1972d840744e695e1 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/3f6eed89c00d0fcdaebc8cced1b4beec.jpg 535ebbb16c25a0c880b68d0bff1109d9 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/fa19b843726e208b602e72a37506013f.jpg 8fe081d7c67104ff13088403c22f0b07 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. Karen (From her Sunday School Class at Church of the Covenant, Boston MA) Stole Text FOR OUR TEACHER KAREN WE LOVE YOU Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) United Church of Christ Contribution Date 2001 Contribution Story This stole, made by a Sunday School class to honor their teacher Karen, is one of 52 stoles from staff and members of Church of the Covenant in Boston, MA. it is decorated with the children's hand prints, along with several other felt decorations that they wished to include. 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 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 church family. Their 52 stoles represent the largest subset of stoles given to the collection by any one congregation. The children in Karen's Sunday School class are our future, and our hope. 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 788 Title A name given to the resource Karen (From her Sunday School Class at 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 Sunday School class at Church of the Covenant Boston Feminism Massachusetts More Light Presbyterians for LGBT Concerns Open and Affirming in the UCC (ONA) Ordination Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) Theology United Church of Christ 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. Karen Grace Stole Text In Honor of Karen Grace From Wendy Bratt Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) Contribution Date 1995 Contribution Story This stole was given to us in the fall of 1995. In addition to Karen's stole, Wendy also donated her own stole to the collection (stole #90). No story was included with either stole. 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 91 Title A name given to the resource Karen Grace 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 Wendy Bratt Bratt, Wendy Grace, Karen Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) United States 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. Karen Singleton Stole Text KAREN SINGLETON Park Slope United Methodist Church Brooklyn, NY I sought this church out because it was a reconciling church -- a church that embraced everyone. In return, this Methodist community has given me love, support and kindness -- allowing me to serve in various ways. Currently, I serve as an usher and will be serving as a worship leader. In the future, as I have only been a part of the church for less than a year, I plan to be more involved in United Methodist Women. As a woman of color, I also want to make this church a comfortable home for more lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people of color. I feel strongly that United Methodist churches everywhere should challenge themselves in this way -- personally and politically and spiritually. 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. 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 557 Title A name given to the resource Karen Singleton 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 Ally Clergy Activist Methodist New York New York City Ordination Reconciling Ministries Network (formerly Reconciling Congregation Program) Singleton, Karen United Methodist Church https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/03cde53e5b85147594121f414eb888a6.jpg 33ed88b12f4d03a58b1133d28930c824 Person An individual. Text Any textual data included in the document Karen was born in 1953 in Pennsylvania and grew up in very white suburbs remarkably unaware of white supremacy and the Civil Rights Movement.  She escaped a sense of unease by developing a pious, private Christian spirituality.  Early in her time at Allegheny College, she decided she wanted a different life and began to volunteer at a community center whose purpose was to bridge racial division. Shortly after that she fell in love with Colevia Carter, who began Karen's education on racism.  The two of them thought they did not know any other lesbians. Then they found out that Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson, who had just graduated from Allegheny, was starting MCC Boston with Rev. Larry Bernier.  Nancy invited them to visit her, and this visit changed both their lives. The experience of attending church with other lesbians and gay men “put at rest forever the question of whether a person can be gay and Christian.”  Also, it was the first time Karen had ever seen a woman minister. <img src="http://rollingthestoneaway.org/media/profile/karen-ziegler/PicOrdination%201979.jpg" />MCC General Conference 1979, Karen was ordained. Karen served MCC Philadelphia as an Exhorter (Student Clergy) in 1975-1976 while working at Jefferson Medical School.   She was licensed as an MCC Minister in 1977 and served on the staff of MCC New York while attending Union Theological Seminary, becoming Worship Coordinator of MCC New York in 1978.  In 1979 she appeared before the UFMCC Credentials Committee in Los Angeles having graduated from seminary and having been called to serve as Pastor of MCC New York, but she was very nearly not ordained. The only woman on the committee was Rev. Elder Jeri Ann Harvey, who later told her that half of the large committee had decided on the basis of her ordination thesis, “A Radical Feminist Theology of Ministry,” that she was a heretic. It did not help that she suggested in an article called “Creation Myths: Bridge to Human Wholeness” (The Gay Christian, April/May 1979) that, “An end to patriarchy would mean not a reinterpretation of the Yahweh of the Bible, but an end to this father god. If the Bible records a continuing battle to suppress female religion, and thereby to oppress women, unless we come to understand biblical religion in a radically new way, there is no hope for real change. Our entire sacred story needs to shift.”  (p. 24) Karen was ordained by one vote and the lengthy ordination process was later seen as a kind of heresy trial. Jeri Ann let her know that without that one vote, her credentials would have been removed entirely.  In a second The Gay Christian article in 1980, “Jesus According to a Lesbian,” Karen wrote, “Our spiritual survival may depend upon our rejection of traditional theology.”  (p. 8) This article too generated considerable controversy. <img src="http://rollingthestoneaway.org/media/profile/karen-ziegler/PicPride%201980.jpg" />New York City Pride 1980 with Chet Jones, Willie White & Jim Mitulski. With the benefit of hindsight, these theological arguments can be understood as a class conflict as well as a struggle to apply the insights of feminism to Christianity.  In those days, seminary-educated clergy and women clergy were a minority. Some clergy had very little formal education and others had graduated from prestigious seminaries. The entire spectrum of theology was represented in MCC, from the most liberal to the most conservative. Also for a long time there were very few women pastors. The rich diversity of MCC was a great gift and at the same time creating church in such oppressed communities was stressful. District and General Conferences became theological battlefields. <img src="http://rollingthestoneaway.org/media/profile/karen-ziegler/PicToronto%201982.jpg" />Toronto General Conference 1982 with Nancy Wilson & Paula Schoenwether. One extraordinary example of MCC’s great strength and struggle in those days was the Trek, a gay rights march from Jacksonville to Tallahassee, Florida which took place in the spring of 1980. The Trek was jointly called by the Board of Home Missions of the Southeast District and the Florida Task Force and led by Florida clergy and laity including Rev. Joseph Gilbert and Rev. Lee Carlton as a political and spiritual exercise. MCC clergy and laity from several other districts came to Florida to do the 168-mile walk, including Karen, Rev. Shelley Hamilton, and Rev. Edward Hougan who was then District Coordinator of the Northeast District. Rev. Elder Troy Perry, Rev. Elder Jeri Ann Harvey, and many others eventually joined the group. From the first day there were logistical and theological arguments, however, during the 8-day march while singing every day, attending to blistered feet, and enduring the harassment of people who passed by shouting obscenities and sometimes throwing things out of passing cars, the group bonded in a very deep way.  Arguments did not end, but unlikely and enduring spiritual friendships were cemented. Karen served as Senior Pastor of MCC New York from 1979 until 1988 and was joined by a remarkably gifted staff, including Rev. Renee McCoy, Rev. Elder Jim Mitulski, Rev. Elder Pat Bumgardner, Rev. Susan Eenigenburg, and Rev. Janine Dietz, and Rev. Jill Thompson. During this time Karen served on the steering committee of the Commission on Women in Ministry of the National Council of Churches and was involved in UFMCC’s prolonged and unsuccessful application for membership in the National Council.  <img src="http://rollingthestoneaway.org/media/profile/karen-ziegler/PicCredentials%201983.jpg" />MCC Credentials Committee meeting 1983 with Brenda Hunt, Claudia Vierra and Ken Martin. In 1982, the City of New York evicted MCC New York and other occupants of 208 West 13th Street. With a few other community activists and with the full support the congregation, Karen resisted this effort and eventually became one of the founders of the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center in Greenwich Village. Initially, members of MCC New York served as the staff of this Center. Meanwhile beginning in 1981 the congregation and community were devastated by what came to be known as AIDS.  Dozens of members of MCC New York became sick and died. Members of the community who had not been interested in church sought spiritual counseling and arranged their funerals. The young men facing death in those days did so with grace, courage, and often astonishing humor and creativity. Karen’s interest in all aspects of healing deepened. Seeking help in learning to pastor led Karen to completion of a D.Min. program at New York Theological Seminary in 1986 with a thesis entitled, “Empowering People to Do Ministry.” In 1988, Karen resigned from MCC New York and was subsequently invited by Michael Callen to work for the People with AIDS Coalition. She then developed citywide interfaith networks to provide pastoral care for people with AIDS through the AIDS Resource Center and AIDS Interfaith. <img src="http://rollingthestoneaway.org/media/profile/karen-ziegler/PicLast%20Worship%201988.jpg" />February 1988 after last worship at MCC New York. Karen began studying meditation in the 1980’s on her own and began the search for a teacher.  She traveled to India three times to study at a Siddha Yoga ashram in Ganeshpuri, and in recent years has been studying Buddhism. Observing the hideous physical suffering endured by friends with AIDS as well as her interest in healing led Karen to nursing school. She completed her BSN at Columbia School of Nursing in 1990 and her MSN from Duke School of Nursing in 1994.  She worked as a nurse and a nurse practitioner and taught for 15 years in the School of Medicine at Duke University. Karen married her life partner, singer Randa McNamara, after 30 years together. They live in Durham, North Carolina. She currently works as an activist through Indivisible Triangle, participates in Triangle Insight meditation community, serves on the Board of Trustees of the Resource Center for Women in Ministry in the South and volunteers in the acute psychiatry ward at the Durham Veterans Administration Hospital. (This biographical statement provided by Karen Ziegler.) Biographical Text Karen was born in 1953 in Pennsylvania and grew up in very white suburbs remarkably unaware of white supremacy and the Civil Rights Movement.  She escaped a sense of unease by developing a pious, private Christian spirituality.  Early in her time at Allegheny College, she decided she wanted a different life and began to volunteer at a community center whose purpose was to bridge racial division. Shortly after that she fell in love with Colevia Carter, who began Karen's education on racism.  The two of them thought they did not know any other lesbians. Then they found out that <a href="http://exhibits.lgbtran.org/exhibits/show/rolling-the-stone-away/item/1446">Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson</a>, who had just graduated from Allegheny, was starting MCC Boston with Rev. Larry Bernier.  Nancy invited them to visit her, and this visit changed both their lives. The experience of attending church with other lesbians and gay men “put at rest forever the question of whether a person can be gay and Christian.”  Also, it was the first time Karen had ever seen a woman minister. At the MCC General Conference 1979, Karen was ordained. Karen served MCC Philadelphia as an Exhorter (Student Clergy) in 1975-1976 while working at Jefferson Medical School.   She was licensed as an MCC Minister in 1977 and served on the staff of MCC New York while attending Union Theological Seminary, becoming Worship Coordinator of MCC New York in 1978.  In 1979 she appeared before the UFMCC Credentials Committee in Los Angeles having graduated from seminary and having been called to serve as Pastor of MCC New York, but she was very nearly not ordained. The only woman on the committee was Rev. Elder Jeri Ann Harvey, who later told her that half of the large committee had decided on the basis of her ordination thesis, “A Radical Feminist Theology of Ministry,” that she was a heretic. It did not help that she suggested in an article called “Creation Myths: Bridge to Human Wholeness” (The Gay Christian, April/May 1979) that, “An end to patriarchy would mean not a reinterpretation of the Yahweh of the Bible, but an end to this father god. If the Bible records a continuing battle to suppress female religion, and thereby to oppress women, unless we come to understand biblical religion in a radically new way, there is no hope for real change. Our entire sacred story needs to shift.”  (p. 24) Karen was ordained by one vote and the lengthy ordination process was later seen as a kind of heresy trial. Jeri Ann let her know that without that one vote, her credentials would have been removed entirely.  In a second The Gay Christian article in 1980, “Jesus According to a Lesbian,” Karen wrote, “Our spiritual survival may depend upon our rejection of traditional theology.”  (p. 8) This article too generated considerable controversy. With the benefit of hindsight, these theological arguments can be understood as a class conflict as well as a struggle to apply the insights of feminism to Christianity.  In those days, seminary-educated clergy and women clergy were a minority. Some clergy had very little formal education and others had graduated from prestigious seminaries. The entire spectrum of theology was represented in MCC, from the most liberal to the most conservative. Also for a long time there were very few women pastors. The rich diversity of MCC was a great gift and at the same time creating church in such oppressed communities was stressful. District and General Conferences became theological battlefields. One extraordinary example of MCC’s great strength and struggle in those days was the Trek, a gay rights march from Jacksonville to Tallahassee, Florida which took place in the spring of 1980. The Trek was jointly called by the Board of Home Missions of the Southeast District and the Florida Task Force and led by Florida clergy and laity including Rev. Joseph Gilbert and Rev. Lee Carlton as a political and spiritual exercise. MCC clergy and laity from several other districts came to Florida to do the 168-mile walk, including Karen, Rev. Shelley Hamilton, and Rev. Edward Hougan who was then District Coordinator of the Northeast District. Rev. <a href="http://exhibits.lgbtran.org/exhibits/show/rolling-the-stone-away/item/1457">Elder Troy Perry</a>, Rev. Elder Jeri Ann Harvey, and many others eventually joined the group. From the first day there were logistical and theological arguments, however, during the 8-day march while singing every day, attending to blistered feet, and enduring the harassment of people who passed by shouting obscenities and sometimes throwing things out of passing cars, the group bonded in a very deep way.  Arguments did not end, but unlikely and enduring spiritual friendships were cemented. Karen served as Senior Pastor of MCC New York from 1979 until 1988 and was joined by a remarkably gifted staff, including Rev. Renee McCoy, <a href="http://exhibits.lgbtran.org/exhibits/show/rolling-the-stone-away/item/1344">Rev. Elder Jim Mitulski</a>, Rev. Elder Pat Bumgardner, Rev. Susan Eenigenburg, and Rev. Janine Dietz, and Rev. Jill Thompson. During this time Karen served on the steering committee of the Commission on Women in Ministry of the National Council of Churches and was involved in UFMCC’s prolonged and unsuccessful application for membership in the National Council.  In 1982, the City of New York evicted MCC New York and other occupants of 208 West 13th Street. With a few other community activists and with the full support the congregation, Karen resisted this effort and eventually became one of the founders of the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center in Greenwich Village. Initially, members of MCC New York served as the staff of this Center. Meanwhile beginning in 1981 the congregation and community were devastated by what came to be known as AIDS.  Dozens of members of MCC New York became sick and died. Members of the community who had not been interested in church sought spiritual counseling and arranged their funerals. The young men facing death in those days did so with grace, courage, and often astonishing humor and creativity. Karen’s interest in all aspects of healing deepened. Seeking help in learning to pastor led Karen to completion of a D.Min. program at New York Theological Seminary in 1986 with a thesis entitled, “Empowering People to Do Ministry.” In 1988, Karen resigned from MCC New York and was subsequently invited by Michael Callen to work for the People with AIDS Coalition. She then developed citywide interfaith networks to provide pastoral care for people with AIDS through the AIDS Resource Center and AIDS Interfaith. Karen began studying meditation in the 1980’s on her own and began the search for a teacher.  She traveled to India three times to study at a Siddha Yoga ashram in Ganeshpuri, and in recent years has been studying Buddhism. Observing the hideous physical suffering endured by friends with AIDS as well as her interest in healing led Karen to nursing school. She completed her BSN at Columbia School of Nursing in 1990 and her MSN from Duke School of Nursing in 1994.  She worked as a nurse and a nurse practitioner and taught for 15 years in the School of Medicine at Duke University. Karen married her life partner, singer Randa McNamara, after 30 years together. They live in Durham, North Carolina. She currently works as an activist through Indivisible Triangle, participates in Triangle Insight meditation community, serves on the Board of Trustees of the Resource Center for Women in Ministry in the South and volunteers in the acute psychiatry ward at the Durham Veterans Administration Hospital. (This biographical statement provided by Karen Ziegler.) 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 Karen Ziegler Karen Ziegler MCC Metropolitan Community Church 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. Karin Lamberson Stole Text Karin Lamberson Newport, Oregon I grew up in the Trinity United Methodist Church in Toledo, Oregon, nestled in the lush forests of the Coast Range. I have always been active in church activities, such as Sunday School, choir, food share, Christmas pageants, youth group and especially camp. As soon as I was old enough, I went to summer camp at Suttle Lake (near Sisters, Oregon) and from there I was hooked. Throughout the years, I have participated in camps as a camper, counselor, and summer staff member. I have a feeling that camp will always be a big part of my faith journey and personal ministry. I am now 20, and about a year ago I came out to myself, and then to some of my friends and family, as a bisexual person. Although I am not out publicly to my home congregation, several of the members know about me. It hurts me that under the current rules of the United Methodist Church, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people cannot be ordained. I hope that through discussion and prayer, we can change this injustice for the good of all. My younger sister, Julie, has been one of my biggest allies in my coming out journey. Since she is a much more accomplished seamstress than myself, I requested her assistance in making this stole. It's not that good, I know, but it gives me great pride to look at the stole, constructed of scraps I found in my house, and think that I made it. Denomination United Methodist Church Contribution Date 2000 Contribution Story This stole was given to us in advance of the 2000 General Conference of the United Methodist Church in Cleveland, OH. Karin is one of several United Methodists women who made this a "family affair," enlisting the help of a sister to make their stole. 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 506 Title A name given to the resource Karin Lamberson Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Newport, Oregon (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Karin Lamberson Ally Bisexual activism Lamberson, Karin Methodist Ordination Oregon Reconciling Ministries Network (formerly Reconciling Congregation Program) United Methodist Church Women and Religion https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/6d67c1f7567fe3e231b0c7d799a0412e.jpg 88d8f4277ec5c422a492c732787b44d7 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 wy9Epu0yDWE 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 Kasha Nabagesera, the founding "mother" of Uganda's LGBTI movement Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Stanford CDDRL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy9Epu0yDWE Description An account of the resource A lesbian woman decides to organize a safer existence for LGBTQIA2 people in Uganda. https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/f090181cccfdc5d5447f675e00043b81.jpg 79441933437960e6fee480ddcce9388d https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/1aecbf10cd50a7098507f9eab3373d46.jpg 4fc0d0bef27899c299b08c24377e65a8 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. Kate (Elder, Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, New York NY) Andy (Elder, Inquirer, Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, New York NY) Stole Text KATE ELDER ANDY ELDER INQUIRER JAN HUS LESBIAN Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) Contribution Date 1996 Contribution Story This is one of ten stoles given to the collection by Jan Hus Presbyterian Church in early 1996. Kate is a lesbian and an ordained elder at Jan Hus. Andy is an elder there as well, and is an "Inquirer," the first step in the candidacy process for persons seeking a call to ministry in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Jan Hus (pronounced "Yahn Hoos") is one of the most unique congregations represented in the Shower of Stoles collection. The only Czech-Presbyterian Church in America was founded in the 1870's by Gustav Albert Alexy, a Hungarian minister whose broken Czech was so limited that his congregation, following his first service, told him very politely that they hadn't understood a word he spoke. Alexy immediately began to be tutored by Vincent Pisek, a 15-year-old Czech immigrant. When Alexy died seven years later, young Pisek took over leadership of the church while studying at New York University and Union Theological Seminary. Two stories told by the current Jan Hus congregation tell something of their singular history. The first speaks to Pisek's own unique character: <blockquote> The 1895 Morning Journal reported that in 1894 Pisek had been visiting Nebraska when a hunter killed a mother wolf and presented the new-born cub to Pisek who took it back to Jan Hus Church and raised it on a bottle. The wolf wandered freely around the church and was especially protective of the children, who also appear to have had free reign of the place. All day in the pastor's study the wolf would sit at Pisek's feet. One day the wolf was missing and they searched everywhere until they found it curled up sound asleep inside the pulpit. Neighbors complained that the church was terrorizing the block with a wolf howling from the attic. Jan Hus Church comes by its present nature from way back! </blockquote> The second story speaks not only to the highly unusual way Jan Hus came to hire its long-time Music Director, but also alludes to a close relationship between Pisek and his musician, Charles Atherton, which is memorialized in another stole from Jan Hus (stole #101): <blockquote> Around 1903, Pastor Pisek was out in the Midwest and came into a hotel bar where a man was playing the piano. The man was tall, athletic and friendly, and by the end of the conversation, Pisek had invited Mr. Charles M.H. Atherton to come to Jan Hus Church as Music Director. Atherton, an American born in 1873, had been a professional baseball player. He came to Jan Hus and became Pisek's companion and colleague here at the church for the rest of Pisek's life. (In his will, Pisek referred to Atherton as his "bosom friend.") </blockquote> Jan Hus remains a spirited and independent-thinking congregation committed to unique forms of worship and seeking to serve the poor. The church is also a Neighborhood House, housing a senior center, preschool, homeless outreach office, gym, cafeteria and theater. The sanctuary itself is shared by an Indonesian community. The Neighborhood House is also a permanent residence to a number of people who commit themselves to active participation in the life of Jan Hus church as well as serving at least ten hours each week to assisting with the many ministries of Neighborhood House. Jan Hus is a More Light congregation, working for the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in the life and leadership of the Presbyterian Church (USA). 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 98 Title A name given to the resource Kate (Elder, Jan Hus 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 Jan Hus Presbyterian Church Atherton, Charles Hus, Jan More Light Presbyterians for LGBT Concerns New York New York City Ordination Pisek, Vincent Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) Theology