77 20 2479 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/9641fa3d449bbf4f0599f23144f7acf1.jpg 1c5e8ee4f64ab11ba077e3e7c2832eb3 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 Queer Spirit Podcast Description An account of the resource Podcasts from WMPG.org and 90.9 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 OUT Cast Social Media Call for Shows Subject The topic of the resource Queer Spirit Podcast Description An account of the resource The call that OUT Cast sent out on social media platforms in 2018 for shows on LGBTQ issues or rooted in the LGBTQ perspective. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived OUT Cast Facebook Page https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/3aab640bbe5d42d844c8516db202a561.jpg 2de3faf61e78fb37fb6ca5558596e204 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/44e4ae8f954cad3dfe37ad5c1253834f.jpg 81e8391f6faf98424caf0a3fe731b3c8 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/83c3126e1727b24d249b730c01aa7e11.jpg f2c53f8d183afd982b06c07e0b2ce4e5 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. Out of the Silence Cast Members Stole Text This stole has been signed by the members of the ensemble who present "Out of the Silence," a collage of stories by and about lesbian, gay, and bisexual Presbyterians. The members of the ensemble are gay and straight, from six Presbyterian churches, and range in age from 8 to 80. Among the lesbian, gay, and bisexual members, four are elders, three attend a Presbyterian seminary, and three are candidates for the ministry. Together we long for the day when we can all serve our church openly and fully. Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) Contribution Date 1995 Contribution Story The individuals who signed this stole know personally the pain of the Presbyterian Church's discriminatory policies. They are the church's brightest and best -- ordained elders, seminarians, candidates for ministry and other active leaders -- who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. Determined to find a way to change minds and hearts in the Presbyterian Church, they created a theatrical presentation based on their own stories, and took it on the road. Eleven years later, little has changed in the Presbyterian denomination. Most of the seminarians and candidates in the cast still work for justice while waiting for the day when they can be ordained and bring their abundance of gifts to the Presbyterian ministry. 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 50 Title A name given to the resource Out of the Silence Cast Members Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant San Francisco, California (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Lisa Larges, on behalf of the cast California Clergy Activist Larges, Lisa Ordination Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) San Francisco https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/5840f865a3410ad99a9f687e74edcef8.jpg 9cd4ee8aeb651bca8eb2b1643853fafa 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 Website A resource comprising of a web page or web pages and all related assets ( such as images, sound and video files, etc. ). URL https://outrightinternational.org/ 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 Outright International Description An account of the resource Outright International works with partners around the globe to strengthen the capacity of the LGBTIQ human rights movement, document and amplify human rights violations, and advocate for inclusion and equality.  <a href="https://outrightinternational.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://outrightinternational.org</a> Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://outrightinternational.org/ https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/3d7f75fb654d6e1abf675aa50a569d03.jpg e17a8c173690f719cb254c603557ac3b 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. 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 Overcome Description An account of the resource A rescue worker leans heavy against a charred window at the Upstairs bar in New Orleans where 29 persons died and another 15 were injured during a fire Sunday night. The rescue worker was helping remove the bodies when apparently he couldn’t face it any longer. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived AP wirephoto https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/534fa1091c7f63c97848428816827747.jpg b1e236b456e30231dfc5885c375bf47a 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 Ozaawindib, the Ojibwe Trans Woman the US Declared a Chief Subject The topic of the resource This is an essay about an indigenous person who served their community both by performing as a male warrior who the U. S. Government recognized as a chief and as a married woman. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived By Kai Pyle, The Activist History Review, June 13, 2019. https://activisthistory.com/2019/06/13/ozaawindib-the-ojibwe-trans-woman-the-us-declared-a-chief/#_ednref14 https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/b8fcdc9a1816647db543eaf0936e5316.jpg 6ebf572d66ba8526787486e6e7507b05 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 Pacification with the Maroon Negroes Subject The topic of the resource Pacification with the Maroon Negroes Description An account of the resource Missionizing paved a path to the pacification of the colonized in which they were made promises with treaties never kept. At the same time, their land and sustenance was confiscated and their spiritual authority and defensive powers, neutralized. In Zimbabwe and in Jamaica, as everywhere in the colonial empire, the success of their conquest was applauded by religious organizations like the London Missionary Society. It was assumed that only by destroying the colonized societies that the survivors would be amenable to pacification and Christian conversion. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Slavery Images: A Visual Record of the African Slave Trade and Slave Life in the Early African Diaspora. http://www.slaveryimages.org/s/slaveryimages/item/2580 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. Pam McAllister Stole Text PAM MCALLISTER Park Slope UMC Brooklyn, NY I have worshiped in a Methodist Church almost every Sunday since my childhood in the 1950's and have been an active and enthusiastic participant in almost every aspect of the church experience. I was baptized in the church and later confirmed. In my youth, I went to a Methodist church camp every summer and loved it, and I was a leader in the Methodist Youth Fellowship throughout my teens. I grew up singing in the church choir. Eventually, I attended and graduated from a Methodist college. I planned to become a Methodist minister, but became a church organist and choir director instead. For the past eleven years, I have been the Music Director of a reconciling congregation. I have served the church well. What a shame, then, that my denomination doesn't love me as fully as I love it. The church will gladly use my gifts, but it will not bless my life as a woman-loving-woman. No matter how fearful or small-minded or hateful some Methodists may be, this is the truth: I am a child of the church AND I am a lesbian. This church is my home. I reject your message of exclusion. I am here. 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. Park Slope's LGBT know without a doubt that they are a welcome, vital part of the church. Pam's defiant statement of assurance is common in a church that preaches a clear message of God's unconditional love for all people. 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 535 Title A name given to the resource Pam McAllister 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 McAllister, Pam Methodist New York New York City Ordination Reconciling Ministries Network (formerly Reconciling Congregation Program) Theology United Methodist Church https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/977b5c9336af6487cb930cb3a45387ee.jpg d07f3f381180b8bd8122e1d4a5aa2fba Person An individual. Text Any textual data included in the document The Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey, the first out Black lesbian elder in The United Methodist Church, was raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, in the 1960s. Her father was a day laborer and her mother a domestic worker with limited financial means. Her upbringing was filled with rich cultural teachings at a time of national turmoil. After Dr. King’s assassination, the burgeoning Black Power Movement in the U.S. led adults to instill in their children a deeper and more powerful sense of pride in being Black. In addition to her parents, her godmother, an educator who was influenced by such scholars as W.E.B. DuBois, helped Pamela realize at an early age that the way to improve one’s life was to learn, learn well and to remember that your learning must excel your White peers to be considered on par. This was the way of the segregated South. The religious affiliation of Pamela’s extended family was Missionary Baptist. They attended a local silk-stocking church of that denomination though Pamela’s immediate family attended only episodically because being poor, her parents felt it required too much of their personal income “just to be seen.” So even though church was not so important in Pamela’s early years, her parents ensured that God definitely was. She remembers fondly her father cooking on Sunday mornings while quoting and interpreting scriptures for her and her siblings. By the time desegregation laws were finally implemented in the early 1970s, Pamela was among the first group of Black children admitted to previously all-White schools. She was bussed to school starting her first year of junior high in this tense social environment and recalls sometimes being fearful to go to school. Yet she always found affirmation and support in her own community. At that time the Black neighborhood was not divided along economic lines so professionals lived alongside low-income persons. Her activism and commitment to social justice can be traced back to these years. After graduating from high school in 1977 Pamela did not know how she could finance enrollment in college. Her parents could not offer any financial support and she did not know where else to turn. So a military recruiter’s offer that the Army would pay for college if she only enlisted enticed her to do just that. Only later did she learn that that offer of “free college tuition” came with a lot of strings attached. Pamela’s permanent duty station was Fort Lewis, Washington. Prior to that assignment, while attending advanced individual training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina people learned that her oldest sister had been “saved”, was no longer addicted to heroin and had become a preacher. Having no formal church upbringing this language of “being saved” and “conversion” peaked Pamela’s interest. She had arrived at Fort Lewis near the holidays, so she requested and received approval to take vacation. While home she accepted an invitation to hear her sister preach which pleased her sister who was then witnessing to the rest of the family so they could also find Jesus. Pamela had a mystical conversion experience listening to her sister preach at that tiny Pentecostal church. She returned to Washington and found a Church of God congregation (same denomination as her sister’s church) there in which she got very involved. Pamela was a gifted vocalist so she sang in the choir and also taught Sunday School. She started to feel a call to ministry at this young age of 19. Pamela started dating one of the much-loved ministers of the church and they married soon thereafter. The pastor of that church was a woman and just before the wedding she told Pamela that she would never be a good “first lady.” Pamela immediately thought: “You’re right….I’m going to be a preacher.” Because Pamela’s husband was also in the military she decided, during her first pregnancy, to leave the military and therefore took an honorable discharge. Her family moved often: New Jersey, Belgium and Frankfurt. They lived in Europe for seven years. During that time, Pamela continued to pursue her calling by singing and preaching in different military chapels. Her older brother was gay and had also served in the military, playing in a military band. He contracted HIV and died while Pamela was still in Europe. Pamela was still viewing the world through the Pentecostal lens and so blamed his death on his being gay. Pamela and her husband returned to the U.S. in 1991 and were stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. Pamela had finally come to realize that the racism and sexism endemic in so many Pentecostal churches was contrary to the way she had been raised and her core values. So she decided to try a different religious path and joined St. Mary’s Road United Methodist Church in Columbus, Georgia. The pastor at the time was James Swanson who later became a bishop. Pamela’s marriage was also dissolving and the congregation and her family supported her through the divorce. The church encouraged her to continue her formal education so she went back to complete her undergraduate work at Columbus State University. She developed a connection with one of her professors, Dr. Horowitz, who was a bisexual Jewish man. The divorce had been liberating for Pamela and gave her the opportunity to explore her own identity and being. In one of her provocative class sessions with Horowitz, he introduced the class to the Kinsey Report. Pamela recalls that being an “aha moment” that helped her connect the dots in her past. The church also supported her call to ministry and Swanson gave her opportunities to preach. Pamela enrolled in seminary at Gammon Theological Seminary, part of the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC). The ITC was an excellent setting for engaging liberation theology. However, at that time it was not so strong on LGBT concerns and liberation. Yet conversations were happening and Pamela and some other students were at the cusp raising questions about human sexuality. Bishop Joseph Sprague from the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church came to the ITC on a recruiting visit during Pamela’s last year of seminary. She had read up about Sprague and knew that he had taken risks on behalf of LGBT persons, even been arrested in a demonstration. Even though Pamela was not intending to pursue local church pastoring, she decided to meet with him. In that conversation, Sprague essentially asked, “What can I do to convince you to come to Chicago?” Pamela, who was interested in further academic study and knew Chicago would offer such opportunity, replied “I need to be able to go to school and pastor.” In 2001 Lightsey was accepted in the Ph.D. program at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (GETS) and appointed to be pastor of Southlawn UMC on the South Side of Chicago. Her academic interests were now focused on Church History, Black Theology and human sexuality, LGBT rights in particular. Though her specific dissertation work was on just war theory, Lightsey was also writing, teaching and speaking on the intersection of her concerns about liberation and equality —in her congregation, at school and in other settings. She completed her Ph.D. degree in Theology & Ethics in May 2005. The following month, she was ordained elder in the Northern Illinois Annual Conference. Her commitment to children and their families spurred church growth so much so that in 2006 she was honored with the Harry Denman Award for Evangelism from the Northern Illinois Annual Conference. Dr. Lightsey was appointed first to be Dean of Students at GETS in 2007 and because of excellence in her work was later promoted to Vice-President of Student Affairs. In August 2011, she took the position of Associate Dean for Community Life and Lifelong Learning and Clinical Assistant Professor of Contextual Theology and Practice at Boston University School of Theology. From her position in academia, Lightsey has become a prominent activist, educator, author and blogger on a range of social justice issues. Lightsey has advocated within the LGBTQ community for the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell military policy and to ensure marriage equality. As a board member of the Reconciling Ministries Network she has critiqued Christian churches for their homophobic policies and practices. She traveled to the 2012 and 2016 United Methodist General Conferences to speak out strongly for justice for LGBTQ persons. As co-chair of the American Academy of Religion’s Womanist Approaches to Religion and Society Group, Dr. Lightsey has helped lead that group to exploring the theological and ethical scholarship and experiences of Black women in America. She was among the first members of the Executive Committee for the Soul Repair Project, which studies the role of moral injury in veterans. She was on the ground in Ferguson, Missouri in August 2014 to document and interpret the racial unrest following the killing of teenager Michael Brown. She was one of the livestreamers recounting these impassioned protests against excessive police force and blogged to audiences around the world. Among her several writings Lightsey is author of Our Lives Matter: A Womanist Queer Theology (Wipf and Stock, 2015). Her recognition as an inspiring preacher led to an invitation to offer a sermon for publication, “If There Should Come a Time,” in Black United Methodists Preach! edited by Gennifer Brooks (2012). She contributed a chapter, “He Is Black and We Are Queer: The Legacy of the Black Messiah for LGBTQ Christians,” to Albert Cleage Jr. and the Black Madonna and Child (2016). (This biographical statement written by Mark Bowman from an interview with Pamela Lightsey and edited by Lightsey.) Biographical Text The Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey, the first out Black lesbian elder in The United Methodist Church, was raised in West Palm Beach, Florida, in the 1960s. Her father was a day laborer and her mother a domestic worker with limited financial means. Her upbringing was filled with rich cultural teachings at a time of national turmoil. After Dr. King’s assassination, the burgeoning Black Power Movement in the U.S. led adults to instill in their children a deeper and more powerful sense of pride in being Black. In addition to her parents, her godmother, an educator who was influenced by such scholars as W.E.B. DuBois, helped Pamela realize at an early age that the way to improve one’s life was to learn, learn well and to remember that your learning must excel your White peers to be considered on par. This was the way of the segregated South. The religious affiliation of Pamela’s extended family was Missionary Baptist. They attended a local silk-stocking church of that denomination though Pamela’s immediate family attended only episodically because being poor, her parents felt it required too much of their personal income “just to be seen.” So even though church was not so important in Pamela’s early years, her parents ensured that God definitely was. She remembers fondly her father cooking on Sunday mornings while quoting and interpreting scriptures for her and her siblings. By the time desegregation laws were finally implemented in the early 1970s, Pamela was among the first group of Black children admitted to previously all-White schools. She was bussed to school starting her first year of junior high in this tense social environment and recalls sometimes being fearful to go to school. Yet she always found affirmation and support in her own community. At that time the Black neighborhood was not divided along economic lines so professionals lived alongside low-income persons. Her activism and commitment to social justice can be traced back to these years. After graduating from high school in 1977 Pamela did not know how she could finance enrollment in college. Her parents could not offer any financial support and she did not know where else to turn. So a military recruiter’s offer that the Army would pay for college if she only enlisted enticed her to do just that. Only later did she learn that that offer of “free college tuition” came with a lot of strings attached. Pamela’s permanent duty station was Fort Lewis, Washington. Prior to that assignment, while attending advanced individual training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina people learned that her oldest sister had been “saved”, was no longer addicted to heroin and had become a preacher. Having no formal church upbringing this language of “being saved” and “conversion” peaked Pamela’s interest. She had arrived at Fort Lewis near the holidays, so she requested and received approval to take vacation. While home she accepted an invitation to hear her sister preach which pleased her sister who was then witnessing to the rest of the family so they could also find Jesus. Pamela had a mystical conversion experience listening to her sister preach at that tiny Pentecostal church. She returned to Washington and found a Church of God congregation (same denomination as her sister’s church) there in which she got very involved. Pamela was a gifted vocalist so she sang in the choir and also taught Sunday School. She started to feel a call to ministry at this young age of 19. Pamela started dating one of the much-loved ministers of the church and they married soon thereafter. The pastor of that church was a woman and just before the wedding she told Pamela that she would never be a good “first lady.” Pamela immediately thought: “You’re right….I’m going to be a preacher.” Because Pamela’s husband was also in the military she decided, during her first pregnancy, to leave the military and therefore took an honorable discharge. Her family moved often: New Jersey, Belgium and Frankfurt. They lived in Europe for seven years. During that time, Pamela continued to pursue her calling by singing and preaching in different military chapels. Her older brother was gay and had also served in the military, playing in a military band. He contracted HIV and died while Pamela was still in Europe. Pamela was still viewing the world through the Pentecostal lens and so blamed his death on his being gay. Pamela and her husband returned to the U.S. in 1991 and were stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. Pamela had finally come to realize that the racism and sexism endemic in so many Pentecostal churches was contrary to the way she had been raised and her core values. So she decided to try a different religious path and joined St. Mary’s Road United Methodist Church in Columbus, Georgia. The pastor at the time was James Swanson who later became a bishop. Pamela’s marriage was also dissolving and the congregation and her family supported her through the divorce. The church encouraged her to continue her formal education so she went back to complete her undergraduate work at Columbus State University. She developed a connection with one of her professors, Dr. Horowitz, who was a bisexual Jewish man. The divorce had been liberating for Pamela and gave her the opportunity to explore her own identity and being. In one of her provocative class sessions with Horowitz, he introduced the class to the Kinsey Report. Pamela recalls that being an “aha moment” that helped her connect the dots in her past. The church also supported her call to ministry and Swanson gave her opportunities to preach. Pamela enrolled in seminary at Gammon Theological Seminary, part of the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC). The ITC was an excellent setting for engaging liberation theology. However, at that time it was not so strong on LGBT concerns and liberation. Yet conversations were happening and Pamela and some other students were at the cusp raising questions about human sexuality. Bishop Joseph Sprague from the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church came to the ITC on a recruiting visit during Pamela’s last year of seminary. She had read up about Sprague and knew that he had taken risks on behalf of LGBT persons, even been arrested in a demonstration. Even though Pamela was not intending to pursue local church pastoring, she decided to meet with him. In that conversation, Sprague essentially asked, “What can I do to convince you to come to Chicago?” Pamela, who was interested in further academic study and knew Chicago would offer such opportunity, replied “I need to be able to go to school and pastor.” In 2001 Lightsey was accepted in the Ph.D. program at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (GETS) and appointed to be pastor of Southlawn UMC on the South Side of Chicago. Her academic interests were now focused on Church History, Black Theology and human sexuality, LGBT rights in particular. Though her specific dissertation work was on just war theory, Lightsey was also writing, teaching and speaking on the intersection of her concerns about liberation and equality —in her congregation, at school and in other settings. She completed her Ph.D. degree in Theology & Ethics in May 2005. The following month, she was ordained elder in the Northern Illinois Annual Conference. Her commitment to children and their families spurred church growth so much so that in 2006 she was honored with the Harry Denman Award for Evangelism from the Northern Illinois Annual Conference. Dr. Lightsey was appointed first to be Dean of Students at GETS in 2007 and because of excellence in her work was later promoted to Vice-President of Student Affairs. In August 2011, she took the position of Associate Dean for Community Life and Lifelong Learning and Clinical Assistant Professor of Contextual Theology and Practice at Boston University School of Theology. From her position in academia, Lightsey has become a prominent activist, educator, author and blogger on a range of social justice issues. Lightsey has advocated within the LGBTQ community for the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell military policy and to ensure marriage equality. As a board member of the Reconciling Ministries Network she has critiqued Christian churches for their homophobic policies and practices. She traveled to the 2012 and 2016 United Methodist General Conferences to speak out strongly for justice for LGBTQ persons. As co-chair of the American Academy of Religion’s Womanist Approaches to Religion and Society Group, Dr. Lightsey has helped lead that group to exploring the theological and ethical scholarship and experiences of Black women in America. She was among the first members of the Executive Committee for the Soul Repair Project, which studies the role of moral injury in veterans. She was on the ground in Ferguson, Missouri in August 2014 to document and interpret the racial unrest following the killing of teenager Michael Brown. She was one of the livestreamers recounting these impassioned protests against excessive police force and blogged to audiences around the world. Among her several writings Lightsey is author of Our Lives Matter: A Womanist Queer Theology (Wipf and Stock, 2015). Her recognition as an inspiring preacher led to an invitation to offer a sermon for publication, “If There Should Come a Time,” in Black United Methodists Preach! edited by Gennifer Brooks (2012). She contributed a chapter, “He Is Black and We Are Queer: The Legacy of the Black Messiah for LGBTQ Christians,” to Albert Cleage Jr. and the Black Madonna and Child (2016). (This biographical statement written by Mark Bowman from an interview with Pamela Lightsey and edited by Lightsey.) 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 Pamela Lightsey Ferguson Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Methodist Pamela Lightsey Reconciling Ministries Network (formerly Reconciling Congregation Program) RTSA Ecumenical Planning Team United Methodist Church https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/dc6cd59e4b1709f19e6a7929eee17078.pdf 06a2ff68698d97559c0b683be1556c78 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. Text Any textual data included in the document The Council on Religion and the Homosexual was formed in 1964 out the of growing awareness on the part of clergymen of the extent to which homosexuals had been shut out of the church and society. Clergymen, joined with interested homosexuals. heterosexuals, and homophile organizations to embark on an urgently needed action program aimed at disseminating accurate information about human sexuality. 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 Panel of CRH Brochure Describing Formation Description An account of the resource Published by CRH in the late 1960s. Donald S. Lucas Papers. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Repository: <a href="http://www.glbthistory.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GLBT Historical Society</a> https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/3d77154c6d3c527602dfe1374da24fbb.jpg bbe1f71b7a2954b8a1ca774d70883a1e 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 Church Slates Mourning for Victims of N.O. Fire by Eric Newhouse Morris Kight, Gay Liberation Movement founder, and the Rev. Troy Perry, pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church for homosexuals have declared next Sunday a day of mourning for ”our dead brothers and sisters.” Police said 29 persons died in a second-floor bar here Sunday night, many of them trapped behind burglar bars. Kight confirmed the Up Stairs Lounge was a gay bar, and said his office in Los Angeles had suspended other operations and was organizing gay leaders across the country to help in the catastrophe here. One of those killed was William Larson, interim pastor of a local gay church. Not On Lists Larson does not appear on the official police casualty lists, but several witnesses, including Linn Quinton, said the pastor was last seen caught in the burglar bars across the front window, screaming “Oh, God, no!” to the skies as he burned to death. Other members of his church remember him as a dedicated pastor who brought new members to the newly founded Metropolitan Community Church, located in a converted small home here. “We’ve been a small, struggling congregation since we were founded here in May 1971,” said a church deacon who asked not to be identified. “Since Brother Larson took over as interim pastor, we’ve been a thriving, promising congregation” he said. His creed was innocent. Believed in Love “He believed in freedom and love” said the deacon. “He wanted the right of individuals to make their own choice—without any harm to anyone.” When the fire struck, Larson was sitting at a table with a party of eight friends—two others perished with him. Members of the church credit the bartender, Buddy Rasmussen, with saving their lives by trying to lead them out through a rear door as flames shot through the room. “Someone tried to go out the front door and the stairwell was on fire,” he said. “Flames raced in and across the ceiling. Buddy came running across the room, shouting ‘Follow me!’ “We had to go out a back door, onto a roof and down the stairs,” he said. “I’m sure few other people knew about it.” 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 Paper Highlights Gay Church Connection Description An account of the resource The Morning Advocate, on the second morning after, reports presence of national gay leaders Kight and Perry and focuses on MCC interim pastor killed in fire. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived The Morning Advocate, June 26, 1973. https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/e885abf987aafd7890f4ff3bd8414071.jpg d4ea040dcf5dd18bfbbab9d567bd3998 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 Partial independence OK, Dalai Lama says Subject The topic of the resource Spiritual leader of Tibet seeks middle way out of Chinese rule. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Desert Sun, 16 November 1988 https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19881116.2.38&srpos=277&e=-------en--20--261--txt-txIN-India%2c+independence------- Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource https://tibetpedia.com/kham-tibet/ https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/f0416ae6af77a807dea6721c5ba1d586.jpg 15ff8359d700065244303f6b7b4205b8 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 Pascal Beverly Randolph Subject The topic of the resource A black American spiritualist, medium, doctor, writer, orator, and seer. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived https://pansophers.com/paschal-beverly-randolph-rosicrucian/ https://archive.org/details/paschalbeverlyra0000deve https://zeroequalstwo.net/the-lesser-feast-of-pascal-beverly-randolph/ https://aaregistry.org/story/paschal-randolph-born/ https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/92555b50d73f97e87382908879f62f4d.jpg 0b2ed0636697b9e83c37feb7c2e5940b 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 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 Passages Description An account of the resource Onyx: Black Lesbian Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 5 October/November Issue, 1984 San Francisco Bay Area Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Internet Archives. https://archive.org/details/glbths-periodicals-onyx-octnov-84-001/GLBTHS_periodicals_Onyx_octnov84_002.jpg Subject The topic of the resource An essay by a black lesbian, Mayrann Turner, describes her experience of church soon after moving to the Bay Area. She decides it offers her discomfort and no real freedom. As she writes: "I began to realize that the church was another form of enslavement. I had called into another trap -- first my family, now the 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. Pastor Colleen Foley 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 1163 Title A name given to the resource Pastor Colleen Foley 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 Pastor Colleen Foley Ally Foley, Colleen Kentucky MCC https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/57c402f16d064b0a91c051285e04a07f.jpg 52e57d871352f0937b263b20dae41dd7 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 yP9OIEL35Es 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 Pastor finally EXPOSES Far-Right THREAT of Trump and Christian Nationalism Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Ken Harbaugh, Interview of Kristin Kobes Du Mez is a pastor and a professor of History at Calvin University. MeidasTouch, September 14, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP9OIEL35Es Description An account of the resource In this interview, a historian argues that the far-right evangelicals see former president Donald Trump as their prophet. She outlines the main themes of contemporary Christian nationalism in America. Additionally, She offers a few reasons why it's on the rise with a declared intent to discipline or re-align American society with its historical grounding in Christian white male supremacy. 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. Pastor Larry A. Ort Stole Text PASTOR LARRY A. ORT Orthodox Catholic Church I am a former Lutheran Church in America/Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pastor who was directly confronted by my bishop of being gay. The only way I could remain on the Clergy Roster was to submit to various psychological tests and treatments to verify my call as a pastor. During this period, I could not be in a parish setting. Instead, I chose to leave the Lutherans and began an independent congregation: “The Church of the Good Shepherd in Exile” (1989-2000). Today, I am a retired Orthodox (OCCA) Catholic Priest. This stole was handmade by members of The Church of the Good Shepherd in Exile, and presented to me on the occasion of my 25th Anniversary of Ordination. Denomination Orthodox Catholic Church of America Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Contribution Date 2007 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 1111 Title A name given to the resource Pastor Larry A. Ort 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 Pastor Larry A. Ort Church Trials Evangelical Lutherans of America (ELCA) Lutheran Ort, Larry A. Orthodox Catholic Church of America 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. Pastor Rollie Severson Stole Text This stole is presented in honor and memory of Pastor Rollie Severson and his Partner, John Paul Fetterman. Rollie died of AIDS related causes in 1989, while serving as Campus Pastor at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. Rollie spent his life as a Lutheran Pastor afraid of being “discovered.” He was a good and faithful pastor. Prior to serving in Miami, he was Campus Pastor at the University of Minnesota. A couple of weeks after Rollie’s funeral, John Paul came to me and asked if “a Jewish boy would be allowed to worship at Hope” (where Rollie was a member and where I served as Pastor). You see, Rollie would never bring John Paul to church with him, fearing he would be suspected of being gay. Now John Paul only wanted to come to church and sit in the pew where Rollie always sat, a treat that had been impossible while Rollie was alive. Rollie loved the Lutheran Church and served it faithfully. I pray that this stole in the “For All the Saints” stole project will say to the ELCA, and to the world, that Rollie Severson was not just a good pastor, he was a gay pastor. This stole is a testimony to his life, his goodness, and his God-given sexual orientation. I love you and miss you, Rollie and John Paul. Pastor Paul Kruger Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Denomination Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Contribution Date 2015 Contribution Story Originally a part of the collection of stoles housed by ReconcilingWorks: Lutherans for Full Participation, this stole was donated by them to the Shower of Stoles Project in 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/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1236 Title A name given to the resource Pastor Rollie Severson Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Key West, Florida (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Pastor Paul Kruger Clergy Activist Evangelical Lutherans of America (ELCA) Fetterman, John Paul Florida Jewish Kruger, Paul Lutheran Reconciling Works (formerly Lutherans Concerned) Severson, Rollie 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. Pastors (Rochester) Stole Text Pastors Third Church Rochester NY Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) Contribution Date 1996 Contribution Story We received about a dozen stoles from members of Third Church over the years. The first five are identical designs with a name and personal symbol added to each. This one honors pastors who have served Rochester congregations in the past. Third Church prides itself on having been in the vanguard of movement and change throughout its history. In 1953, Lilian Alexander brought to the session of Third Church a proposal to ordain women as clergy in the Presbyterian Church. Her overture passed through the session to the local presbytery and on to the General Assembly, where it was adopted, opening the way for the first woman, Margaret Towner, to be ordained in 1956. Third has a long history of peace and justice activism throughout the world. They are a More Light congregation, working for the full inclusion of LGBT persons in the life and leadership of the 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 162 Title A name given to the resource Pastors (Rochester) Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Rochester, New York (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Third Presbyterian Church Alexander, Lilian Feminism More Light Presbyterians for LGBT Concerns New York Ordination Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA) Towner, Margaret Women and Religion https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/a83fa45d3a960c28d093c753a1171c14.jpg 22895b342c243be9def12f19c57bd4ab https://exhibits.lgbtran.org/files/original/00e6aa3b30a24917b618d4bdade21ef7.jpg e25eeed20b4a0761e54bd2cd2e07e1f6 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. Pat Sample Lynn Griffis Stole Text This stole honors the ministries of lesbian women such as Pat Sample and Lynn Griffis, whose call to ordained ministries were denied by the ELCA's predecessor-Church denominations. Denomination Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Contribution Date 2015 Contribution Story Originally a part of the collection of stoles housed by ReconcilingWorks (formerly known as Lutherans Concerned), this stole was donated by them to the Shower of Stoles Project in 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/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 1206 Title A name given to the resource Pat Sample 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 Anonymous Evangelical Lutherans of America (ELCA) Griffis, Lynn Lutheran Ordination Reconciling Works (formerly Lutherans Concerned) Sample, Pat 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. Patricia L. Fox Lisanne Finston Stole Text Patricia L. Fox Lisanne Finston First Presbyterian Church Ewing, New Jersey Denomination Presbyterian Church (USA) Contribution Date 1998 Contribution Story This is one of sixteen stoles donated by First Presbyterian Church of Ewing, NJ on behalf of members and friends of the congregation. 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 450 Title A name given to the resource Patricia L. Fox Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Ewing, New Jersey (USA) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource First Presbyterian Church Finston, Lisanne Fox, Patricia L. New Jersey Presbyterian Presbyterian Church (USA)