Oak Lawn United Methodist Church paints front steps rainbow amid crosswalk directive

Oak Lawn United Methodist Church has painted its front steps in rainbow colors this week — a public display of support for the LGBTQ community made amid Greg Abbott’s directive instructing Texas cities to remove rainbow-crosswalks.
Oak Lawn United Methodist Church has painted its front steps in rainbow colors this week — a public display of support for the LGBTQ community made amid Greg Abbott’s directive instructing Texas cities to remove rainbow-crosswalks. Photo credit Oak Lawn United Methodist Church

In Dallas, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church has painted its front steps in rainbow colors this week — a public display of support for the LGBTQ community made amid Greg Abbott’s directive instructing Texas cities to remove rainbow-crosswalks.

The action took place Tuesday in the Oak Lawn neighborhood, where the church is located just off Cedar Springs Road.

The step painting comes after the governor’s October 8 order that local governments erase “any and all political ideologies” from roadways, including rainbow crosswalks, or potentially lose transportation funding.

Oak Lawn UMC, founded in 1874 and historically known for outreach to the LGBTQ community, affirmed online that “the governor may remove a rainbow from a roadway — but he cannot erase the image of God in God’s people.”

The church’s decision adds to the ongoing discussion in Dallas and across Texas about the role of symbols in public spaces and how faith communities engage in cultural and civic discourse. City officials say they are reviewing state guidance before responding to the directive.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: Oak Lawn United Methodist Church