Is Change Coming?

n 1992, I transferred to Scripps College from Cal State Long Beach and moved from Orange County back to the Inland Empire. My folks were involved with Claremont United Methodist Church's efforts to become a Reconciling church - welcoming to the LGBTQIA+ community. It was painful work but there was such jubilation when it was completed. At that time, I was not involved in the church (shortly afterward I would begin attending CUMC and that part of the story began....). Mistakenly I believed that the United Methodist Church was "done" with that battle in the early 1990's and while in Art School, I painted this big painting about the issue - churches locking out the LGBT+ community. In 1993, CUMC displayed this work in their Narthex. (I'm trying to find a photo of that...watch this space)

All this background to say, 32 years on and the UMC is still working on full acceptance of LGBTQIA+ folks. But, this year, it just may be coming to a conclusion that removes the harmful language in our Book of Discipline and finally begins the process in which all people can be celebrated, regardless of their sexual and gender identity, their choice of partner or whether they choose a partner at all. I pray that after all these years, the UMC finally makes this right.

Images: from the slide. It was my first big painting. - 5 1/2 feet x 8 1/2 feet.

In 2012, I cut the painting off it frame and rolled and wrapped it for posterity and it now resides in my parent's storage unit. It is not a great painting, but it has a lot of meaning for me.