Station 8: Jesus meets women / Stonewall Rebellion

Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem and the Stonewall Riots happen in Station 8 from “Stations of the Cross: The Struggle For LGBT Equality” by Mary Button, courtesy of Believe Out Loud

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1969: After a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, a series of spontaneous violent demonstrations took place. The first Gay Pride march in U.S. history took place on the first anniversary of the riots.
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Mini-commentary by Kittredge Cherry:

A chain of oppression stretches from the crucifixion of Christ to police harassment of LGBT people at the Stonewall Inn. Women of Jerusalem wept when Jesus passed by them carrying his cross. He urged them not to grieve for him, but for their own descendants: “If they do this to me, what will they do to others in the future?” I see a hint of the resurrection here in this image. When LGBT stood up for themselves at Stonewall in 1969, they started a liberation movement that is still on the rise.
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“Stations of the Cross: The Struggle for LGBT Equality” is a new set of 14 paintings that link the crucifixion of Jesus with the history of LGBT people.

Artist Mary Button painted the LGBT Stations series for Believe Out Loud, an online network empowering Christians to work for LGBT equality. They invite churches and faith groups to download and use the images for free.

The whole series will also be shown here at the Jesus in Love Blog this week. Click here for an overview of the LGBT Stations by Kittredge Cherry, lesbian Christian author and art historian.

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Related links:

Saints of Stonewall inspire LGBT justice -- and artists (Jesus in Love)

Book: “Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution” by David Carter

Book: “Stonewall” by Martin Bauml Duberman

Video: “American Experience: Stonewall Uprising”