Bering Church’s Rainbow Steps Celebrate Community
The artwork reminds Houstonians that queer identity is a divine gift.
At Bering Memorial United Church of Christ, the front steps now rise in vibrant rainbow stripes. The paint job is an unmistakable symbol of affirmation in a moment when LGBTQ visibility in Houston feels increasingly under attack. For Pastor Diane McGehee, the project isn’t just decorative. It is deeply historical and profoundly spiritual.
“Bering Church has stood, for over 50 years, for the inclusion of the LGBTQ community fully in the church,” she explains. “About 70% of our congregation is LGBTQ.”
“So many churches have harmed the LGBTQ community, falsely stating that there’s not full inclusion, and that there’s something wrong with your identity and the way God made you,” Pastor Diane admits. “We actually left the Methodist Church because they were continuing to harm people. Now, fortunately, that has begun to change. But we’ve been in this neighborhood for a long time, standing with and for the community,”
When Houston’s rainbow crosswalk was removed, the congregation felt the impact immediately. “This effort to just erase us is not okay,” Pastor Diane says. “You can’t erase us.” Therefore, painting the stairs became a creative act of resistance and love—one that resonated with neighbors who stopped by to share how much the rainbow stairs meant.
For Pastor Diane, the rainbow carries sacred meaning. “The rainbow is a symbol of all the diversity in creation. All of life is included.” She rejects any theology that diminishes queer identity. “There’s nothing simple about your LGBTQ identity or gender identity or sexual orientation. That’s a gift from God.”
In today’s climate of erasure, the stairs symbolize what the church has lived for decades: “We’re not going to allow anyone to take away the gift that LGBTQ people are to our community. And so this is where we stand.”
For more info, visit beringchurch.org.
