Welcome to the Shower of Stoles

This digital exhibit was curated by intern Sarah Pawlicki of the LGBTQ Religious Archives Network, and the physical collection of the Shower of Stoles is held by the National LGBTQ Task Force.

Learn more about the Shower of Stoles' history and mission by checking out the video below.

When you browse all of the stoles within this unique collection, you may click on a stole's thumbnail image or caption (in the case of unphotographed stoles) to read more about the stole you're curious about. First, you will see concrete data about the particular stole: whom the stole honors as detailed on the stole or the story accompanying it, who donated it to the collection, denominational affiliation and geographical location (when known), as well as photographs of the stole. The stole's inventory number does not precisely reflect the order in which the stoles were given to the collection, as identification numbers were not assigned to the stoles until 1997, two years after the collection came into being. 

In addition to this factual data, you will find more subjective background about the stole. Often a stole’s significance is highlighted in the “story behind the story”– anecdotes about how the stole came to us, or reflections on the stole’s honoree. The "Historical Commentary" section relates the circumstances surrounding the donation of the stole to the collection, its place in the history of the project, thoughts about stole’s theological implications, or its political significance within the struggle for equality in a particular denomination. These commentaries have been provided by Martha Juillerat, the Founder and Director of the Shower of Stoles Project for its first ten years, and David Lohman, the former Faith Work Coordinator for the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force's Institute for Welcoming Resources. 

After you read and scroll past the stole's narrative and historical commentary, pictures of the stole (if the stole has been photographed) are attached, and may be clicked on in order to view larger. 

Below the photographs, you will see a series of tags attached to the stole, such as "Ally," "Clergy Activist," "United Methodist Church," and "Bisexual activism." By clicking on one of these tags, you may view all of the stoles tagged with that particular label - so, for instance, you may see all of the United Methodist stoles, or all of the Presbyterian stoles, with the click of a button. 

All of the photographed stoles have also been geolocated, appearing on the map featured within this exhibit. 

Enjoy exploring the Shower of Stoles! We hope you learn from and are inspired by these stories of perseverance, resilience, courage, and grace.