amNewYork Metro presents Photo Perspective, telling a noteworthy story captured through the lens of a decades-old film camera. This story focuses on a special Ash Wednesday service in Greenwich Village.
On the morning of March 5, two figures stood in the shadow of the iconic Stonewall monument in Greenwich Village. It was Ash Wednesday, and the sign of the cross was marked on their foreheads as they clutched two small containers and offered to make the sign for passersby.
Ash Wednesday is the first day of the Christian season of Lent, a solemn time of reflection and renewal. While ash distribution is a common site on this holy day, this particular distribution served an additional purpose: To combat homophobia and anti-transgender rhetoric.
Reverends Elizabeth Edman and Amanda Hambrick, Consulting Community Minister at Middle Collegiate Church, mixed the ash with glitter in an effort to not only ensure inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community while also fighting what they say is a rise in hateful rhetoric from the White House.
“In recent days, we’ve learned that the National Park Service has scrubbed the website for the Stonewall national monument of the letters T and Q in line with the executive order,” Edman told amNewYork Metro. “We have come here today to stand in solidarity with queer and trans people, to affirm the value of queer and trans lives, and to protest the erasure of queer and trans people from the Stonewall National Monument. And we do that in a solemn Christian liturgy for Ash Wednesday, in which we’ve put into the ashes a little bit of glitter, and the glitter is a symbol of queer strength, survival and resilience.”
While glitter and ash may seem insignificant to many, the gesture is a meaningful one for those identifying as both queer and Christian – powerful aspects of their identity. The individuals who arrived to have their foreheads blessed appeared to well up with tears as the shimmering ash was smudged over their skin.
Ted Dawson grew emotional from behind his thick-frames eyeglasses when the ashes were spread over his head. Clutching his chest above his jacket, he said he was thankful for the experience, believing that the process exemplifies the true meaning of the word of God: acceptance and love.
“God is still speaking, and we have a lot to hear and learn, and the message of Jesus was to love everyone — no holds barred. So, that’s why I’m here,” Dawson said.
Those spreading the ashes say the moment was also a safe space and meeting point for members of the LGBTQ+ community to find acceptance.
“These are extremely difficult days, and people are feeling overwhelmed with the hate and the violence that’s coming out of the new federal administration. That’s not just in DC, but that is seen on the streets here even in New York City,” Hambrick said.
These photos were captured on the Nikon F2 using Ilford black and white film. This camera was the kind used by photojournalists who covered the Vietnam War.
