Vox Femina Los Angeles adds their voices to the Shower of Stoles Project.

by Jocelyn Loren

When the all-women choral group Vox Femina Los Angeles presents Spirit I Am at Wilshire United Methodist Church on March 8, it will be more than a program of exquisite choral music. Planned in conjunction with the Shower of Stoles Project exhibit, the evening promises to be a powerful celebration of history, unity and pride.

The Shower of Stoles Project exhibit is a collection of more than 1,000 liturgical stoles that represent LGBT people of faith, honoring those who have been excluded from ministry because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

After Presbyterian minister Martha Juillerat came out as lesbian in 1995, her position in the clergy was threatened. Instead of being defrocked, she chose to set aside her ordination and, as a gesture of protest, she and partner, Tammy Lindhal, called upon LGBT friends within the church for submissions of stoles to represent them at her final Presbyterian meeting. Overnight, they received 80 stoles from all over the country, and soon that number had risen to over 200.

Juillerat and Lindhal intended to display the stoles at the following year’s Presbyterian General Assembly—a national, week-long gathering of Presbyterian members. When Presbyterian leadership refused their request, LGBT and allied members donned the stoles, as a symbol of their support for LGBT ministry, in the church.

“It was so awesome,” said Laurie Fox, Vox Femina Los Angeles choral member and one of the original wearers of the liturgical stoles. “[It became] a silent witness, all week long, that we are here. We are among you. We are worshiping, and we’re ministering to you and to the people. We had a chance to tell them God is love—Jesus came to spread love, not hatred.”

The exhibit has grown to include stoles and other sacred items from 32 denominations and six countries, created by LGBT people of faith as well as by family members and friends honoring LGBT loved ones. Each stole, named or anonymous, contains stories, prayers or other messages.

“[The stoles represent someone who] has been through similar experiences that you’ve been through, or they know somebody who does, or they care about what our experiences have been,” continued Fox. “There’s a real deep sense of pride.”

Pride takes musical form in Spirit I Am. The intricate, all-women harmonies of Vox Femina celebrate women—“complex, sensual, eternally beautified by the experiences of their souls”—dedicated to musical excellence, with an emphasis on choral literature by women composers. Under the direction of Dr. Iris S. Levine, the 35-member ensemble comprises a diverse group of lesbian, bisexual and heterosexual women.

Founded in 1997 by Levine and Stacey L. Poston, VFLA was originally created to fill a demand created by the then 18-year-old Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles.

“Jon Bailey, then the artistic director of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, approached me about starting a women's group in L.A. that would parallel the Gay Men’s Chorus,” said Levine. “After a number of discussions, I agreed to form Vox, but with a mission to include all women.”

Just three months later, VFLA made its first public appearance as guest artists alongside the Gay Men’s Chorus. VFLA has since grown to become one of the premier all-women choral groups in the United States, winning the Los Angeles Certificate of Recognition last year. Now in its 11th year, VFLA prides itself on being role models for, and giving voice to, the women of Los Angeles.

The one-night only event of Spirit I Am, featuring the Shower of Stoles Project exhibit, stands as a testament to the unification of the LGBT community and its allies.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. For more information about Spirit I Am or other Vox events, visit www.voxfeminala.org.