A pastor from O’Fallon, Missouri is running for office as a state representative in a bid to “challenge the Christian right.”
Rev. Shumway is an open supporter of the LGBT community.
In 2021, 17-year-old Phoenix Lemke left his family due their disapproval of his queer identity. After days of sofa-surfing, Shumway took him in.
“She was adamant in letting me know she supported me, and at some point I just started calling her mom,” Lemke told Yahoo News.
Lemke said moving in with Shumway was “transformative”. He came out as transgender, saying: “With Shemway, I could do what I want, be who I want and kiss who I want without being called a slur.”
Last year, he posted a photo holding the paperwork confirming his legal name change: “I just felt so much better and happier.”
Rev. Shumway is now vying for a seat as a state representative, saying: "The Christian right has not had a challenge from the Christian left, and we need to join together and make some noise."
Missouri has been a battleground state for LGBTQ+ rights. As of August 2023, people under 18 were barred from beginning gender-affirming hormonal treatment or puberty blockers, under the Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act.
Christian campaign group Concerned Women supported the ban, describing hormonal treatment as “unlawful experimenting on Missouri’s children”.
By contrast, Rev. Shumway said: “I’m a Christian who believes in trans rights. And I’m going to be loud and make sure legislators hear from Christians who are not spewing hate.”
She is a member of the United Church of Christ, a Protestant denomination with 770,000 members, which is liberal on issues of sexuality and gender.