U.S. Catholic bishops call for support for LGBT youth

NEW YORK – Declaring “God is on your side,” a Roman Catholic cardinal, an archbishop and six other American bishops released a statement on Monday expressing their support for LGBT youth and denouncing the bullying often directed against them.

“All people of good will should help, support and advocate for LGBT youth,” said the statement released by the Tyler Clementi Foundation, named after the Rutgers University student who committed suicide in 2010 after being recorded on a webcam kissing another man.

Among the signatories to the declaration were Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, NJ, and Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, NM.

According to Catholic teaching, gays and lesbians should be respected, loved and not discriminated against, but homosexual activity is considered “inherently disorderly”. Church leadership in the United States strongly opposes same-sex marriage and has not supported efforts to boost acceptance of transgender people.

The bishops’ statement says LGBT youth attempt suicide at higher rates, are often homeless due to families rejecting them and “are the targets of violence at alarming rates.”

“We take this opportunity to tell our LGBT friends, especially young people, that we are by your side and that we oppose any form of violence, intimidation or harassment against you,” we read . “Above all, know that God created you, God loves you and God is by your side.

Along with Tobin and Wester, the declaration was signed by Bishops John Stowe of Lexington, Ky .; Robert McElroy of San Diego; Steven Biegler from Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Edward Weisenberger of Tucson, Arizona, as well as two retired Auxiliary Bishops, Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit and Dennis Madden of Baltimore.

After the declaration was released, another Auxiliary Bishop, John Dolan of San Diego, also approved it.

Reverend James Martin, a Jesuit priest whose book “Building a Bridge” advocates for greater LGBT inclusion in the Catholic Church, hailed the statement as “a historic step forward.”

“It is a reminder that Jesus always stood on the side of the persecuted,” Martin said, expressing hope that more than 400 active and retired bishops across the country would endorse the declaration.

Stowe and Wester were scheduled to attend a conference last June, hosted by Martin, to discuss LGBT inclusion in the church, but it was postponed due to the pandemic.

Among those who welcomed the bishops’ statement was Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, a staunch opponent of same-sex marriage.

“I appreciate this reaffirmation of the Church’s attention to those who are struggling with gender identity issues, especially when they are the targets of intimidation and rejection even by those who do. should love them and support them, ”he said via email. “The Church stands in solidarity with them, and with all her children, to help them live a life of virtue. “

The United States has recently seen mixed messages, for transgender youth in particular, in terms of acceptance.

President Joe Biden on Monday signed an executive order repealing former President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people from joining the military.

In more than a dozen states, lawmakers have proposed bills prohibiting transgender people from playing on school sports teams that reflect their gender identity or from obtaining certain types of gender-related medical treatment.