EMPTY CHAIRS

creating space for LGBT+ Catholics and helping others do the same

U.S. Bishops are trying to keep kids out of Catholic Schools

The Denver Diocese in Colorado is fighting for the right ot exclude LGBT+ children and children of LGBT+ parents from their pre-K programs while seeking public funding to run these programs. The Supreme Court will be hearing this case later this year.

In response, Empty Chairs is collecting firsthand accounts from LGBT+ students, parents, educators, and friends of LGBT+ people, who've experienced Catholic schools at their best, because LGBT+ people are already part of our communities, churches, and schools. If that's you, we'd love to hear from you.

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Our Vision

Our mission is to help LGBT+ Catholics seek God within the current context of their lives while fostering greater understanding among all Catholics so that LGBT+ individuals are not seen as outsiders, but as fellow worshipers in our parishes equally beloved by God.

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Services

Community Spaces

Find connection and belonging through online groups, welcoming parishes, and shared conversations with others on a similar journey.

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1-on-1 Support

A growing directory of peers, therapists, and spiritual directors who understand LGBT+ experiences and are available for one-on-one conversations.

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Resources

Whether you are questioning, coming out, or wondering how to walk alongside someone who is, we've got tools to help you.

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Identity

finding peace between your faith and sexuality

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Accompaniment

learning to walk with someone who is LGBT+

Articles

Pope Leo against the theology of optimization

For a church accused of moving at a glacial pace, Pope Leo XIV just beat Silicon Valley, Washington, and the United Nations to the most urgent moral question of our time. Magnifica Humanitas is not a critique of AI. It is a critique of humanity's view of ourselves. Because Pope Leo isn’t asking the world to consider simple questions of whether or not this new technology should be regulated, but, “Does AI make human life on earth ‘more human’ in every aspect of that life?

1 min read

Christians Don’t Need to “Reclaim” Halloween — We Just Need to Show Up

A Night Centered on Welcoming the Stranger There’s always been a tendency in Christianity to isolate from the world. We see it even in the earliest days of the Church, when Peter himself struggled to reach beyond his familiar circle until Paul called him out for refusing to eat with Gentiles (cf. Galatians 2). What makes Christianity so groundbreaking is how it pushes against our human tendency to protect and withdraw. Throughout the scriptures, God challenges us to go beyond

3 min read

Obedience Alone Won’t Make Us Holy: Rediscovering the Catholic Conscience

Catholics are often ranked by the virtue of obedience. Those who are most obedient to Rome are considered the most faithful. And we know...

4 min read