Accompaniment Resources
The Catholic response to the LGBT+ community is one of "respect, compassion, and sensitivity," and living that out can be a beautiful expression of our faith.
LGBT+ Catholic Stories
1 / Fighting to Give LGBT+ People a Place in the Church
by the 'I Tried to Be Straight' podcast with Justin Telthorst
Justin Telthorst shares about his efforts to change his sexuality on this podcast and how he ultimately found peace with God. In the process, he realized how the language of the Catholic Church is often unhelpful and the deep need to create a community for LGBT+ Catholics. Available on multiple podcast platforms.
A podcast series charting how one Catholic teen tried to reconcile her faith and sexuality and ultimately lost her faith and her life.
3 / Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith
by Eve Tushnet
Eve Tushnet, an out lesbian raised in a secular Jewish household, describes in her book how she unexpectedly converted to Catholicism after engaging in intellectual debates at Yale. In her book, she explores how gay Catholics can embrace both their faith and their sexuality through friendship, service, and community.
In this article, Max Kuzma shares his experience as a transgender man and the joy he experienced meeting Pope Francis.
Church Teaching
1 / The Church is Clear on Homosexuality
by @emptychairshome
An Instagram reel reminding the Church to live up to its own call to treat the LGBT+ community with compassion, respect, and sensitivity.
2 / Build A Bridge
by Fr. James Martin
This book is a challenge to both the Catholic Church and the LGBT+ community to seek reconciliation.
A unique diocesan document with recommendations from the Diocese of Davenport on LGBT+ outreach.
Support for Friends & Families
Parents of queer children share many of the same fears as their children when it comes to being outed. This article highlights the particular need to change how we approach this topic as a church to love better and support parents of LGBT+ children.
A Catholic organization focused on education and support for families.
Through accompaniment and bridge-building Fortuante Families seeks to celebrate and safeguard the dignity of LGBTQ+ children of God.
A non-denominational, Christian organization that hosts short-term support groups for parents of queer children.
Embracing the Journey seeks to build bridges between LGBTQ+ individuals, their families, and the church, not in spite of the bible but because of the bible, drawing parents and children into a deeper relationship with each other and vertically with God.
A secular organization with local chapters for parents and families.
PFLAG ​is the nation’s largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them.
Maintaining Connections
An article outlining how the church can do a better job helping LGBT+ people discover their vocation. It's more than the terse response: “Everyone is called to chastity.”
An article that helps parents embrace the challenge, understand it’s okay to grieve, remind them you can love and disagree, and offers advice to maintain the relationship.
An article on how using the terms, names, and pronouns people ask us to is an act of chartiy.
Psychology
An article by the American Psychological Association on the current understanding of sexual orientation.
An article by the American Psychological Association on the current understanding of Transgender people.
Spirituality isn’t the pursuit of straight-hood; it’s the pursuit of sainthood.
LGBT+ Facts
A webpage describing common terms used in this discussion, such as 'cisgender' and 'gender identity.'