When it comes to the LGBTQ+ community, choose love, not fear.

Things are getting so tough for the LGBTQ+ community, Canada recently issued a travel advisory warning its gay citizens about visiting the United States.

The Human Rights Campaign issued a state of emergency, the first ever in its 40-year plus history, in response to the more than 400 bills introduced by state legislatures to strip LGBTQ+ people of their rights.

The NAACP issued a travel advisory warning people about going to Florida, in part because of recent laws and policies banning gender-affirming care for minors, restricting discussions of personal pronouns in schools and forcing people to use bathrooms that don’t match who that person believes themself to be. 

Then we have the cruel letter the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland sent out last week setting forth a new “Parish and School Policy on Issues of Sexuality and Gender Identity.” On Sept. 1 it banned students, staff and volunteers from the following:

Attending a dance, mixer or similar event sponsored by an institution with a date of the same God-given biological sex or publicly express and/or display sexual attraction to or romantic interest in members of the same-sex at such event.”

“Acting in a manner the purpose of which is to hold themselves out as being a sex or gender that is inconsistent with the person's God-given biological sex.”  

Dressing inconsistent “with their God-given biological sex.” I’m not sure the Pope would cut it wearing that house dress, white cape, fringed sash and embroidered papal coat of arms. And those red shoes – scandalous!

The new policy also bans “‘LGBTQ pride’ rainbows or ‘LGBTQ pride’ flags or other symbols that can be construed as being opposed to Church teaching” on institution property or at events the institution is participating in or sponsoring.

It bans gender affirming medical care and social transitioning, “the adoption of pronouns, clothing, haircuts, and other social expressions of gender or sex for the purpose of holding out oneself as being a sex or gender different than one's God-given biological sex.”

The new rules apply to the Catholic parishes, schools, employees, volunteers and students. The Diocese is so clueless, it ended the statement saying every person is “welcome and invited to be a part of the Church.”

            What a lie.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb tweeted, “As a Christian, the new Catholic Diocese of Cleveland anti-LGBTQ+ policy is a shocking betrayal of the Church teachings that have shaped who I am today.”

He released a statement that said, “For me, faith is about universal love and acceptance. Instead, the new policy forces LGBTQ+ kids to hide their authentic selves and attend school in fear of persecution for who they are.”

“I extend my heartfelt solidarity to our LGBTQ+ friends and students. Rest assured that this policy, along with any expressions of hatred, doesn’t go unnoticed.”

We should all take notice. Injustice is injustice. Especially when it’s done by such a large and powerful institution.

People often ask if I still go to church. My parents were devout Catholics and sent all 11 of us to Catholic school. I was baptized, confirmed and spent 8 years in Catholic grade school. As an adult, the only way to stay Catholic was to pick and choose the parts that fit and disregard the rest. I loved the saints and mystics so much I got a master’s degree in religious studies from John Carroll, a Jesuit university.

But the Church grew more and more conservative and intolerant, losing its center and its soul. I stopped going to Mass. When people asked why, I said, “I’m on sabbatical.” Finally, the lack of women in the hierarchy, the shaming of gay people and the child sexual abuse by priests drove me away for good.

We now know hundreds of priests sexually abused thousands of children all over the globe. The Church did little to stop them, often knew about the abuse and moved the pedophile priests to other churches and schools where they found new victims. The Church tried to silence the victims to prevent spending millions in legal settlements.

            And the bishops are worried about what bathroom a child uses?

They’re concerned about a rainbow flag?

Two girls dancing together? Two boys holding hands?

This new policy is another form of spiritual abuse. The Church is creating new ways to shame, scare and control people.

A church should be a refuge from all this hate and fear. It’s the opposite.

No, I didn’t leave the Church. The Church left me.

And it just gave everyone else more reasons to leave.

 #LGBTQ #ChooseLove #Catholics #CatholicChurch #LoveIsLove #ChooseLove