Hey, anyone from the Philly area?

My friend who is Catholic 18m had just come to me 17m and gay that he is bisexual. He expressed that he knew he was bisexual but could not accept himself due to his mother. Prior to finding his true self, his catholic mother had told him if he was every gay or in love with a man that she would disowned him. He loves his mother very much and she's the only family member he has left. He doesn't know what to do. I think it's important to honor his true self but I understand how difficult this could be for him. Any advice?

I don’t want to hijack someone else’s space so I’ll try to keep this brief. I’m a Cishet, middle aged white man, which in this context is to say somewhat clueless. I’m also in classes to be Baptised in the Catholic Church.

I find much of Church teaching and tradition to be beautiful, but there are a few doctrines that, no matter how I look at them, appear fundamentally indefensible. In particular I am simply incapable of believing that the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” can be accomplished without embracing the whole person. I see you all and I want to love you for who you are, not in spite of it.

So, if you would be gracious enough to educate me, what resources or advice do you have on what I can do to be affirming and supportive to this community as I continue on this journey. God bless you all! 🌈

I’m back

My daughter is 12 and recently came out as bi. She recently admitted that she is hiding in the bathroom during CCD instead of attending class because Catholics are homophobic misogynists.

I’m a straight cis woman who is pro-LGBTQ and pro-choice. My priority is my daughter knowing that she’s accepted and loved. Do you think I should push her to finish the next 1.5 years and make confirmation? Any advice?

Like the title says, is there a patron saint of bisexuals, or any saint that was said to have been bi?

Where are you going to Church? I’m new to the area and I was wondering if there were any active LGBTQI+ friendly Catholic group or church. Despite all the challenges and micro-agressions I’ve experienced in the Church, I can’t seem to be able to renounce to my faith.

I grew up in a Catholic family and attended a Catholic elementary school. I have fond memories of attending Mass with my grandparents, who I was really close with. I left the faith after feeling a lot of guilt and shame over my sexuality. As a matter of fact I’ve held onto a lot of anger toward the Church over this topic. I really hoped Pope Francis would lead the Church in a more progressive direction, but unfortunately it hasn’t really been enough. I’ve spent a lot of time being very angry with the Church over this.

Truth be told I’ve spent almost my entire adult life as an atheist, not so much because I wanted to be an atheist, but because of what amounts to, in my mind, a complete lack of evidence for anything supernatural. I’ve read studies that show intercessory prayer does not help cardiac patients (although it does seem to make the person praying feel better). If the study proved the effectiveness of prayer Christians would have shouted it from the rooftops. But when it doesn’t provide the results they want suddenly God doesn’t work like that and he’s not a vending machine. It used to be said God resides in heaven above the earth, but now it’s claimed perhaps he’s in a different dimension we can’t perceive. So it feels like moving the goal post.

I have been studying the Bible from an Academic standpoint. I learned about the documentary hypothesis and realize the authors of the Pentateuch had different views of God. The P source depicting God as a cosmic controller of the universe while the J source depicts God as anthropomorphic being who cares about the personal lives of humans. I also realize many of the New Testament authors had conflicting views on theology and at least 6 of the Apostle Paul’s letters are forgeries.

Nevertheless I had a near death experience due to a car accident. Not a supernatural experience, but the fact I survived basically unharmed has caused me to revisit the idea of having faith. I spoke about this with my boyfriend who has encouraged me to be more spiritual, even if I don’t necessarily believe in it. He takes comfort in Eastern spirituality, but for me nothing can replace Catholicism. It just feels holy and it’s the tradition I’m most familiar and comfortable with.

How does one reconcile my liberal beliefs about contraception, gay marriage, a woman’s right to choose, and relative lack of belief in God with the Catholic faith? I truly want to receive the comfort I once had in the Church with the fact I’m at odds with so much? I want to believe in God again. I love the beauty of my old parish church, the Mass, the candles, the incense, the Blessed Virgin, the saints, and the Gregorian chants. It feels ancient and sacred in a way I don’t find elsewhere.

More info: https://www.dignityusa.org/events/nativity-in-the-darkness-advent-reflections-on-trans-and-queer-hope

This seems promising and of course already controversial. https://www.breitbart.com/faith/2024/11/16/pope-francis-names-pro-gay-cleric-preacher-papal-household/

I saw this today and thought it may be comforting, inspirational, and scary (in a good way) to share with this group.

I am a 22-year-old black woman, raised culturally Baptist in the South but have been exploring the Catholic faith and feel very confident I will join the church shortly.

I am looking for a friend/accountability partner in my age group that would be okay with us just texting and talking sometimes. There are LGBT ministries in my area and even at the church I've been attending lately, but I don't know everyone there enough to really be open about this yet. Eventually though.

In the meantime, I'd love to talk to someone from here. If any of you are willing.

I love my mother no matter what I’m not going to leave until she’s better.

I am bisexual and a catholic from Indiana I was conformed as St. Peter.

Hi all - I wanted to share this newly launched podcasted called Dismissed with Prejudice. On this show, they will be discussing religion, law and employment as told threw interviews with LGBTQ employees that were fired from faith-based workplaces.

I wasn't aware of the "ministerial exception", and the podcast will explore stories of many employees who have been unfairly targeted by this practice.

The first episode will feature a story from Matthew LaBanca who was fired from his job because he's married to another man. He wrote a one-man show about this experience and will share it on the very first episode of #dismissedwithprejudice

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#faithbased #catholicschool #discriminationatwork #discriminationlaw #queerstories #lgbtquia #catholicchurch

Howdy, So I’m currently discerning if I should look into the Catholic church. For context, I’m a queer trans woman. I was in chrismated (confirmed) in the Eastern Orthodox Church, but after I decided to come out, my home parish was not a place I could ever be my authentic self. The broader orthodox world offers very little comfort for queer folks so I didn’t see any other real option than to leave. I started exploring the Anglican Church as an alternative and while I really enjoy the Anglo-Catholic side of the church, the reformed aspects make me really uncomfortable. I grew up reformed (before I became Orthodox) and had a lot of bad experiences growing up due to reformed theology. That brings me to the Catholic church as an another alternative. I’m aware of the church’s doctrine, but I’m also aware of the many affirming catholic organizations and parishes. At the very least there’s more space for queer folks than in orthodoxy. I guess what I’m wrestling with now is between attending an affirming Catholics parish but being unhappy with their doctrine on sexuality and gender, or attending an Anglican parish, but being unhappy with the more reformed aspects of Anglicanism. I’d love to hear if anyone has any advice. Thanks ❤️

A couple day ago I said I would get my bisexual flag blessed by the relic Saint Augustine. And I did B). I also got it touched by the stone of St Michael the Archangel, as well as a piece of the “Holy Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” although I question the authenticity of that.

Hello how did you sleep

I always feel really conflicted when I see people do this. On one hand, I know it's just a Halloween costume and, from a professional stand point, it's not that different then when people dress up as doctors or policemen. But on the other hand, I know a lot of non-religious people who do this are often WILDLY disrespectful and innapropriate about it. For example, I knew someone who dressed up as a priest for Halloween once and was joking about marrying inatimate object like lamp plugs to outlets. And this year, one of my coworkers (who had the name of well known Saint) decided to dress like a nun and kept refering to themselves by that Saint but kept adding the "F word" to it. And she kept bragging about how ironic it was for her to dress up like this, cause it's COMPLETELY opposite of how she is in real life.

I suppose the point of dressing up for Halloween is to be something/dress up as something you normally wouldn't. But I just can't help but feel like people take it a bit too far sometimes. Anyway, I know I'm probably just over reacting, but I still want to get other peoples thoughts and opinions about it.

Hey all. The relic of St Augustine (and a few others) is coming to my local church and I wanted to get my bisexual flag blessed. His story of growing closer to God and rejecting the person you use to be really sticks out to me. My main issue comes from the church, which is very “”traditional”” and my family is also very “”traditional””. I was thinking about hiding it in my copy of “Confessions”. Would it still be a 3rd class relic? Or blessed?

first time posting,

Ive been reflecting on this, I'm a trans woman and haven't been in school for years but my school was a catholic school. But I must note that they where also extremely tolerant, lgbt people where aloud in this English class to get away from bully's and even the principal expelled a kid for bullying another kid for being gay.

I never experienced any homophobia or transphobia from anyone there. from a Catholic school.

I still go to church and now my bf attends with me, I've never felt the experience of homophobia or transphobia. It was always a space that helped. When I was homeless because my dad rejected me, they helped, even when i was in a hospital I was given basic toiletries by the church.

infact the only people who have tried to convert me have been athiestic people calling god a "sky daddy" and telling me I simply can't be catholic.

The only people to give me hate for my identity was my dad and people who I have never seen regularly attend church, they just regularly scroll social media. The only catholics to dislike me are faceless ones online, even my old grandmother loves my bf and is proud.

I wish catholicism had a better online or social image, maybe my experience is exceptionally rare. But my experience with Catholicism in the real word has been nothing more then acceptance which i feel so grateful for.

I've recently been doing a lot of reflection on this as it feels the media, social media, etc says Christians hate lgbt people? but the most accepting people to me have been catholics my whole life?