“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God…” (Romans 12:2).
Every June, many parts of the world celebrate Pride Month to honour LGBTQ+ people and their history. It is meant to celebrate acceptance, equality, and the courage of people who have felt rejected or hidden.
Social media often turns Pride Month into a polarized fight. Some celebrate their sexual orientation and the dignity of LGBTQ persons. Others ask whether Pride Month is celebrating sin. How should Catholics respond to LGBTQ Catholics who say, “I do not want to hide who I am”?
In this article, I outline that Catholics are called to something deeper than arguing online. We are called to know what the Church actually teaches, to discern God’s will, and to accompany our LGBTQ brothers and sisters with respect.
LGBTQ People and Human Dignity
“God created humankind in his image… male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). Every human being, whether straight, gay, black, white, Indian, Indigenous, Chinese, short, tall, young, old, or differently abled, is made in the image and likeness of God. This means that every person has a dignity (precious value) that no one can take away. A person’s dignity does not come from popularity, looks, success, sexuality, race, or social approval. It comes from God.
Therefore, any Catholic approach to LGBTQ persons begins with the affirmation that such persons are beloved children of God. Being gay does not make someone less human, less Christian, or less loved by God. The Catechism teaches that persons with homosexual tendencies “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity” and that “every sign of unjust discrimination” should be avoided (CCC 2358). For this reason, the Church, including in Guyana, has advocated for repealing laws that criminalize consensual same-sex acts.
It may help to clarify language. Some people say “gay” to describe their personal identity. Others prefer “same-sex attraction” or “sexual orientation.” Sexual orientation usually refers to a stable pattern of attraction. The Church makes an important distinction between the person, the attraction, and sexual acts. A person is always to be loved and respected. Attractions are not the same as chosen actions. Moral responsibility concerns what we freely choose to do with our desires.
Just follow your heart?
Should we always act on our desires? Every human being feels the pull of sexual desire. If we simply acted on every desire, we would live as if we had no freedom or self-control. We can govern our passions, or we can be dominated by them. We can follow God’s commandments, or we can ignore them in favour of our own.
Every Catholic is called to practice chastity in a way suited to their state of life (CCC 2349). This is not the same as celibacy! In the Catholic view, sexual expression belongs within marriage, which is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, ordered toward faithful love and openness to life. The unitive and procreative meanings of sex are not meant to be separated
Jesus himself refers to Genesis when he teaches about marriage: “From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female’… and the two shall become one flesh” (Mark 10:6–8). Therefore, the Church teaches that sex outside marriage is sinful. This applies to everyone. It applies to heterosexual people who are unmarried, adultery, pornography, masturbation, hookups, and any use of another person for pleasure outside the covenant of marriage. Since the Church understands marriage as between a man and a woman, it also teaches that homosexual acts are not morally permitted (CCC 2357).
So, if I am not married, I shouldn’t be having sex?
Is this hard? Yes, very. Chastity is not easy for anyone. But the Church does not teach chastity as punishment. It is the integration of our desires so that we learn to love as whole persons, not simply follow every desire. We all need grace, confession, friendship, prayer, community, and mercy.
According to current Catholic teaching, if a person is not in a valid marriage, he or she is called to chastity. This is not only for LGBTQ persons but for everyone.
Accompaniment and Community
At the same time, Catholics must be honest about the pain many LGBTQ persons have experienced. Some have been bullied, rejected by family, insulted in church, or made to feel that God hates them. That is not the Gospel. Jesus was firm about sin, but he was merciful toward sinners. He ate with those whom others rejected and looked at people with love. We Christians, must never make people feel that they are outside the reach of God’s mercy.
Pope Francis captured this pastoral attitude when he famously said, “Who am I to judge?” He was not saying that there is no moral truth but was reminding us that a person sincerely seeking God must not be treated with contempt. Pope Leo XIV has also reminded us that the Church should not reduce all morality to sexual questions. Justice, equality, freedom, care for the poor, and religious freedom are also moral issues. A Catholic cannot be strongly moral about sexuality and then careless about racism, corruption, poverty, abuse, or violence.
Blessings for same-sex couples?
The Church teaches that anyone can ask for a blessing. A blessing is a prayer asking God for help, grace, healing, conversion, and protection. The Vatican document Fiducia Supplicans allows spontaneous, non-liturgical blessings for couples in irregular situations, including same-sex couples, provided these blessings are not confused with marriage and are not made into a formal rite.
Can Catholics join a Pride parade?
This requires discernment. If a Pride event encourages sexual immorality, mocks Christian faith, or celebrates ideas directly contrary to Catholic teaching, then a Catholic should not participate in that. But if Catholics are present at a gathering to affirm human dignity, stand against violence, bullying, or unjust discrimination, or accompany friends and family with love, the question requires discernment. We should ask what our presence supports and whether it witnesses to Christ or simply follows the spirit of the age.
During Pride Month, Catholics should not be conformed blindly to the world, nor should we respond with cruelty. We should renew our minds in Christ by defending the dignity of every person, upholding the Church’s teaching on marriage and sexuality, and accompanying those who feel excluded.
Our deepest identity is that we are children of God, created in his image, redeemed by Christ, and called to eternal life.
