A group which advocates on behalf of
homeless LGBT youth has called on Pope Francis to end the Roman
Catholic Church's rejection of gay people.
In
an open letter published Sunday in The New York Times,
Carl Siciliano, executive director of New York City's Ali Forney
Center, asked the Holy Father to “take urgent action to protect
[homeless LGBT youth] from the devastating consequences of religious
rejection, which is the most common reason LGBT youths are driven
from their homes.”
“At the heart of the problem is that
the church still teaches that homosexual conduct is a sin, and that
being gay is disordered. I hope that if you understand how this
teaching tears families apart and brings suffering to innocent
youths, you will end this teaching and prevent your bishops from
fighting against the acceptance of LGBT people as equal members of
society.”
“As LGBT youths are finding the
courage to speak the truths of their hearts at younger ages, epidemic
numbers are being rejected by their families, and driven to
homelessness. The number of youths enduring this cruel fate is
staggering; last year at least 200,000 LGBT youths experienced
homelessness in the United States.”
Siciliano went on to invite Pope
Francis to visit the Ali Forney Center.
“I greatly respect you as a leader
who has shown deep concern for the plight of the poor. I invite you
to the Ali Forney Center, to meet our abandoned youths and see for
yourself how their lives have been devastated and made destitute by
religious rejection.”
The full-page ad was paid for by
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Home Furnishings, the Washington
Blade reported.
“I'm hopeful that putting this out
publicly will put this central question on the table, and that all
advocacy groups and news media will learn more about it and frankly
see how harmful this 'sin' teaching is,” Gold said. “While
others tell me this is a heavy lift or you can't get the Catholic
Church to change, I say 'let's try.'”