A Philadelphia teacher who lost her job
at a Roman Catholic school because of her 2007 marriage to another
woman has been invited to the White House to help welcome Pope
Francis.
Wednesday's welcoming ceremony on the
South Lawn is expected to include thousands of people from diverse
social and religious backgrounds.
Margie Winters lost her job of eight years at
Waldron Mercy Academy, a Catholic elementary school outside
Philadelphia, in June after a parent complained that she was in a
same-sex marriage.
Winters told the AP that if she gets a
chance to speak to the pope she would ask him to extend his
message of inclusion to LGBT Catholics.
According to New Ways Ministries, more
than 50 LGBT people have reported losing their jobs at Catholic
institutions since 2010.