A US Catholic Parish is mobility against Trump's anti-transgender ordinances

Article by Francis Debernardo* Published on the website of New Ways Ministry (USA) on February 20, 2025, freely translated by Luigi and Valeria De La Tenda di Gionata.

The guide of a LGBTQ+ pastoral group of a Catholic parish publicly criticized the support given by the Episcopal Conference of the United States to the repressive measures of President Donald Trump against Transgender people, stating that these actions "are not only discriminatory; They are dangerous [...] and contribute to increasing the stigma and marginalization that transgender people must already face, increasing their vulnerability to mental health problems, suicidal ideas and violence ".

In a letter to the publisher of the newspaper Post-storeard of Syracuse (State of New York, USA), Jeff Wright, coordinator of the Task Force LGBTQ+ Of the Catholic Church of Ognissanti, located in the same city, it also announced that, in response to the support of the Episcopal Conference for Trump's policy, the parish is instituting "a support group that will provide a safe space of mercy and inclusion for transgender parishioners , their families and their friends.

The goal is to encourage understanding, to offer support and strengthen the sense of community within our Church, where we believe in the importance of love, acceptance without reserve and support for all people, including all the identities of type".

"We must promote rules that recognize and respect the entire spectrum of gender identities," said Wright. «We have to support transgender people in their struggle for equality, respect and dignity. And we must consider our leaders responsible for the damage that their actions cause - both political and religious leaders ».

Wright also observed that the effects of Trump's policy will be "concrete and devastating" and that this directive "cannot be admitted to the Catholic Church in the United States or all over the world".

The conception that is the basis of these directives is based on "a limited and scientifically incorrect definition that does not take into account the experiences of life and identities perceived by transgender, non -binary and intersex people", explained Wright.

Medicine and law experts have disavowed this approach to the genre, he said, because "he does not recognize the complexity and diversity of biology and human identity".

The parish of All Saints of Syracuse is a Catholic community with multiple cultural components, born from the merger of several parishes that took place a few years ago.

At least one of these parishes had long since started a LGBTQ+pastoral activity, and the parish of Ognissanti continued that activity and that awareness work, even when they welcomed the new Congolese immigrants of Syracuse.

The parish priest is Don Fred Daley, a gay priest declared that he has been carrying out reception initiatives for marginal groups for some time. He and many other lay operators in the parish have successfully worked to integrate LGBTQ+ believers and Congolese people and to help groups traditionally in conflict between them understand and accept themselves.

The parish has the only Catholic sanctuary of the nation dedicated to Father Mychal Judege, Franciscan, the gay priest who was the chaplain of the New York Fire Brigade and who died during the attacks on September 11 at the World Trade Center.

Every year, the parish confers the Father Mychal Judge Prize to people and groups who embody the values ​​of the deceased priest. In 2022 the prize was awarded to New Ways Ministry. The sanctuary was a moving statue depicting Father Judge as he was brought out of the rubble of the World Trade Center by four rescuers.

This letter to the publisher is a strong and effective way to let others know that not all Catholics support Trump's repressive policies towards LGBTQ+people, nor do they support the support offered to these policies by those who guide the US episcopal conference. The disagreement with the hierarchy of the Church in this context is not a disagreement on the doctrine, but on political choices.

In addition, the project of the community of All Saints to support people with any gender identity suffering due to these repressive measures is an extraordinary expression of authentic Christian charity and the ideals of Catholic of social justice.

New Ways Ministry He is proud to support the way this parish community has reacted in such frightening, desperate and dangerous times. May be an example for the entire Catholic Church in the United States.

*Francis Debernardo is the executive director of New Ways Ministry. He is the author of Marriage Equality: A Positive Catholic Approach. His articles appeared on The National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal, The Advocate is The American Catholic. He was the main speaker of the conference on faith and LGBTQ+ issues at the first World Pride of Rome, in Italy, in 2000.

Original text: Parish LGBTQ+ Ministry Speaks Out Against Trump's Anti-Trans Orders, AS Well As Usccb's Support of These Actions