Tips of a Catholic transgender woman for LGBT+ people in these difficult times

Article by Danielle Koutsoufis* published on the website of Outreach (USA) on February 18, 2025, freely translated by Diego de La Tenda di Gionata

For many in the LGBTQ community, the consequences of the presidential elections have been the cause of anxiety. I include myself in this category. The harmful rhetoric aimed at transgender people throughout the election campaign cycle has certainly triggered anxiety and fear for my well -being and my ability to continue existing in the world.

Although I live in the solid blue bastion of Massachusetts "(it refers to the fact that the massachusset in the elections expresses preferences for democratic ndt candidates), where the transgender rights are sanctioned by the law of the Commonwealth, I started to worry about the different ways in which My life could have been influenced by the new presidential administration: what will be the status of my passport? And my social security benefits earned? Could the congress approve laws that limit access to gender affirmation care at national level?

Anxiety made me precipitate in a negative spiral.

But looking at the figures of my faith and imagining them falling into my reality, I managed to avoid desolation, which could be considered a natural reaction to such a constant flow of apparently threatening news.

The study of the works and life of St. Thomas Aquinas, the thirteenth century theologian, for example, has sometimes been lived and other times exasperating. Like anyone who is Catholic and member of the LGBTQ community knows that Tommaso d'Aquino's theology and his trust in the "natural law" have sometimes been used by some Catholics to denigrate the experiences experienced by LGBTQ people and to oppose pastoral assistance to the LGBTQ community.

However, the works of Tommaso d'Aquino, like the Summa Theologiae and the Summa Contra GentilesThey contain an incalculable number of intuitions on the faith that speak to me, such as Catholic Transgender.

St. Thomas Aquinas is a giant of Catholic spirituality, not only for his writings, but for his personal holiness and, which is particularly significant for me, for his mystical experiences. In 1273, Tommaso d'Aquino was praying in front of a crucifix in a chapel of the Dominican convent of Naples when he began to levitate and receive what many spiritual writers call the "gift of tears".

Christ appeared to D'Aquino and said to him: «Tommaso, you wrote well of me. What would you like how to reward? ». St. Thomas replied to Christ: "nothing but you, Lord".

In another experience, in December 1273, before hers Summa Theologiae It had ended, Tommaso d'Aquino experienced an unusually long ecstasy while celebrating mass. After recovering and ending the mass, Tommaso d'Aquino refused to write or further dictate to complete the Summa.

His scribe, Reginaldo, pointed out to Tommaso d'Aquino how close to finish his biggest work. Tommaso d'Aquino replied simply and humbly: "The end of my labors came. Everything I wrote seems to be only straw after the things that have been revealed to me ». Tommaso died three months later at the age of 49.

This incredible expression of humility reminded me of a quote from CS Lewis. Lewis said: "Humility is not to think less than yourself, rather, humility is to think less about yourself. '

This definition of humility is a perfect exegesis of John 15:13: "Nobody has a greater love than this: giving his life for his friends". With these words, taken from the "Discourses of the Last Supper", Jesus not only prefigures the imminent crucifixion, but provides us with a model on how to conduct our lives.

So what does it mean to give life for a friend? How are we called to give life? Do we literally meet earthly death if we have the opportunity? A literal interpretation of John 15,13 could indicate it.

As a firefighter, I am deeply aware of the implications of this verse of writing. On November 13, 2019, in WoCester, Massachusetts, the Lieutenant of the Fire Brigade Jason Menard performed a last deck deck act: he pushed his team out of a window while the conditions worsened quickly in a domestic fire. His team has survived with burns. Lieutenant Menard no.

In a perhaps more known example of the sacrifice of one's life, on 11 September 2001 the spiritual assistant of the New York City firefighters, Mychal Judge, ofst, who was a member of the LGBTQ community, replied to the call to Ground Zero. He was killed when the first Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, struck by the fall of debris.

Father Mychal is listed as a victim n. 001 in the official reports of the terrorist attacks of 11 September. The last act of Father Mychal on this land was accompanying the firefighters, the policemen and victims of that day horrendous, without any regard for their well -being.

Of course, the sacrifices of Lieutenant Jason Menard and Father Mychal Judge are extreme examples of how to live according to John 15,13. We hope that neither you nor we will ever be called to live at that level of sacrifice.

Instead, I argue that, in place of a literal sacrifice of our earthly lives, we can make a sacrifice in the form of accompanying the oppressed, the sick, the prisoners, the poor, the immigrants, the vulnerables and those who suffer or are persecuted in any way.

I find myself wondering, in the current moment, where will we go from here on? The answer is in the accompaniment. A myriad of issues concern the LGBT community and often these issues intersect with issues of social justice, such as poverty and racism. Like Catholics LGBTQ we are in a unique position to accompany others in their moments of need.

The LGBTQ Catholics suffered at the hands of our Church. We could also immediately have the anger of a family that does not accept us. We may have undergone discrimination in the workplace.

I tell people that, even if I find myself in a good moment of my life, with all the trash that I had to face during my transition, I would not wish anyone, not even to my worst enemy, to be transgender.

I lost intimate friends, I crossed a painful divorce and I immediately hatred and transfobia in public. The journey of the transition is often turbulent since the coming out process that we undertake seems to last life.

But, considered as a whole, the totality of our experiences such as LGBTQ Catholics is what makes us so well positioned to accompany others with humility and love.

Even if we need to support and accompany ourselves, we are unable to check if and how someone will accompany us. Instead, what we can control is the support that we give to those who suffer. So where is our moment to be Simone Di Cirene? What are we going to do to help?

LGBTQ Catholics know what it means to suffer and, although the situation of each person is different, we can share empathy with those who are fighting. This does not mean thinking less than ourselves, but thinking less to ourselves.

The accompaniment is the supreme act of humility. It is, as Tommaso d'Aquino wanted, to desire only Christ as our reward, like Christ who has given himself to die on the cross to ensure our salvation. The accompaniment is altruistic and pure.

The next four years could be difficult for us Catholics LGBTQ. They will also be difficult for countless others. Which better gift can be done to those who suffer if not the gift of our altruistic suffering?

Like Simone Di Cirene, who was forced by the Romans to help Jesus to bring the cross, our lives are not ours. Our lives belong to God, and to give our lives in humility to relieve the suffering of another is the greatest gift that we could do each other.

I undermine the LGBTQ Catholics, regardless of where we live, to actively participate in the life of your parish. For those who belong to parishes with active LGBTQ pastorals, join.

But also participate in other initiatives of the parish. Offer yourself as music ministers. Serve as readers. Serve as Eucharistic ministers. Volunteer in a canteen for the poor. Do something. Anything. And in everything, make sure to act with humility.

The safest way to ensure the survival and well -being of LGBTQ people in the coming years is actively participating and affirming our place as members of the body of Christ.

*Danielle Koutsoufis is a transgender woman who serves her community as a firefighter and as minister of music and singer in the archdiocese of Boston.

Original text: A Transgender Catholic's Advice for LGBTQ People in Tough Times