Equally Blessed applauds Maryland's Catholic governor

MARCH 1—Equally Blessed, a coalition of Catholic groups that support equality for LGBT people in the church and wider society, released this statement today on the signing of marriage equality legislation in the state of Maryland:

"We are deeply gratified that Governor Martin O’Malley has joined fellow Catholic governors Andrew Cuomo of New York and Christine Gregoire of Washington in signing marriage equality legislation into law.

Equally Blessed: George "insensitive, out of touch" in likening LGBT movement to Klan

Members of Equally Blessed, a coalition of four Catholic groups that work on behalf of equal treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people within the church and the wider society, released this statement regarding remarks in which Cardinal Francis George of Chicago expressed fears that the LGBT movement would “morph” into the Ku Klux Klan and persecute Catholics:

Equally Blessed presents bishops with anti-bullying petition

BALTIMORE, November 17, 2011— The Equally Blessed coalition on Monday presented the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops with a petition signed by more than 1,700 U. S. Catholics urging the conference to take a firm public stand against anti-gay bullying. The bishops have previously made no statement on this issue.

More than 90 percent of US Catholics back rights for transgender people

WASHINGTON, D. C., November 8, 2011--The majority of American Catholics disagree with the teachings of their bishops on sexual issues so often that it is a wonder that the news media continues to speak of the Catholic Church’s position on a given issue when what they really mean is the position of the Catholic hierarchy.

The Catholic hierarchy's problem with women--and Girl Scouts

By Marianne T. Duddy-Burke

I was a Girl Scout. My daughter is a Girl Scout. As Catholics, we are stunned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ decision to investigate an organization that we both deeply love.

Pelosi, theologians, lay Catholics: support marriage equality

By Francis DeBernardo

The message that American Catholics support marriage equality is one that cannot be emphasized or repeated enough. Since the Catholic bishops oppose marriage equality so vocally and vociferously, it is important to keep reminding people that the hierarchy’s position is not reflective of the Catholic population. Some recent news stories highlight this fact.

The Renegade

Across the street from my home in Mount Rainier, Maryland, is a white three-story house with a wooden sign hanging next to its front door that reads, “NEW WAYS MINISTRY.” The house is among the quietest on the block, with its blinds drawn nearly all year round. Its residents are a couple of very friendly Catholic nuns and a quarrelsome pair of cats.

MSNBC profiles Catholic LGBT advocates

Two prominent Catholic LGBT advocates spoke with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell about the growing disconnect between the Roman Catholic hierarchy and everyday Catholics in America who support LGBT people. The segment was one of the most in-depth media discussions of this issue in recent times. Sister Jeannine Gramick of New Ways Ministry and Jeff Stone of Dignity USA reacted to recent anti-LGBT actions taken by the Roman Catholic hierarchy despite the fact that a growing majority of Catholics support LGBT people.

Letter to Knights of Columbus leaders on National Organization for Marriage

Recently, official documents from the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) have revealed how this group has been actively attempting to create divisions between the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community and communities of color in order to reach its goal of denying the right to marry to same-gender couples.

Letter to Cardinal Dolan regarding the National Organization for Marriage

March 29, 2012

Cardinal Timothy Dolan
Archbishop of New York
President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 Fourth Street NE
Washington DC 20017-1194

EQUALLY BLESSED

Faithful Catholics committed to full equality for LGBT people in the church and civil society