I was raised a Catholic woman by two Catholic parents. I went to an all girls’, private Catholic school and I go to church every Sunday. I love God and I believe that Jesus Christ is our savior, but that doesn’t mean that I hate you if you don't.
I stand with the LGBTQ community. I believe that every person, regardless of sexual orientation, should be given all of the same rights as anyone else. I want you to be able to get married, to hold hands in public, and to be able to walk anywhere without feeling unsafe. You were born a beautiful soul and you deserve to express and be whoever your soul tells you to be. I may not be able to relate to your pain, but I can try to hinder it by telling you how much I love you, and how much God loves you. God made you who you are and surrounded you with all of the love an acceptance that you could ever need. I’m sorry that the love God has for you has been overshadowed by hate and prejudice that the world seems to speak in his name.
I stand with the freedom to choose a different religion. Whether you are a Muslim, a Hindu, a Buddhist, or even an Atheist, you are entitled to show your love for God in whichever way you choose. You should be able to walk into an airport without a “surprise” strip search waiting for you because you look a certain way, and you shouldn’t be asked to stand in the back of a store because your religious garb makes people “uncomfortable”. You should not be grouped into a different category of “suspect” and you should not be discriminated against because of how you believe in God. I’m sorry that your religion must take second priority to your safety as an American.
I stand with your ability to dress and act however you want. You are entitled to wear whatever you want, have sex whenever you want, and do whatever you want. Whether you are a goth kid or a preppy school girl, I support your decision to approach life in however you wish. You are not a sinner and you are not a devil worshipper due to your life choices. You are a human being with thoughts and feelings that are yours and yours alone to express in any way you wish. I’m sorry that society has tried to make you conform to some type of “normalcy” standard.
I am not a “bible thumper”, a “gay-hater”, a “bigot”, or an “ignorant Jesus freak”, I am a Catholic. I respect your ability to disagree with my beliefs or to not understand where I’m coming from, but God does not hate you and neither do I. I refuse to believe in a God that would create people a certain way, only to turn on them and call them sinners. God is good, I am good, and you are good.
I am a Catholic and I love you.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” ~ 1 John 4:7
