“I hope that a young L.G.B.T. person will read this statement and feel supported, know they are not alone, and know that there are members of their faith community that support them.”
-Jane Clementi, mother of 18-year-old LGBTQ suicide victim
Pride Month
June is pride month, an international month of recognition and celebration for those who identify as LGBTQ+. In the U.S., 86.7% of adults say they are straight and the remaining adults say they identify as LGBTQ or do not answer the question, according to a Gallup Poll from 2021. LGBTQ youth make up 7% of youth population in the U.S. As IHMs, our Catholic tradition teaches about the intrinsic dignity of every person. We know that LGBTQ+ people are tremendously vulnerable to bullying, harassment, violence and self-harm. We are compelled by our faith to love and welcome all people.
Right now, we are concerned with the harmful legislation restricting the freedom of LGBTQ+ people in society. After Anheuser-Busch paid trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney to post a 60-second contest promotion video, conservative activists promoted the theory that major corporations are pushing a radical, pro-LGBTQ+ agenda onto the country. However, an investigation by the online newsletter Popular Information found that Anheuser-Busch donated $227,108 to anti-gay politicians since January 2022, including sponsors of anti-LGBTQ legislation in Texas and Florida as well as 29 members of Congress who received a zero rating by the Human Rights Campaign due to their records on LGBTQ+ issues.
The Human Rights Campaign says the 2023 50-state legislative sessions were the worst year on record for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
- Over 520 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures, a record;
- Over 220 bills specifically target transgender and nonbinary people, also a record;
- A record 50 anti-LGBTQ laws have been enacted this year, including:
- Laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth: 14
- Laws requiring or allowing misgendering of transgender students: 5
- Laws targeting drag performances: 2
- Laws creating a license to discriminate: 3
- Laws censoring school curriculum, including books: 4
Click here for a list of corporations who have donated to anti-gay politicians. To support our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters, use the power of your wallet and do not purchase from these companies
Did you know?
Rainbow washing is the use of rainbow imagery and other pride-related paraphernalia to disingenuously demonstrate support for the LGBTQ+ community without tangible allyship – or, worse, while actively harming the LGBTQ+ community in different ways or at other times. Join Schuyler Bailar Monday, June 12, from 6 – 8 p.m. EDT for a two-hour seminar exploring why this performative allyship is harmful, exploitative and
You may find the IHM Justice, Peace and Sustainability Office’s Web materials useful for your committee work, presentations, mission units, ministry and other educational purposes. Be sure to check out our regularly updated online resources HERE.