Tweet the Pope to Save LGBT People Around the World!
Pope Francis
A world of humanity is mobilizing around the #PopeSpeakOut Twitter campaign to persuade Pope Francis to speak out against the growing tide of anti-LGBT laws around the globe. The campaign is launching today! Bondings 2.0 encourages all of its readers who use Twitter to participate.
The campaign organizers are New Ways Ministry,The Fellowship Global, and a growing number of co-sponsors. It offers a positive action that people can take to respond to the dangerous new wave of anti-LGBT laws and policies in countries such as Nigeria, Russia, Uganda, India, and Jamaica.
“By sending tweets to the pope, we want to move him to speak out against these laws, many of which have been supported by Catholic leaders and people in these nations,” said Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director of New Ways Ministry. “We were amazed and gratified when Pope Francis said ‘Who am I to judge.’ Now we need a powerful, faith-based statement from Pope Francis to support the freedom and lives of our LGBT sisters and brothers.”
Pastor Joseph Tolton, Executive Director of The Fellowship Global said, “People of faith and hope from all traditions will tweet the Pope to urge him to make a pronouncement to the world to ‘Do no harm!’ The rising tide of draconian laws to criminalize LGBT people and their supporters allow vigilantes to rape, beat and kill people who are suspected of being LGBT with impunity. This must stop!”
It will be incumbent on all of us, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, to help spread the word about the campaign so that the pontiff hears from people from all over. We are heartened by the fact that the papal nuncio in Uganda was pre-disposed to reject that nation’s anti-gay bill and that Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the archbishop of Mumbai who is one of the pope’s closest advisors, has spoken out strongly against India’s anti-LGBT action. These signs indicate that there is a good chance the pope will, with the right encouragement, speak out, too.
The campaign has established a website, NoMoreTriangleNations.com, as a resource and headquarters for the campaign. “Triangle Nations” is a reference to the pink triangle assigned to gay men in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust.
New Ways Ministry is a 37-year old national Catholic ministry of justice and reconciliation for LGBT people and the wider church community and civil society.
The Fellowship Global is a partnership with circles of Christian clergy and LGBTI people in the African Diaspora to express a faith perspective supporing the social, legal, and moral inclusion of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Bondings 2.0 will keep you updated on the campaign, the pope’s response, and on Catholic influence in “triangle nations” as they develop.
Here are some sample tweets that can be used:
First Russia, then Uganda, last week Nigeria, now ask @pontifex to say “No More Triangle Nations!” http://ow.ly/sSuiY #PopeSpeakOut
Ask @pontifex to call on Christians to love LGBTQ individuals, not legislate their extinction. #nomoretrianglenations
.@Pontifex Urge heads of state to respect human dignity. NO MORE TRIANGLE NATIONS! #PopeSpeakOut
In the wake of anti-gay legislative measures made in #Nigeria & #Uganda, we urge @pontifex to speak out against such unchristian prejudice
As Catholics, we are saddened by our fellow Christians who attack the global #LGBT community. We will speak out, join us and share.
.@Pontifex As a voice for the voiceless please publicly condemn anti-gay laws! #PopeSpeakOut
.@Pontifex Please condemn Uganda’s anti-gay bill as you defend human rights for all! #PopeSpeakOut
.@Pontifex Please urge Nigeria to stop arresting gay and trans people! Please save lives! #PopeSpeakOut
.@Pontifex Stop the unjust legal discrimination of gay/lesbian/trans people. Speak out against anti-gay laws around the world #PopeSpeakOut
.@Pontifex Call Christians around the world to love gay people not legislate their extinction #PopeSpeakOut
–Bob Shine , New Ways Ministry
I am not on Twitter, but I pray the Pope can understand that homosexuality is not a choice or a sickness to be cured. It is painful to read of the hatred and violence around the world by people who do not understand.
Thank you for this article.
Please could you clear up an issue for me – has the pope spoken out at all about these Uganda or any of the other countries?
I would greatly appreciate a reply.
To our knowledge,the pope has not said anything about the Uganda law or any other anti-gay law.
I am the mother of a gay son and I believe the Catholic Church must ensure that homosexual humans are treated with love and respect and welcomed unconditionally in our church just the way they were created by their loving Creator. We need Pope Francis to take the lead in ensuring this happens.