Australian Bishop Promotes Acceptance of Gender-Diverse People

Bishop Daniel Meagher

An Australian bishop has said that gender-diverse people need to be accepted and loved, responding to a new report about the increased challenges which that community faces.

Bishop Daniel Meagher, an auxiliary for the Archdiocese of Sydney, made his comments to The Catholic Weekly for its report on a new study about mental health disorders and risks facing transgender, nonbinary, and genderfluid people. The study from researchers at Curtin University and the Australian Catholic University was recently published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence. 

Among its findings were that gender-diverse people were “up to 17 times more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder and up to 52 times more likely to have engaged in self-harm over the last year.” According to The Catholic Weekly:

“Bishop Meagher has worked among Sydney’s marginalised communities and said he had been aware of similar findings ‘for some time.’

“‘Clearly, gender diverse people have many challenges to face in life. Community acceptance is undoubtedly one,’ he said. 

“‘I hope we can find room in our hearts for compassion, respect and love. We are all children of God, hoping to find happiness and meaning in our lives.'”

Meagher’s approach seems to stem from his own ministerial experience with unhoused people and youth, including as a lead organizer of 2008 World Youth Day in Sydney. In his bio on the archdiocesan website, the bishop explained of his ministry:

“I spent a lot of time ministering to the homeless, living at Surry Hills and travelling down to parks around Central where they congregated. I also got to know a lot of people living in the housing commission areas. I am attracted to that because I find that by being close to people on the margins, I come much closer to God. I hope to continue that as Bishop.”

Such words of acceptance for transgender and nonbinary people are notable from any Catholic bishop. They are particularly positive in Sydney, however, as a counter to the archdiocese’s LGBTQ-negative leader, Archbishop Anthony Fisher. With Meagher also serving as the archdiocese’s Vicar of Education and Health, his approach might extend beyond words and impact positively ministries of the church, like Catholic schools and social service agencies, which often serve vulnerable LGBTQ+ people.

Bishop Meagher’s words are yet another example of how important direct encounter with LGBTQ+ people is for church leaders, to help transcend false ideas and instead become close with one another—and ultimately with God.

—Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, September 19, 2024