Germany’s #OutInChurch Movement Reflects on Three Years of Activism

As it reaches its third anniversary, #OutInChurch, an initiative led by LGBTQ+ Catholics in Germany, is a growing movement within the Church calling for major steps towards LGBTQ+ inclusion. 

The movement began in January 2022, when more than 100 LGBTQ+ Catholic employees in Germany—including priests, pastoral workers, and lay ministers—came forward publicly to demand an end to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In their manifesto, the group wrote that:

The #OutInChurch logo, with the slogan “For a Church Without Fear”

Our group is diverse. It includes people who have already courageously and often alone dared to come out in the church context in the past. But it also includes people who have only now decided to take this step and those who, for various reasons, cannot or do not want to take this step yet. What unites us: We have all always been part of the church and today we help to shape and influence it. 

Most of us have had many experiences with discrimination and exclusion – even in the church. The Church’s teaching authority claims, among other things, that we are unable to build “correct relationships”  with other people, that we miss our humanity due to our “objectively disordered inclinations” and that same-sex relationships cannot be “recognized as being in line with God’s revealed plans.” 

In the light of theological-scientific and human science findings, such statements are no longer acceptable or debatable. They defame queer love, orientation, gender and sexuality and devalue our personality.

In early February, board member of #OutInChurch, Father Burkhard Hose, spoke to German news outlet Kirche + Leben. The interview discussed the demands of the organization, and the progress (or, lack thereof) that the church has made. 

Hose said there have been two major changes in recent years. The organization successfully campaigned for sexual orientation and marital status to no longer play a role in church hiring practices. They have also been successful in influencing discussions at the Syndodal Path, the German church’s recent process of discernment.. Speaking about the possibility of change in church doctrine to fully embrace LGBTQ+ Catholics, Hose said:

“I don’t see much movement on this issue. The Vatican guidelines on priestly training from 2016 still apply. People with ‘deep-seated homosexual tendencies’ may not be admitted to the priesthood. ‘Deep-seated,”‘what does that actually mean? I would like to ask heterosexual people this question with regard to their sexual orientation. In any case, there is a lot of room for interpretation. 

“. . . .Now it is up to the bishops to ensure a climate free of fear in their own dioceses and to advocate at the global church level that negative statements about queer people are completely removed from official documents and the catechism. However, I no longer expect much in this regard. The Pope ‘s comments on the subject reinforce my skepticism.”

Fr. Burkhard Hose

Still, though #OutInChurch may not express steadfast optimism in the future of the Catholic Church’s embrace of LGBTQ+ catholics, they at least have a roadmap for where they want to go in the future. Hose spoke about the need for intersectionality in their movement, as well as the dangers of working under an “authoritarian” polticial regime. Hose said: 

“On the one hand, we want to work with other queer groups that existed before #OutInChurch to address the church’s guilt. On the other hand, we need to focus more on social issues: While the past few years have been characterized by constant liberalization in social matters, we are now confronted with an authoritarian zeitgeist.”

Hose’s words echo in many countries, including the United States, where authoritarian governments have come to power.  His message should also provide some hope:  while there is still a long way to go in terms of Vatican leadership and messaging, #OutInChurch has undoubtedly created a necessary conversation within the German and global Catholic community and been met with some success.

Matthias Altmann, editor of Katholisch.de, commented on the challenges faced and successes achieved by #OutInChurch in their three years of existence:

“Thanks to #OutInChurch and others, many things have been set in motion that are no longer so easy to capture. So we can only hope that queer Catholics will not be discouraged from continuing to stand up for their cause despite all the obstacles that still exist. To do this, they also need islands within the church in which they can live out their faith. The Catholic base is often further ahead: in many places, LGBTQI believers are naturally part of the community, get involved and take on liturgical tasks. The testimony of queer believers is needed on the way to a truly inclusive church ‘for all.’”

–Elsie Carson-Holt, New Ways Ministry, February 27, 2025