Political and LGBTQ+ Leaders Continue to Weigh Francis’ Legacy

Political leaders and LGBTQ+ activists around the globe have weighed in on  Pope Francis’ legacy concerning LGBTQ+ issues.  Some leaders in LGBTQ+ advocacy have asserteed that although Francis’ shifts in approach were appreciated, and even beneficial, the Church’s structures remain too compromised by prejudice to warrant pat-on-the-back eulogies for Francis. Despite detractors, others, includingseveral leaders from Africa, have reflected on the significance of the late pope’s condemnation of legal discrimination against LGBTQ+ persons.

Leo Varadkar met Pope Francis during the pope’s visit to Ireland in 2018.

The former Taoiseach [Prime Minister] of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, a married gay man, praised Francis’ stance on criminalization:

“I think the way he reached out to groups like ours, like LGBT people, did matter and certainly made me feel more comfortable going to church services. One thing he did, which I think was significant, was he spoke out against criminalisation of gay and lesbian people. 

“In Ireland, it’s easy to forget that while there are 30 countries where gay people can get married, there are 70 where it’s still a crime. For the Pope to speak out against that in places like Africa, is actually a real significance – and bear in mind, at the moment, in politics around the world there are people who claim that God is on their side while they try to reduce the rights of LGBT people, while they try to treat migrants badly, while they try to deny climate action. Having a pope, the head of the largest Christian church, saying that refugees should be sheltered, saying that our planet was sick and that we needed to act to save it, saying that LGBT people should not be criminalised, that that did matter. I do hope that his successor is of a similar mind.”

Ebenezer Peegah, director of the LGBTQ+ rights group RIghtify Ghana, and Pope Francis.

African activists working to decriminalize homosexuality issued similar statements in the wake of Francis’ death.  76 Crimes, a website which monitors LGBTQ+ criminalization laws, collected several of them, including one from Ebenezer Peegah, executive director of the LGBTQ rights advocacy group Rightify Ghana, stated:

“Meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican in August 2024 remains one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. Receiving gifts from him was not just an honour, but a deeply personal reminder of his humility and grace—a memory I’ll always hold close.

“His passing. . . is a profound loss. Pope Francis was a beacon of progressive leadership in the Church—tirelessly advocating for the poor, the marginalized (includingLGBTQI+ persons), and the vulnerable. He championed climate justice, spoke truth to power, and never shied away from confronting inequality and systemic injustice.

“Rest in peace, Pope Francis. Your voice, your compassion, and your courage will continue to inspire generations.”

Anglo-Nigerian LGBTQ rights advocate the Rev. Jide Rebirth Macaulay stated:

“Rest in Peace, Pope Francis. With deep respect and sorrow, I honour the passing of a global spiritual leader whose courageous voice echoed across boundaries. Pope Francis dared to open the doors wider for LGBTIQ people in the Church, reminding us that “Who am I to judge?” His papacy offered a glimmer of hope toward inclusion, compassion, and human dignity. May his soul rest in peace, and may his legacy of love and justice continue to inspire us all.” 

In a Time magazine assessment of Francis’ “complicated, but undeniable” impact on the LGBTQ+ community, historian and religion professor, Richard Balm surveys reactions from community leaders over the 12 years of Francis’ pontificate.

Peter Tatchell

He quotes Richard Zaldivar, founder and executive director of Wall Las Memorias Project, who says that Fiducia Supplicans [the 2023 Vatican document approving blessings for people in same-gender relationships] is “huge for the LGBTQ+ community”. Yet other voices attest to the “complicated” portion of Balm’s thesis. With long-time UK LGBTQ+ activist Peter Tatchell telling GCN.ie: 

“For millions of LGBT+ people globally, the Catholic Church remains a force for discrimination and suffering. Under his leadership, the Vatican continued to oppose same-sex marriage and trans rights. Catholic bishops lobbied against the decriminalisation of homosexuality in many parts of the world. The Vatican still upholds the homophobic edicts of the Catechism, which denounces the sexual expression of same-sex love as a ‘grave depravity’ and ‘intrinsically disordered.’

“Francis’s legacy is, therefore, a mixed one — offering some progress but leaving deep-rooted inequalities largely intact.”

Outhouse, a Dublin-based LGBTQ+ community center,  published this statement after Francis’ death on its Instagram account: 

“We acknowledge the passing of Pope Francis, whose papacy marked a shift towards greater dialogue and openness, including steps—however limited—towards the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people.

“His words, ‘Who am I to judge?’, signaled a tone of welcome that is yearned for by many in our community. While deep injustices remain, his papacy offered glimpses of a more compassionate Church, one that, at times, under his leadership, seemed to recall its own call to mercy, justice, and the dignity of every person.”

However, even this measured praise met with backlash from Insta commenters, prompting Executive Director Oisín O’Reilly, to reply  with an explanation for how he had tried to balance — much like Francis himself — the high feelings of Outhouse’s constituents:

“Our statement aimed to reflect on a papacy that brought small signs of change, while holding firm to the truth that injustice remains, and that we need a better future. But I know for some, that balance didn’t feel like enough. For some, it felt like a silence in the place where pain should be named.

“So let me say this clearly: there is nothing in any faith that should justify telling a person they are wrong for who they are. There is nothing loving in erasure and exclusion. There is no dignity in being asked to hide.

“LGBTQ+ people deserve to be safe. We deserve to be seen. And we deserve to be celebrated.

“And for those who are queer and people of faith, your existence challenges the false divide between spirituality and queerness. You carry both love and struggle in ways the world too often refuses to acknowledge. Your faith is valid. Your place in our community is not up for debate.”

– Jeromiah Taylor, New Ways Ministry, May 1, 2025