“I trust you” Booklet Serves as Aid to Vigils Against Homophobia and Transphobia

In Italy, annual prayer Vigils for overcoming homophobia and transphobia have been taking place since 2007, and similar initiatives exist internationally as well. These events are ecumenical moments of prayer where Catholics gather alongside other Christian denominations to reflect, pray, and take responsibility for actively opposing violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. In 2026 the Italian vigils will use a booklet Mi fido di te (“I trust You”) written by Bondings 2.0’s Elisa Belotti.

The prayer vigils for overcoming homophobia and transphobia were born in Italy in 2007, thanks to the initiative of Kairos, an LGBTQ+ Catholic group in Florence. The local community reacted to the suicide of a gay teenager, who had experienced homophobic bullying by classmates. That year, people gathered to pray against violence and discrimination in 14 Italian cities, starting a movement that would go on to take on larger dimensions.

Since 2007, the number of cities involved has grown constantly. In 2025, there were events in dozens of cities in Italy and also in Malta, Spain, Poland and Switzerland. The events are usually held in May, close to the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), which this year is Sunday, May 17, 2026.

La Tenda di Gionata (Jonathan’s Tent), an Italian network of LGBTQ+ Catholic people, coordinates the vigils, publishing specific prayer booklets which they adapt for different Christian denominations. This year, they will be distributing Mi fido di te. At the same time, the association organizes meetings for volunteers and pastoral workers, recounting real experiences and sharing stories of how the vigils have transformed the relationships between faith and inclusion, providing direct and practical support.

Every year, a verse from Scripture becomes the prayer vigils’ motto. An ecumenical and interconfessional commission proposes an initial selection, and then an online vote chooses the one that most resonates with LGBTQ+ people of faith. In 2026, Isaiah 43:1 was chosen: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name.”

The Vigils’ ecumenical committee explains the selection: 

“It’s not a random choice. In that chapter, the prophet Isaiah speaks to people who are tired and dispersed, struck by fear. And God does not begin with a reproach, but with a caress: ‘Do not fear.’ It is a Word that does not deny pain, but passes through it. A Word that does not erase the wounds, but calls them by name. And immediately afterwards He adds: ‘I called you by name.’ Not by category. Not by label. Not by moral definition. By name.

“For many LGBTQ+ people, fear was – and sometimes still is – a constant presence: fear of being rejected, […] of not finding space in Christian communities, of having to choose between faith and self-truth. In this context, Isaiah’s verse sounds like a promise that puts things back in their place: God’s love comes before all conditions.”

Belotti’s book, which will be distributed to all the gatherings in Italy, abroad, and is also available online, is structured in two parts. The first part collects testimonies from Italian LGBTQ+ Catholics of different ages and life paths. For example, participants will read about Tiziano, a gay man who was previously married to a woman and has a child; Daniela, a demisexual and pansexual woman who, after a marriage with a man, had a relationship with a trans woman; Lorenzo, a young man who was preparing to enter the seminary but was dismissed because of his gay sexual orientation; Alessandra, who realized she is a trans woman and came out to her wife after years of marriage; and Luisa, an activist and the mother of a trans and bisexual son. Their stories reflect both their personal journeys and their encounters with support networks, highlighting the importance of recognition, care, and community.

The second part features contributions from experts. For example: Alessandra Bialetti, an education expert and family counselor, reflects on how homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia affect self-recognition even before coming out; Maria Luisa Berzosa González, a Catholic nun, claims the importance of LGBTQ+ pastoral care for the whole Catholic Church; and Daniela Di Carlo, a Waldensian pastor, offers a perspective from Protestant denominations. The book also includes a foreword by the psychologist Laura Ricci on identity development and coming out.

The publication also focuses on a support service called “Mi fido di Te” , which offers a first point of welcome for LGBTQ+ people and their families who are in struggle or in need of help. Trained volunteers listen and accompany them, then connect them with psychologists, family counselors, or pastoral workers, depending on their needs.

This book’s publication was supported by the Cornerstone 2 Project, an initiative financed by Eight per Thousand to the Waldesian Church, an Italian law under which taxpayers devolve 0.8% of a taxpayer’s  annual income tax can be sent to an organized religion recognized by the government. The book  was also supported by the Faith, Gender and Sexuality Commission of the Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches and by the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (GNRC).

—Francis DeBernardo, New Ways Ministry, April 14, 2026