“The Right to Happiness”: LGBTQ+ Catholics Speak Out at Asti Pride

At Asti Pride in northern Italy last month, an LGBTQ+ Catholic group took to the main stage to speak about happiness, faith, and the right to live openly as an LGBTQ+ person of faith.

The signs say ‘God is male and female just like me. Enby Love’_ ‘There is neither slave nor free, nor male, nor female’

Il Pozzo di Sicar (Sicar’s Well), a Catholic LGBTQ+ group based in Turin, was invited by the Pride organizers not only to join the march in the parade but also to address the crowd, a sign that secular LGBTQ+ groups are recognizing the value of LGBTQ+ faith groups Il Pozzo di Sicar’s collective reflection explored the experience of reconciling faith and LGBTQ+ identity, the importance of community, and the struggle for full civil, social, and ecclesial rights. [“Sicar” is the name of the well at which Jesus meets the Samaritan woman, as told in John 4,]

Bondings 2.0’s Elisa Belotti translated their speech into English, offering a glimpse into the experience of LGBTQ+ Catholics in Italy and the communities they are building within the Church. Some of the more important excerpts follow.

The group first commented on the relevence of the festival’s theme:

“The Right to Happiness.” When we first read this year’s theme, we paused. Because that – happiness – is a word we know well not as something we have always had, but as something we have had to fight for, first within ourselves and only then in the world around us.

They discussed the early stages of forming the group which they said consists of “gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary people, and allies. Among us are people of faith, Catholics and other Christians. They found a wonderful transformation happening when they started meeting:

 “We did not find easy answers. But we found something precious: a community, about twenty people of different ages and life stories – single people, couples who have shared decades together – who, every month, sit around the same table and speak honestly with one another. We support one another, discuss things together, and pray together.”

The signs say ‘You are the light of the world, cannot be hidden’_ ‘God makes no distinctions’, ‘Consider us possible and this is enough for us to feel loved’

They noted the importance of being public about being LGBTQ+ people who are members of faith communities:

“We were also here in Asti two years ago because we believe visibility matters. Marching at Pride as openly Christian LGBTQ+ people is important for those watching from the crowd who wonder whether faith and LGBTQ+ identity can coexist, for those still trapped in silence, and for those who simply do not know that communities like ours exist.”

And followuing up on the theme of the right to happiness, the group showed what that means in real life: 

“For us, happiness is something concrete. It means being able to love openly without hiding. It means receiving the Eucharist without feeling condemned simply for existing. It means being able to say, ‘I am lesbian. I am gay. I am bisexual. I am transgender. I am queer. I am nonbinary. And I am Christian,’ without anyone asking us to choose between those identities. It means having our families recognized by law. It means no longer having to justify who we are.”

But, they could not pass over a recent tragedy:

“Before concluding, we also want to remember Mirko* and his mother Katy, who were murdered only a few days ago in an act of homophobic violence. Much has been said about them, risking even killing their memory. We want to remember Mirko like this: as someone who claimed his right to happiness. And Katy, his mother, as a woman who found her happiness in supporting her son. Never again.”

[*Mirko Moriconi was a 24-year-old gay man who, together with his mother Katy Andreoni, was shot and killed by his father in Tuscany on June 24, 2026. According to investigators, the father said that his son’s homosexuality caused him “anguish.” Mirko had previously written on social media about the pain of living with a father who, in his words, “would rather have a dead son than a gay son.”]

In conclusion, they encouraged others to join with them:

“And if anyone here today recognizes themselves in our words, if you are a believer who feels alone within the LGBTQ+ community, or an LGBTQ+ person who feels alone within your faith community, know that you are not alone. There is a place for us. Il Pozzo di Sicar is a safe space. Come visit us. Thank you. Happy Pride!”

—Elisa Belotti, New Ways Ministry, August 22, 2026