Participants in the Imago Dei conference to be held at the University of Dayton in 2024
Memories of the early days of the Catholic LGBTQ+ movement were evoked at a recent conference, reported by one of the pioneers of the OutSFL movement.
The conference, titled “Imago Dei,” marked the 50th anniversary of a conference called “Gay Christians,” held at the Marianist-run Bergamo Lifelong Learning Center in 1974. In a column titled “Triumphal Reflection,” author Brian McNaught, who attended both conferences, reflected on how far LGBTQ+ inclusion has come in the Catholic Church over the past 50 years.
In 1974, McNaught, who became a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion, was a reporter, copy editor and columnist for the Michigan Catholic, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Detroit, but was fired from his job after writing a column titled, “Gay or Straight, Love Is the Goal.” McNaught recalls the support he received from Sister Janine Grammick, co-founder of New Ways Ministries, who spoke out in support of McNaught at a solidarity Mass after his firing.
McNaught also reflects on the founding and beginnings of New Ways Ministries, mentioning his involvement as the keynote speaker at the organization’s first conference, and some of the challenges he and New Ways Ministries have experienced. However, he also notes the progress that has been made since 1974, stating:
“The University of Dayton, run by the Marianist Order, was the first Catholic university to invite me to speak in the early 1980s, and now the university has opened a lounge for LGBTQ students led by a transgender student.”
Celebrating the past and continuing progress in Catholic LGBTQ+ inclusion was prominent at a recent “Imago Dei” conference hosted by the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative.
Yunen Trujillo wrote about the conference for the National Catholic Reporter. Trujillo, who is also a Bondings 2.0 contributor, explained “the possibilities and limitations of developing pastoral care for LGBTQ+ people within the Roman Catholic tradition.” In addition to McNaught, two other attendees of the 1974 conference, Sister Janine Grammick and Dignity/San Francisco leader Bill Baird, also participated in the conference’s panel. Sarah Gray, executive director of the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative, said, “We are thrilled by the broad support from Catholic organizations, institutions, and religious communities, where many nuns, brothers, and priests have taken vows.”
Brian McNaught and Sr. Janine Grammick
The conference featured sessions on a variety of topics, including the intersection of race and LGBTQ+ ministry, queer ecology, ordination to transgender people, best practices for inclusive parish ministry, and the gift of non-binary children. LGBTQ+ voices were also very much heard in these sessions. Trujillo reported:
“Saturday’s activities also included a panel discussion titled ‘Celebrating LGBTQ+ People in the Church: A Response to Fiducia Supplican,’ in which married or partnered LGBTQ+ Catholics spoke about where they see God in their relationships and the special gifts that being in a same-sex couple brings to the church. Among the gifts mentioned were love, fellowship, discernment and deep spirituality.”
Brian Halderman, chair of the Marianist LGBTQ+ Initiative, explained that the conference represents a commitment to both Marianist values and Pope Francis’ commitment to encounter.
“This gathering embodies our longstanding Marianist inclusiveness and Marian welcoming attitude in all our communities and ministry activities…We work on Pope Francis’ call to encounter all people, especially those whom the Church has historically marginalized.”
From “The Gay Christian” in 1974 to “Imago Dei” in 2024, the conversation around LGBTQ+ inclusion within the Catholic Church has grown and evolved. And it will continue to do so. Individuals like Brian McNaught and Sister Janine Grammick exemplify the longstanding commitment and tenacity of all those who have fought for greater inclusion for decades, and new voices arise every day in response to the driving force of the Holy Spirit moving the Church toward justice and love.
—Phoebe Carstens (they/them), New Ways Ministry, July 29, 2024
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