{"id":935103,"date":"2025-04-21T16:05:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T20:05:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/?p=935103"},"modified":"2025-04-21T16:05:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T20:05:12","slug":"lgbtq-leaders-talk-pope-francis-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glaad.org\/lgbtq-leaders-talk-pope-francis-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"LGBTQ Leaders Talk Pope Francis\u2019 Legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, April 21, 2025, Pope Francis passed away. Pope Francis has repeatedly<\/a> urged acceptance of LGBTQ people and considered how best the Roman Catholic Church can support and minister to them.<\/p>\n

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis <\/strong>said<\/a>: \u201cPope Francis was a transformational leader who included LGBTQ people in historic ways. Having had the honor of meeting with Pope Francis twice, I witnessed first-hand his dedication to make a Church for all, not just some. His principles of empathetic listening, inclusion, and compassion are exactly what this divided world needs right now. When Pope Francis spoke out against the act of criminalizing LGBTQ people and when he famously spoke \u2018who am I to judge,\u2019 he created an example of unity that faith and civil leaders should follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2023, and 2024, Pope Francis met with GLAAD staff, LGBTQ advocates from Uganda and Ghana-where the LGBTQ community is being targeted by anti-LGBTQ legislation, and transgender people, including transgender actress Nava Mau. Mau spoke about the meeting at this year\u2019s GLAAD Media Awards: \u201c(Pope Francis) told us he wishes us all the love and success we desire, and he told us that we should keep fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A post shared by GLAAD (@glaad)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n