Gay Catholics Call on Bishops to Cut Ties with Official Who Linked Homosexuality to Satan

Boston, MA. Nov. 2, 2011.  Leaders of DignityUSA, the nation’s largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics and supporters, condemned the Boston Pilot’s publication of Daniel Avila’s column “Some Fundamental Questions on Same-Sex Attraction.”

Marianne Duddy-Burke, DignityUSA’s Executive Director, said, “The comments made by Mr. Avila are outrageous, and have no place in any official Catholic communication vehicle. While we appreciate his apology, both he and officials from the Archdiocese of Boston have inflicted tremendous damage on the souls and psyches of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and our families. There are still many people, both Catholic and non-Catholic, who will find validation for misguided beliefs about gay people because this material was allowed to be published in the Boston Pilot.”

Duddy-Burke continued, “We are deeply concerned that a man with such extreme beliefs remains an advisor to the US Bishops, and will still be permitted to write for the Pilot. This shows that Catholic officials are willing to go to extremes in their anti-gay campaign. The Archdiocese of Boston and the US Catholic Bishops Conference should immediately terminate their relationship with Mr. Avila.

“We appreciate the fast and vocal protest of this column by Catholics around Massachusetts and across the country. Catholics know that what Mr. Avila wrote violates a fundamental belief of our faith; that all people reflect the Divine image and are beloved by God. The people of the Church will no longer tolerate hate-speech from Church leaders.”

DignityUSA is the nation’s oldest and largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Catholics. Founded in 1969, it has members and Chapters across the United States. It is a founding member of Equally Blessed.