US bishops tell LGBT youth: 'God created you, God loves you'

Source: Tyler Clementi Foundation

A group of Catholic church leaders, including a cardinal, an archbishop and several bishops, have sent the following message of support to a foundation established to defend young LGBT people from bullying both on and offline. They write:

As Catholic Bishops in the United States, we join with the Tyler Clementi Foundation in standing up for at-risk LGBT youth in our country.

As we see in the Gospels, Jesus Christ taught love, mercy and welcome for all people, especially for those who felt persecuted or marginalized in any way; and the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that LGBT people are to be treated with "respect, compassion and sensitivity."

All people of goodwill should help, support, and defend LGBT youth; who attempt suicide at much higher rates than their straight counterparts; who are often homeless because of families who reject them; who are rejected, bullied and harassed; and who are the target of violent acts at alarming rates.

The Catholic Church values the God-given dignity of all human life and we take this opportunity to say to our LGBT friends, especially young people, that we stand with you and oppose any form of violence, bullying or harassment directed at you.

Most of all, know that God created you, God loves you and God is on your side.

Signed

Cardinal Joseph W Tobin
Archbishop John C Webster
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton (retired)
Bishop Robert McElroy
Bishop Edward Weisenburger
Bishop John P Dolan
Bishop Denis Madden (retired)
Bishop John Stowe
Bishop Steven Beigler
Bishop Ricardo Ramirez (retired)

The Tyler Clementi Foundation was set up in memory of a student who committed suicide in New York at the age of 18, after his room mate circulated an image of him online kissing another boy. The foundation works to end online and offline bullying in schools, workplaces, and faith communities. For more information see: https://tylerclementi.org/