Women and LGBTQ+ as Pilgrims of Hope

Clare Westwood writes: This was the second in a series of webinars organised by the Laudato Si' Asia - Coalition for Culture of Care, Resilience, and Ecological Justice (LSIA-CAREJ). It opened with a beautiful profound prayer for inclusivity and justice by Sr. Flora Celine from India.

The first speaker, Naureen Akhter, an activist working specifically on women's social and economic empowerment in Pakistan shared about the struggle to reclaim women's voices, authority and divine calling in a culture that often silences women in the name of religion or tradition. She cited real-life stories of "women who defeated the odds to rise up to become persons of dignity and self-respect through their resilience, courage and determination".

Sr Prema Chowallur SCC shared how she runs the Rainbow Home of Seven Sisters (RHoSS) in Guwahati, India, which she founded. RHoSS is a gender-neutral home as well as a shelter home for survivors of human trafficking and LGBTQ+ individuals. She stressed the importance of complete acceptance, compassion and journeying together with marginalised individuals to give them a safe space in their lives.

The third speaker, Ivan Fernandes, volunteers with the LGBT HIV community in Bangkok, who according to him need the same loving outreach as the lepers of Jesus' time.. He stated that hope must be rooted in encounter and advocates cultivating the "Culture of Encounter" through the "Ministry of Presence".

Ruby Almeida, based in London and a Board Member of the 'Global Network of Rainbow Catholics', shared her personal story about how she got more and more involved with Church platforms that create spaces for the LGBT community such as LBGT Catholics Westminster, Quest, the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics and Bridge and Embrace, India.

The sharing of the four speakers was enlightening and truly inspirational for all present, coming from a place of deep encounter with marginalised women and the LGBTQ+ communities in the various countries. The audience was reminded that serious challenges and bias in the Church and in society persists against the LGBTQ+ community and that it takes each and every one of us to make the conscious choice to build a world where everyone can belong and have a reason to hope.

The first of LSIA's HOPE webinar was on "Indigenous Peoples as Pilgrims of Hope". The third will be on (Small) Farmers and the last one on Youth and Children, all as Pilgrims of Hope.

The Jubilee Year of Hope was declared by the late Pope Francis as a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God. It calls us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God's gift of creation.

Clare Westwood is Co-Founder and Executive Chair, LSIA-CAREJ