The Catholic Grandmother With a Powerful Message for Her Church on Gay Rights

You've got to love the people in the pews of the Catholic Church, who aren't letting institutionalized homophobia within the ranks of U.S. bishops stand unchallenged. We've seen artists in Minnesota take their Church to task for spending scads of money trying to take away rights for gays and lesbians, rather than feed the hungry or house the homeless. We've seen nuns in Illinois strike back against the institutional Church's lobbying against civil unions legislation.

And now we've got a Tennessee Catholic mother and grandmother, taking the Church to task for denying supporters of gay rights Communion. And it's some heartfelt testimony from a woman who sees the anti-gay work of her Church leaders to be nothing short of blasphemous.

"I'm a Catholic mom and a grandmother, and I wear a rainbow pin every day. I wear it to remind folks to stop the rhetoric that causes gay bullying. I wear it so that I can remind folks to treat our children with dignity," says Deb Word in the video. "I don't think being a gay activist is a bad thing."

Word created a postcard that she mailed to every Catholic bishop in the United States, urging them to stop denying gay people Communion, stop fighting efforts to pass marriage equality, stop encouraging communities to discriminate against gays and lesbians, and to open their hearts and minds and build a truly inclusive church.

Funny how people in the pews like Word are living out the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, while the hierarchy within the Church tries to shuck their obligations to build a society rooted in dignity. If only we could flip the switch and let the parishioners guide the Church for a change.

Word's postcard that she mailed contained a very simple, yet powerful message for Catholic leaders.

"The postcard reads, 'Dear bishop: I house discarded LGBT youth -- eight so far this year. I have bandaged a child who has been beaten. I've prayed over the near lifeless body of a child who attempted suicide. I house, feed, counsel and love these children ... and I remind our clergy not to tell these children they are hellbound because of their orientation," Word says, "Bishop, you might call me a gay activist, and I am. And I would ask you to join me. Do you have in your diocese a homeless shelter that reaches out to LGBT youth? Do you have non-discrimination clauses in your hiring and in your schools?"

Because if these bishops were truly practicing the breadth and depth of Catholicism, they would, because nothing is more important in the faith than loving everyone -- even those who might be your enemies -- beyond all measure.

by: Michael Jones who is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.