This Catholic Leader Had the Perfect Message for Parents of Transgender Children

Deacon Ray Dever of St. Paul Catholic Church in Tampa, Florida.
Source: Facebook

By Matt Essert
19 hours ago

Following the recent tragic death of Leelah Alcorn — the transgender 17-year-old who committed suicide hours after posting a painful farewell message — and her mother's response, there's been increased attention within the religious community on LGBT issues.

Many might assume that the Church would view LGBT people negatively. But one Catholic deacon had smart words on how to treat transgender people and children: Love them.

Deacon Ray Dever of St. Paul Catholic Church in Tampa, Florida, wrote a personal essay on the topic and discussed his family's experience with having a transgender child. The essay was posted Dec. 28 to coincide with the celebration of the Holy Family — made up of Jesus, Mary and Joseph — but also to address comments like those in Alcorn's letter saying that her parents' devout religious beliefs meant they would not support their transgender child.

The essay was posted on the New Ways Ministry blog and is worth a read in its entirety, but some key passages stood out. Dever talks about having his son come out as transgender while studying as a sophomore at Georgetown University just a few weeks after Pope Francis famously said on the topic of gay people, "Who am I to judge?"

http://mic.com/articles/107654/this-catholic-priest-had-the-perfect-message-for-parents-of-transgender-children

http://newwaysministryblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/28/lgbtq-children-in-catholic-families-a-deacons-view-of-holy-family-sunday/