Pope Francis called homosexuality laws “unjust,” said God loves all his children exactly as they are, and urged Catholic bishops who support such laws to welcome LGBTQ people into the Church. “Being homosexual is not a crime,” Francis said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. Francis acknowledged that some Catholic bishops around the world support laws that criminalize homosexuality or discriminate against the LGBTQ community, referring to homosexuality as a “sin.” He did, however, attribute those attitudes to cultural contexts and stated that bishops, in particular, must undergo a process of change to recognize the dignity of all.
“The bishop has a conversion process as well,” he added, adding that they should show “tenderness, please, tenderness, as God has with each of us.” According to The Human Dignity Trust, which works to end such laws, 67 countries or jurisdictions around the world criminalize consensual same-sex relationships, and 11 of them can or do carry the death penalty. Experts point out that even when laws are not enforced, they contribute to LGBTQ people facing harassment, stigma, and violence. Despite a 2003 Supreme Court ruling declaring anti-sodomy laws unconstitutional, more than a dozen states in the US still have them. LGBTQ rights advocates say such outdated legislation is being used to harass homosexuals and point to new rules, such as “Don’t Say Gay” in Florida, that prohibits teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity to kindergartners and third graders as evidence of ongoing efforts to marginalize LGBTQ people.
The United Nations has repeatedly called for the repeal of laws that criminalize homosexuality, stating that they violate the rights to privacy and freedom from discrimination, as well as failing to meet those countries’ obligations under international law to protect the human rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.