Views expressed in The Advocate’s Commentary articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of The Advocate or our parent company, Pride Media.It always seemed that there was nothing worse than growing up a closeted gay Catholic.
The religion treated you like a pariah, and I have vivid memories of watching the news during the AIDS crisis and being dumbfounded by the sit-in by ACT UP at St.
Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Cardinal John O’Connor showed no compassion, and I couldn’t understand that for the life of me.From a religion that always preached compassion, there wasn’t any.
And there was the priest abuse scandal that touched me directly, and how Catholic bishops just turned a blind eye. Is that religion?