Tweet The Pope To Protect LGBTQ People Around The World

A world of humanity is mobilizing around the #PopeSpeakOut Twitter campaign to persuade Pope Francis to speak out against the growing tide of anti-LGBTQ laws around the globe.

The campaign launched yesterday, and we encourage our supporters who use Twitter to participate.

The campaign organizers are New Ways Ministry, The Fellowship, and a growing number of co-sponsors. It offers a positive action that people can take to respond to the dangerous new wave of anti-LGBT laws and policies in countries such as Nigeria, Russia, Uganda, India, and Jamaica.

Francis DeBernardo, the Executive Director of New Ways Ministry, said in response to this campaign:

By sending tweets to the Pope, we want to move him to speak out against these laws, many of which have been supported by Catholic leaders and people in these nations. We were amazed and gratified when Pope Francis said ‘Who am I to judge?’ Now we need a powerful, faith-based statement from Pope Francis to support the freedom and lives of our LGBTQ sisters and brothers.

Pastor Joseph Tolton, Executive Director of The Fellowship Global, said:

People of faith and hope from all traditions will tweet the Pope to urge him to make a pronouncement to the world to ‘Do no harm!’ The rising tide of draconian laws to criminalize LGBT people and their supporters allow vigilantes to rape, beat and kill people who are suspected of being LGBT with impunity. This must stop!

It will be incumbent on all of us, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, to help spread the word about the campaign so that the pontiff hears from people from all over.

We are heartened by the fact that the Papal Nuncio in Uganda was pre-disposed to reject the nation’s anti-gay bill and that Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the Archbishop of Mumbai who is one of the Pope’s closest advisors, has spoken out strongly against India’s anti-LGBTQ action.

These signs indicate that there is a good chance the Pope will, with the right encouragement, speak out as well.

The campaign has established a website, No More Triangle Nations, as a resource and headquarters for the campaign. “Triangle Nations” is a reference to the pink triangle assigned to gay men in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust.

New Ways Ministry is a 37-year old national Catholic ministry of justice and reconciliation for LGBTQ people and the wider church community and civil society.

The Fellowship Global is a partnership with circles of Christian clergy and LGBTI people in the African Diaspora to express a faith perspective supporing the social, legal, and moral inclusion of all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Here are some sample tweets that can be used:

First Russia, then Uganda, last week Nigeria, now ask @pontifex to say “No More Triangle Nations!” http://ow.ly/sSuiY #PopeSpeakOut

Ask @pontifex to call on Christians to love LGBTQ individuals, not legislate their extinction. #PopeSpeakOut

In the wake of anti-gay legislation in Nigeria & Uganda, we urge @pontifex to speak out against such unchristian prejudice #PopeSpeakOut

As Catholics, we are saddened by our fellow Christians who attack the global #LGBT community. #PopeSpeakOut

.@Pontifex As a voice for the voiceless, please publicly condemn the unjust legal discrimination of LGBTQ people! #PopeSpeakOut

This post was orginally published on New Ways Ministry; Photo via flickr user Catholic Church England and Wales