Gay Short Film Showcase: Owning Our Faith – Looking at the struggle for gay Catholics

In the media it often comes across as if the gay rights struggle is essentially LGBTs vs. the Christians, but the reality is far more complex than that, with plenty of people of faith who are completely on board with gay equality, and a lot of LGBT people who whole-heartedly believe in God(s).

That includes many Catholics, who remain part of the Church even if the denomination often seems hostile to gay people (particularly in the US, which tends to be more hardline than the ‘soft’ homophobia of many European Catholic bishops). Now some gay Catholics have told their story in the documentary short Owning Our Faith, all about what it is to be LGBT and Christian.

On the film’s website the makers say: ‘In November 2014, several LGBT Catholics from the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City launched a project concerning the relationship between the Catholic Church and people of sexual and gender minorities. The goals of this project are to foster dialogue about and encourage greater inclusion and acceptance of LGBT people in the Church. In October 2014, Pope Francis convened a synod of bishops to discuss issues of the family within the Catholic Church, including the topic of homosexuality.  The Pope has encouraged ongoing conversation on these topics in preparation for the Ordinary Synod on the Family, set to take place in October 2015.

‘We want our stories to be a part of the discussion because LGBT people have unique gifts to contribute to the life of the Church. We hope the Church recognizes that God is working through our life stories. We want to inspire change that will strengthen families, encourage acceptance of LGBT people, foster an inclusive community, and promote an open and accepting dialogue among Catholics across the world. Most of all, we want everyone to know they are loved and not alone.’

Take a look at the documentary short below.

If you know a short film we ought to be posting, tell us by getting in touch via our contact page. And check out more gay short films and web series here.