New Indianapolis-based Catholic group looks to support LGBTQ youth in schools

When the new Indianapolis-based nonprofit group Catholic Allies sought advice from Catholic school educators on how to create a more inviting environment for LGBTQ+ youth, educators had plenty to say. But none attached their name to the tips provided.

Educators said they feared they could get fired for speaking openly about a topic often taboo in Catholic schools – sexuality and LGBTQ+ issues.

“I need to be here for these kids,” one of the statements read. “I need to help show them that they aren't broken and nothing is wrong with them.”

Catholic Allies aims to bring together Catholic school alumni and current Catholic school families to create a more open and accepting environment for LGBTQ+ youth. The group has already seen rapid growth in support since starting in the fall of last year.

Catholic Allies' leaders had already decided to create the group when one Indianapolis Catholic school came under fire last year for promoting a conversion therapy speaker. The group formed as Indianapolis Catholic Schools face high-profile lawsuits regarding educators fired over their same-sex marriages. More recently Pope Francis has signaled a shift in the Vatican's attitudes towards homosexuality. Earlier this month, he said that while same-sex relationships are sinful, laws that criminalize homosexuality are "unjust."

Indianapolis Catholic schools serve the second largest amount of K-12 students in the county with a little over 20,000 students in the 2020-2021 school year, just behind the Indianapolis Public Schools district which serves over 22,000 students.

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Who is Catholic Allies?

The group was formed by two 2003 Bishop Chatard High School graduates, Danielle Wiese and Kate Berry, after wanting to start conversations in their own homes about how they can better support LGBTQ+ youth in the Catholic community.

Wiese and Berry are working mothers who created the group after hearing their friends in the Catholic community say they want to have more of these conversations.

“Our mission has been let's get enough people involved to say that they believe in respect, compassion, sensitivity for the LGBTQ community so that we can shift the culture,” Wiese told IndyStar. “Because just having that, shifts the culture itself.”

At the group's second in-person meeting earlier this month, around 300 people gathered in the ballroom of the former Northside Knights of Columbus building to hear from four speakers about either their own experiences living as a gay person in the Catholic community or how to better support LGBTQ+ youth.

Wiese says the response to the group in the Catholic community has been “overwhelmingly positive” and she's surprised by how many support their cause.

“It feels like everybody was just waiting for an opportunity to start this conversation," Wiese said.

Eli Aldrich, a current Brebeuf Jesuit High School student and the executive director of Shelly’s Voice, a youth advocacy group that trains youth in advocating for LGBTQ+ causes, attended the recent meeting and said he too was excited to see so much support.

“It makes me so happy to see that we have moms, parents and older siblings from within who are willing to fight for our cause because it matters so much, especially from within this space,” Aldrich told IndyStar.

What are the goals for Catholic Allies?

The leaders of Catholic Allies do not claim to have any connection to the Archdioceses of Indianapolis and say their goal is not to change church doctrine or challenge personal beliefs.

However, the group wants to encourage more Catholic schools to create safe spaces and encourage discussion that promotes inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ+ youth in an age-appropriate way and within the framework of the catechism.

The Catholic Allies leaders point to section 2358 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church which says LGBTQ populations “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity,” the catechism says. “Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.”

Now, Wiese says the goals of the group have expanded slightly since a slew of new bills has been introduced in the Indiana legislature this session that target transgender rights.

“We’re trying to make sure that the climates in our schools and in our state, as all this legislation is happening, stays a place that is welcoming to the LGBTQ community,” Wiese said.

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The group has created an anonymous drop box where educators can share their thoughts and reach out to the group with any questions they have.

Wiese said now they are working on trying to get smaller groups formed in parishes across Indianapolis to continue having conversations about how to best support LGBTQ+ youth. The group has organized gatherings during mass at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and hopes to do that in other parishes.

What is the Archdiocese's reaction?

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis said in a statement to IndyStar that it is aware of the group but that the group is "improperly identifying itself as a Catholic organization" and is not endorsed by the Catholic Church.

“To be clear, as a core value of Catholic teaching, our Catholic schools promote the dignity of every person as created in the image of God,” the statement said. “Every human being is sacred, and, therefore, deserving of respect and dignity.”

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Wiese said the group has tried to get reassurance from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis that Catholic school educators would not lose their jobs if they attended their events, but hasn’t received any response back.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis did not respond to questions about Catholic school educators being fired if they attended the group’s events.

The spokesperson also said in an email that Catholic high schools provide support “for students who are discerning their sexual orientation and/or gender expression.”

The Archdiocese did not respond to follow-up questions asking what specific supports they provide students.

Shelly Fitzgerald, the former Roncalli High School guidance counselor who was fired over her same-sex marriage, attended the recent meeting and said she is hopeful that the work will produce a change in the Indianapolis Catholic community.

“Their message and their mission are the same as my personal mission,” Fitzgerald told IndyStar. “And that is everyone deserves a seat at the table.”

Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy. 

Caroline’s work is supported by Report for America and Glick Philanthropies. As part of its work in Marion County, Glick Philanthropies partners with organizations focused on closing access and achievement gaps in education. 

Report for America is a program of The GroundTruth Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening local newsrooms. Report for America provides funding for up to half of Caroline’s salary during her time with us, and IndyStar is fundraising the remainder.  

To learn more about how you can support IndyStar’s partnership with Report for America and to make a donation, visit indystar.com/RFA.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy Catholic group looks to support LGBTQ youth in schools