LGBT

Appreciation: Nickie Valdez died Dec. 25 at her home in San Antonio at the age of 80. She was passionate about making a home within the Catholic Church for LGBTQI people.

Commentary: When we only talk about the pope, we forget about the struggles that grassroots LGBTQ Catholics face showing up to Mass every Sunday.

Dominican Sr. Luisa Derouen, one of the speakers in the three-part series, said she believes most priests don't intend to harm trans people. She wants to be a resource for any priests — or other Catholics — who want to learn to support their trans community members.

Ashlie Langlinais was fired in July from her position as head women's basketball coach at St. Dominic Savio High School in Austin, Texas. She said she had to follow the advice she had given to students: advocate.

Advocates say that a worrying wave of religious exemptions to anti-discrimination laws have left many LGBT employees vulnerable. Catholic institutions, while affirming of LGBT members, seem to draw a line when it comes to marriage.

We say: The church owes Archbishop John Wester and Bishop Steven Biegler a debt of gratitude for going on the record against anonymous accounts that claim Pope Francis called Jesuit Fr. James Martin to task over his ministry to LGBT Catholics.

Two high school teachers who were reportedly forced to resign now join a group of nearly 100 employees who have lost their jobs at Catholic institutions in the last 13 years because of LGBT issues.

A Los Angeles County Catholic high school has made headlines after a teenage girl told BuzzFeed News that school administrators disciplined her and forced her into counseling for being gay.