A Pro-Life Stance Must Include Respect for LGBT+ People

Pro-life means to care for the whole person, but the way it stands now, Catholics will bring the baby into the world but then throw the queer ones out with the political bathwater.

I know many Catholics view voting pro-life as a moral imperative, and voting pro-life almost always means voting Republican. Voting Republican typically means voting for someone anti-LGBT+. After all, the Catholic Church is clear: experiencing same-sex attractions is not sinful, but acting on them is. Therefore, Catholics agreeing with The Church would not support same-sex marriage. But there’s more to LGBT+ support than this big-ticket issue. Catholics must consider how their elected officials’ record impacts LGBT+ people because upholding the dignity of all human life applies to this community, too.

LGBT+ youth are a particularly vulnerable population that deserves the Church’s attention. According to a recent systematic review, “LGBT youth still experience a magnitude of mental health problems.” The Trevor Project’s 2024 survey of LGBT+ youth had 18,000 respondents, with 49% of responders ages 13-17 stating that they’d been bullied in the last year and 39% of individuals stating they’d contemplated suicide in the last year. Fifty percent of individuals said they sought out mental health services but didn’t have access.

These mental health concerns are triggered in part by the political landscape. Ninety percent of people from The Trevor Project’s survey stated that politics negatively impacted their mental health. And a 2022 study of 134 parents of transgender kids in Tennessee found a noted increase in depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation and a decreased sense of safety “as a result of anti-transgender federal, state, and local laws.” LGBT+ individuals and their family’s concerns for safety must be taken seriously because there is a link between anti-LGBT+ legislation and violent crimes.

A 2023 study examined this correlation in Texas, Idaho, Florida, Indiana, and New Hampshire between 2011 and 2022. The researcher found an association between the introduction of anti-LGBT+ legislation and an increase in hate crimes against LGBT+ individuals. The only exception was Florida, but the research notes that this state had the lowest level of violent crime reporting (only 0.3% of Florida agencies reported data to the federal government). Even Federally, as more anti-LGBT+ legislation has been proposed, anti-LGBT+ violence has also increased, with over 1,600 reported cases of violence in 2018 and over 2,000 in 2021. This increase in crime matched increasing anti-LGBT+ legislation, with 268 proposed policies proposed in 2021.

The Catechism is clear. This population is “not negligible,” and “they must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity.” The Church calls her people to work against “every sign of unjust discrimination.” And part of condemning discrimination is condemning violence. The USCCB goes on to say that the Church ought to condemn any form of harassment toward persons with a homosexual inclination and that “psychological care for adolescents who struggle with sexual attraction issues is of particular importance.”

Catholicism has often emphasized its theological stance at the expense of caring for the individual to the point that even church leaders recognize many LGBT+ individuals “feel themselves to be unwelcome and rejected.” Yet I know so many Catholics who wish this community knew that they are loved, they have infinite dignity, and they belong in The Church. For the world to believe that the Catholic Church truly loves LGBT+ individuals, her people must consider the impacts of their political representatives on their neighbors. A church that is pro-life cannot claim to promote the dignity of all individuals and simultaneously promote practices that increase the risk of suicide and violence against a population.

The work of building a Catholic culture cannot be reduced to the binary of the ballot box because no one party fully supports an authentic Catholic worldview. So, as you approach election day, remember that LGBT+ individuals are often a vulnerable population that faces unique challenges, including mental health crises and increased violence, often exacerbated by political and legislative actions. Being pro-life is more than a partisan issue—it’s a call to love and protect all of God’s children, no matter who they are or how they identify. Jesus is present in every person in need, even those we disagree with, even in the LGBT+ community. So, let this be a call to consider the impact of your vote this November.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health emergency, call 988

Contact your local, state, and federal representatives: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

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