My Advocacy Video to the USCCB/Catholic Church

Last updated on: January 28, 2023 at 1:43 pm by Julie Nichols

My Advocacy Video to the USCCB/Catholic Church 2023-01-28T13:43:06-06:00 Julie Nichols

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For many years, in concurrent service with my private practice as an Academic Language Therapist, I have served in positions of advocacy within the specialized credentialing I hold. My areas of specialized credentialing are Autism, Dyslexia, Cognition, and LGBTQIA+ Inclusion in Healthcare. Due to my parental experiences and then working in religious trauma recovery part-time just over the last 2 years, adding an LGBTQIA+ Inclusion in Healthcare credential is serving clients better within my profession. Mainly, the Neurodivergent children, youth, and young adults I serve are much more likely to experience variations in gender and sexuality. It’s science. LGBTQIA+ issues are not about sexual activity but about life and death.

Coming to these understandings has required me to admit I am wrong about some matters related to the LGBTQIA+ spectrum of psychology. Even the medical community issued a letter of apology to LGBTQIA+ people and their families not long ago. As I have stated many times, the LGBTQIA+ spectrum of psychology is not a disability spectrum but indeed a true spectrum of psychology, not a “gay agenda” or someone’s “personal choice.” Then I am asked, “Well, what about a life of celibacy?” Science shows that most people are incapable of a life of celibacy without lasting psychological damage or even death.

In this video link below, I am submitting it to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) because aligning pastoral ministry with current science is life and death. As I state in the video, Church teaching should be a guardrail, not a weapon to endanger and harm others. I do not believe that an all-knowing and loving God would want anyone or any church to apply doctrine as a weapon to endanger or harm someone else’s life. This is exactly what has been occurring in certain parts of the Catholic Church. Some parts have reconciled, while other parts haven’t. The longer the unreconciling parts theologically debate this issue, “going round and round” and not align with current science, the longer these unreconciling portions of the Catholic Church will continue to endanger and disrupt the lives of Neurodiverse people, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, and their families. This doesn’t mean they must perform same-sex ceremonies although some Catholic parts are doing so. This means that safe space and affirming ministry in alignment with science are about life and death.

This article will be a little shorter than 500 words today, but I hope the video makes up for my lack of written words.

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