KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In a documentary, "Francesco," that debuted in Rome on Wednesday, Pope Francis said he supports civil unions for people in the LGBTQ+ community.
"Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family," the pope said on camera. "They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it."
Pope Francis also called for civil union laws so the LGBTQ+ community is protected legally.
This is the first time a pope has ever explicitly supported this action, though he did not say the church would perform same-sex marriages.
"As a musician, I've worked in many Catholic churches and I was not able to be who I am," said Michael De Voe, a music teacher and singer with the Heartland Men's Chorus in Kansas City. "I was in the closet. And now this is a step in the right direction for people to open that door and let people come out of the closet and be who God's made them to be."
De Voe has not given up on his faith; he said he joined Christ the King Progressive Catholic Church, which welcomes anyone regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status. The church will formally launch in 2021.
"As a survivor of conversion therapy twice, I can tell you God doesn't do anything to change it," De Voe said. "So either He has a place for us or we're created for hell, and I don't think it's the latter because that's not love."
The pope's words created a stir around the world.
The United States legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, but many countries in places like Latin America and Asia still do not recognize same-sex marriage and strongly oppose it. This could signal a cultural shift for many people who live in those countries.
"Fundamentally, as it relates to U.S. law, not much is going to change with the words of the pope," said Inoru Wade, board secretary of the Kansas City Center for Inclusion. "However, this is a seismic shift for such a powerful institution, not just domestically in terms of changing thoughts and minds on issues of LGBTQ equality."
Wade said this is huge for people who have left or been pushed out of the church due to discrimination and abuse.
He said the pope's words should be clear.
"It's time to stop 'tolerating' LGBTQ+ people. It's time to start acknowledging they have inherent dignity," Wade said. "And not just that they have inherent dignity, but you need to start forming your laws to protect that inherent dignity."
The Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas did not respond to requests for comment.
