Catholic Allies aims to build community with LGBTQ+ people

CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — Catholic Allies, an organization less than a year old based in central Indiana, is aiming to create community between Catholics and the LGBTQ+ community.

Danielle Wiese is a co-founder of Catholic Allies. She says she started the organization with her friend Kate Berry to make sure her children grow up in a space accepting of the LGBTQ+ community.

Weise says that the biggest thing Catholics are called to do is to love and respect one another.

“That is our biggest job as Catholics, to love everyone. The catechism specifically spells out that we are to show compassion, respect, and sensitivity towards the LGBTQ+ community so that’s what we as an organization are choosing to focus on,” Weise said.

Catholic Allies is not associated with the Catholic church and not attempting to change church doctrine.

“We don’t believe any of us has a right to stratify sin and to say what other people are doing and where that lands them,” Wiese said.

Wiese and Berry went to Catholic school, and are sending their children as well. Still, they want their children to know it is okay to be who you are.

“We also want to make sure that kids growing up and our own kids know that if they are an LGBTQ+ person, we love them,” Wiese said. “If they’re not an LGBTQ+ person, we would love for them to grow up knowing how to support other people that are LGBTQ+.”

Wiese also says a goal of the organization is to remind people that being catholic or LGBTQ+ are not mutually exclusive.

The group will march in the 2023 Indy Pride parade which begins at 10 a.m. on Massachusetts Avenue, and will have an after-party to celebrate at Monon 30.