Editor’s note: Because Delfin Bautista does not identify with one specific gender, the non-gendered “they” is used as a pronoun.
Delfin Bautista, director of Ohio University’s LGBT Center, is heading to Rio de Janiero, not for a vacation, but instead to represent the viewpoints of LGBTA people in the Catholic faith.
Bautista will be attending World Youth Day, a Roman Catholic pilgrimage by the Vatican held every two to three years. Bautista is one of six LGBTA equality activists sponsored to attend the event.
“As a social worker and theologian, I am passionate about helping others claim and reclaim their voices within religious circles in order to challenge our faith communities to radically embrace inclusivity and justice,” Bautista, who identifies as dual-spirited, said in a news release.
The event will not only allow the LGBTA leaders to voice their opinions, but also to network with other Roman Catholic LGBTA organizations.
Equally Blessed, a collection of Catholics who support LGBTA equality in the church, sponsored the group’s attendance.
World Youth Day was last held in Madrid in 2011 and was attended by 1.4 million people. The event marks Pope Francis' first international trip as pontiff.
The six-day event will begin on July 23.
eb104010@ohiou.edu
