Five Things Barack Obama Should Tell Pope Benedict XVI About LGBT Rights

On July 10, President Barack Obama will have his first meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, during an international trip that will take Obama from the Vatican to Ghana to Russia. It's a meeting of two world powerhouses, as one of the most recognizable religious leaders gets introduced to one of the most powerful Presidents on the planet.

The Vatican is billing this meeting as "the opposite of Bush."  In other words, they plan to praise Obama's approach to foreign policy, which is much more in line with Catholic Social Teaching, but kvetch about Obama's social policies when it comes to issues like reproductive health or the civil rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people.  But instead of letting the Vatican frame this meeting, the Obama team could themselves give Pope Benedict XVI a few lessons on progressive values in the 21st century, and why it would benefit the Church to open its arms and its minds a little bit when it comes to the subject of LGBT rights.  Here are five things we'd like to see Barack Obama tell Pope Benedict during their upcoming meeting.

It's bad to oppose UN statements decriminalizing homosexuality. Earlier this year, the Obama administration made history when it alllowed the United States to sign onto a United Nations statement calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality.  More than 60 countries signed onto this statement, but one region didn't sign on: The Vatican.  Not only did they not sign on, they were vehemently opposed to it.  That put the Vatican in line with Sudan, Yemen, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and a host of other countries that throw homosexuals in prison, fine them, beat them, assault them, and in many cases, murder them.  Here, Obama could give the Vatican a little lesson in morality -- it's bad to oppose UN statements that say to the world "Don't lock up and physically abuse gay people."

The Catholic Church in India is on the wrong side of history. Last week the Delhi High Court in India ruled that the country's laws penalizing homosexuality were on the wrong side of history, and reversed the criminal statute that often times was used to harass, lock-up, and abuse LGBT people in India.  Instead of celebrating this decision as a victory for human rights and a key decision in the public health battle against HIV/AIDS, the Catholic Church in India went ballistic, with one Catholic leader in Kerala saying that homosexuals should be "nursed back to normalcy through proper treatment and counseling."  Instead of viewing homosexuality as something that can be "treated," Obama could take the opportunity to remind the Vatican that LGBT people make up part of the diverse fabric of the global community, and their existence isn't something that is abnormal or worthy of reparative therapy.

It's OK to be a Democrat and to be Catholic. In U.S. politics, particularly in the 2004 and 2008 elections, there has been a huge effort by radical Catholic groups in the United States - led by the Cardinal Newman Society and the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights - to define Catholicism as being incompatible with the Democratic Party.  These efforts are largely motivated by the fact that most Democrats tend to be progressive on reproductive health and civil rights for LGBT people.  But it's not incompatible to be a Democrat and to be Catholic.  In fact, the Catholic Church traditionally (up until the last decade or two) has had a history of progressive politics that runs contrary to many politicians in the GOP: support for eliminating the death penalty, support for policies of peace over war, support for the human rights of immigrants, and support for government leadership in ending poverty.  Obama can take this opportunity with Pope Benedict to remind the Vatican of the leadership that Democrats often take in working for the principles inherent in Catholic Social Teaching, and condemn the misleading representations of Catholicism that folks like the Cardinal Newman Society or the Catholic League continue to proffer for political expediency.

Climate change is much worse than homosexuality. During his year-end address in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI compared the threat of climate change to the evil of homosexuality.  It was a ridiculous charge and one that did nothing but spread homophobia and misinformation.  Obama should remind Benedict that climate change threatens the whole planet, while homosexuality threatens no one.

Let other countries decide how to handle marriage equality. The Vatican has taken a global leadership role in speaking out against same-sex marriage, attacking the government of Spain for enacting same-sex marriage, and going after politicians in Italy who are working to do the same.  Obama could tell the Vatican that, regardless of whether they think same-sex marriage is moral or immoral, they should refrain from getting involved in the bedrooms of LGBT people in countries around the world.  Moreover, Obama could take a moment to affirm the families of dozens of LGBT people who work for him, and personally tell Pope Benedict that LGBT families foster love, respect and responsibility just as much as straight couples.