For Pope Benedict XVI, Going Green Means Going Anti-Gay

Pope Benedict XVI has been heralded as probably the most environmentally-conscious Pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church. He's put solar panels on the roof of the Vatican, yelled at world leaders for hemming and hawing on climate change, demanded that efforts be made to make water safe and clean, and called for rainforests to be protected.

The only problem is that the greener Pope Benedict XVI gets with his environmental policies, the more anti-gay he gets, too. And while the two may seem unrelated, Pope Benedict XVI has decided to get his scripture on by tying the planet's ecological footprint to what he sees as the Church's teachings on human ecology. His boldest and most homophobic proclamation? Saying that policies that destroy the planet are akin to policies, like same-sex marriage, that the Pope believes destroys the traditional family.

What a sneaky move, making marriage equality seem as dastardly as climate change. But Benedict has tried to make the comparison repeatedly. Speaking to diplomats earlier this month, the Pope said that laws that legalize gay marriage violate the laws of nature.

"Creatures differ from one another and can be protected, or endangered, in different ways, as we know from daily experience. One such attack comes from laws or proposals which, in the name of fighting discrimination, strike at the biological basis of the difference between the sexes," the Pope said.

Oh, Pope. There you go again, pretending like you know a thing or two about biology. But really, if you did, wouldn't you agree like most people that homosexuality has been around in the world for thousands upon thousands of years, and that animal species from penguins to humans to fruit flies biologically experience it?

This isn't the first time the Pope has tried to take the issue of climate change and use it to push his agenda against same-sex marriage. In December 2008, the Pope spoke of human ecology from a standpoint that both global warming and same-sex marriage had the power to destroy humankind. He suggested that Catholics fight both climate change and LGBT people with the same vigor and aggression.

This all is troubling. The ecological crisis facing the globe needs world religious leaders to get engaged in issues like climate change, clean water, clean air, and preserving forests. But what it doesn't need is religious leaders trying to veil homophobia inside green language.

When the Pope says that homosexuality is as big a threat to the world as global warming, he disingenuously compares apples to Brussels sprouts. Think of the violence the man causes by giving the impression that LGBT people are as threatening or dangerous as climate change.

Worse, think of the common ground he's wasting with millions around the globe. Climate change is an issue that should unite humanity, regardless of religious affiliation. Instead, the Pope twists it into just another social issue that divides people. What a missed opportunity for a man who annually gives a World Peace message, but generally spends the other 364 days of the year saying fairly un-peaceful like things.

Photo credit: roblisameehan