Pope Francis Dines With Transgender Sex Workers in Vatican

Pope Francis had lunch in the Vatican with transgender women, many of whom are sex workers or migrants from Latin America. Associated Press reports this.

The transgender community can now attend Pope Francis's general audiences each month, receiving VIP seats. They receive medicine, money, and shampoo. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Vatican provided them with a bus to its medical facility so they could be vaccinated earlier than most Italians.

On Sunday, transgender women, many of whom are Latin American migrants working as sex workers, joined over 1,000 other poor and homeless people in a Vatican hall as guests of Francis for a special meal on the occasion of the Catholic Church's World Day of the Poor. They were served a full meal - pasta with spinach and ricotta, meatballs in tomato-basil sauce, mashed cauliflower, and tiramisu for dessert.

This event was a gesture of inclusivity from Pope Francis, who has made engaging with the LGBTQ+ community a hallmark of his papacy.

"Before, the church was closed to us. They didn't see us as ordinary people; they saw us as devils. Then Pope Francis came, and the church doors opened for us," said Andrea Paola Torres Lopez, a Colombian transgender woman known as Consuelo, whose kitchen is adorned with images of Jesus.

Francis's latest initiative was a document from the Vatican doctrinal office affirming that under certain circumstances, transgender people can be baptized and be godparents or witnesses at weddings. This came after another recent statement from the Pope, suggesting that same-sex couples could receive a church blessing.

Karla Segovia, a 46-year-old Argentine sex worker, said that for transgender women like herself, being godparents through baptism is the most they can hope for to have their own child. She said the new norms made her hopeful for a full return to the faith she was baptized into but rejected after transitioning.

As reported by The Gaze, the Museum in North Hertfordshire, UK, will use the pronouns 'she' and 'her' for the ancient Roman Emperor Elagabalus.

These changes stem from ancient texts dating back to the Roman Empire, where Emperor Elagabalus once said, 'Call me not Lord, for I am Lady.'

The museum stated that it consulted with the LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall to ensure the exhibition, promotional campaign, and all dialogues were as relevant and inclusive as possible.