Pope Francis: Gender ideology a ‘dangerous colonization’

Pope Francis earlier this month said gender ideology is “one of the most dangerous ideological colonizations” in the world today.

“Gender ideology, today, is one of the most dangerous ideological colonizations,” Francis told La Nación, an Argentine newspaper, in an interview that was published on March 0. “Why is it dangerous Because it blurs differences and the value of men and women.

“All humanity is the tension of differences,” added the pontiff. “It is to grow through the tension of differences. The ques- tion of gender is diluting the differences and making the world the same, all dull, all alike, and that is contrary to the human vocation.”

The atican’s tone towards LGBTQ and intersex issues has softened since since Francis assumed the papacy in 20 .

Francis publicly backs civil unions for same-sex couples, and has described laws that criminalize homosexuality are “unjust.” Church teachings on homosexuality and gender identity have nevertheless not changed since Francis became pope.

Francis told La Naci n that he talks about gender ideol- ogy “because some people are a bit naive and believe that it is the way to progress.” The Catholic News Agency further notes Francis also said these people “do not distinguish what is respect for sexual diversity or diverse sexual preferences from what is already an anthropology of gender, which is extremely dangerous because it eliminates differences, and that erases humanity, the richness of humanity, both personal, cultural, and social, the diversities and the tensions between differences.”

MICHAEL K. LAVERS

Derek Smith

is a law student at the City University of New York and the Spring 2022 Civil Rights Intern at the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project.