BRATTLEBORO — A couple of years ago, I was told by one of my peers, “I'm sorry, but I have no compassion for your aunt or uncle.”
She was talking about my gay family members.
At first, I was filled with anger; why would she say such a thing? She's never even met them. How dare she insult my family! Unfortunately, I responded with a fake, nervous laugh. I still think about how I should have said something.
Recently, I was at a sleepover with two of my friends. One of them said that she had to tell me something that a classmate said to her.
According to my friend, the classmate said, “I don't think that Annabelle and her family are good Catholics because they believe in gay and lesbian marriage.”
The Catholic religion teaches that men and women were designed to fit perfectly together and that people who marry the same sex are not obeying God's law.
Well, guess what: My family doesn't believe that, and neither do I.
* * *
I was baptized Catholic and am a strong believer in Christ, but one thing that has challenged my faith is this topic.
Let's start with a family tree. My grandparents had my father and his other 12 siblings. Two out of 13 are gay. One is male, and the other female.
My Aunt Kate and her wife, my Aunt Candace, are among the most loving, amazing parents I know. They have two children.
My Uncle Dan's husband is a famous children's author and illustrator. His books teach children important lessons about how to be a good friend and about following your dreams. I think that these lessons I've learned from Uncle Mike are equally important as the lessons I've learned from The Church.
One of our family friends, whom my family loves dearly, is gay as well. Last April, my family went to Washington, D.C. to attend his wedding. Paul is my honorary uncle and an Episcopalian priest. Do you know how many people at that wedding cared that he was gay? Nobody. We all supported him.
Hate-filled comments - especially from people who say that they believe in Jesus and his unconditional love - don't make sense to me.
I told my mother about the situation. She gave me some good advice. She told me that the people who think or say hateful things have never experienced an Aunt Kate, an Uncle Dan, or a Paul who have made everyone's lives better. She told me to pray for those people so that they can open their hearts to others.
I completely agree with her.
She also told me that we “have to try extra hard to love people who are afraid to love us.”
* * *
My Aunt Kate saved me from drowning when I was a toddler. She saved my life, so without her I wouldn't be writing this essay. Saving someone's life is an act that's easy to love.
Isn't that what Jesus did for all of us?
I think that you can still be Catholic and support gay marriage because I'm Catholic and I support gay marriage.
If you actually look in the Bible, we are told to love one another. That means everybody.
I will never stop loving my family because of who they love or who they marry. God loves everybody, no matter who they love.
I'm proud of my faith, and I'm proud of my family. No one can take my love for either away from me.