Event Category: LGBT+ History Month

This clip comes from the BBC series: Pilgrimage – The Road to Rome.

Over an evening meal, Stephen tells his fellow Pilgrims that – as a gay man – he doesn’t feel accepted by any religion. Dana talks about the problems that many Roman Catholics have, being caught between compassion for their gay friends, and the Church’s definition of marriage which is only between a man and woman. Mehreen talks about her belief that it is wrong to judge others, and Brendan stresses the importance of respect and discussion, and his belief that it isn’t the religions that cause problems, it’s the people within them!

Watch full episodes on BBC iPlayer.

Transcript

Discussing homosexuality and acceptance - SERIES 2 - Pilgrimage

Name: Discussing homosexuality and acceptance - SERIES

S1 00:00:23:10

At the end of a long day, and in keeping with good pilgrim

tradition, it's time to break bread together.

S2 00:00:29:15

Should do the Italian way where we just chuck all the sauce into

the pasta.

S3 00:00:34:10

Yes.

S4 00:00:36:07

Can I just ask a question, guys? Oh, guys, I thought this was a

great opportunity tonight with such a diverse group to have a

talk about religion. Great idea and I want to see if I can be

enlightened.

S5 00:00:48:16

Wowser.

S3 00:00:53:18

Friends. My family.

S4 00:00:56:10

One of my main problems seems to be this word intolerance. I

don't think for me there is any organized religion or faith that

embraces me.

S7 00:01:09:21

Do you mean as a gay man?

S4 00:01:11:12

Absolutely.

Clip: Discussing homosexuality and acceptance - SERIES 2 - Pilgrimage 2 / 3

S8 00:01:12:10

If I'm gay in the churches sense Catholic church, that is

fundamentally wrong. Now, I know so many gay people. My

brother is gay. If that is the case, if that is the Catholic Church

belief, then surely my brother is screwed. Stephen is screwed

because of one belief of of of the faith. How do you feel about

that?

S9 00:01:31:04

I, I also have many friends who are gay that I love very much.

Compassionate because I think the gay community suffered

greatly. Even among the gay community, there are different

ideas, there are different thoughts. I have friends who are gay,

who are married because they want to be married. I have friends

who are gay who feel that the term marriage or the sacrament of

marriage shouldn't be shifted from where it has been between a

man and a woman. It's also very difficult if, say, a Catholic, if you

believe that a gay person should be given every respect and

every protection under the law, but that marriage should be as it

has always been, between a man and a woman. And yet, if you

say that you're suddenly identified as being homophobic, which is

not right either, and even within our church, it's a very

contentious issue at this time.

S4 00:02:33:09

The way you said that so eloquently, if that was the message

given out by the church, then people would understand. But if

people's kneejerk responses, a marriage between a man and a

woman end of, then you're going to upset a lot of people.

S9 00:02:47:21

Yeah. And that's why it's so hard for me to speak on behalf of a

church which is already in tumult, you know, trying to sort this

question out.

Clip: Discussing homosexuality and acceptance - SERIES 2 - Pilgrimage 3 / 3

S10 00:02:58:23

You've been talking about homosexuality, and I don't have enough

of an in-depth knowledge about it to make any certain

statements. I can't say all Muslims are going to say, yeah, it's cool

to be gay at all. I know that I've got friends who are Muslim and

gay, and I know that they will probably explain a lot better than

me of the reasons why they don't think the two are mutually

exclusive. What I can say is that for someone to tell you, you're

going to hell. That is a bigger sin than homosexuality. That is the

biggest sin. Right.

S4 00:03:29:18

And that is why this has been a wonderful experience thus far.

Because whatever faith or religion you have or you practice, if

you don't allow me to ask questions. Yes. And be inquisitive about

it. Yeah. And then you reasonably respond to me with something

as opposed to rejecting me. We ain't going to get on. Yeah.

S8 00:03:53:19

Uh, I hate to get all lovey dovey and everything, but we're a

group of really different faiths and backgrounds. Yet we've all

been able to to spend a week in each other's company and have

incredible conversations, complete respect for the most part of

our different faiths and things. And if you said to me at the start

of this week, uh, there's going to be I feel like there's a joke, a

muslim, a Jew and a and I've actually learned a lot. And what I've

recognized is that it's not the religion that's that's the problem.

It's the people within it that create the problems. Because

actually the whole party, how can we all get on so, so well with

our different backgrounds? Because we're hopefully, for the most

part, really genuinely decent people. It's not the religions that

define us, it's the people within the religions that create the

problems.

Pilgrimage Moments: Discussing Homosexuality and Acceptance

Video length - 04.47

Published date - Mar 2024

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

This clip comes from the BBC series: Pilgrimage – The Road to Rome.

The Pilgrims have reached the end of the Via Francigena, an ancient pilgrimage route which finishes in Rome. Thousands of people have gathered in St. Peter’s Square to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis, but the Pilgrims have been granted a private audience with him, and the chance to ask the spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics a question. Stephen takes the opportunity to explain that he’d come on the Pilgrimage looking for answers and faith, but that – as a gay man – he’d never felt accepted by religion, and still doesn’t. Then the Pope responds in a way that no one expected…

Watch full episodes on BBC iPlayer.

Transcript

A gay man talks to the Pope - SERIES 2 - Pilgrimage Moments Clip

S1 00:00:25:07

It's early Wednesday morning in Saint Peter's Square. The day of

the week when thousands gather to listen to the Pope.

S2 00:00:33:04

It is packed with people. This is like a concert of a top celebrity,

but magnified when you see this many people all to meet this

man, you realise the significance of what we're about to do.

We're about to go and meet this man. This is obviously a massive,

massive deal.

S1 00:00:51:17

Elected six years ago, Pope Francis is known for his humility and

humour. The spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics, he's

gained a reputation for bringing change to the church and for his

attempts to make the institution more tolerant and inclusive.

S3 00:01:13:08

At the end of this two weeks of extraordinary pilgrimage, I'm

going to be with the big man himself.

S4 00:01:23:03

I'm actually quite amazed that there's been space made to meet

this privately. I think we're all kind of taken aback at that. So of

course it is an honor.

S5 00:01:40:22

It is just my average normal day. Meeting the Pope as you do.

S1 00:01:47:24

It's very interesting that we've just done the veer and he's very

much a believer in the veer. So it's it's nice to have it sort of I

suppose we are. We're being blessed because we've been on the

veer. I don't know.

Clip: A gay man talks to the Pope - SERIES 2 - Pilgrimage Moments Clip 2 / 4

S5 00:02:00:09

I am feeling hugely apprehensive about this meeting. I know

millions of Catholics around the world would give their right

hand to be in this position, so I don't want to blow it. So I've got

to be respectful, listen to other people's views and express my

own opinions. Otherwise I'll not be true to myself.

S1 00:02:23:15

While the vast crowd gathers and waits in Saint Peter's Square,

the pilgrims file inside for their private audience with Pope

Francis.

S6 00:02:45:11

Steven K Amos.

S3 00:02:47:24

I'm an actress. I'm 72.

S8 00:02:53:00

You don't seem to be 72.

S3 00:02:54:14

I know I don't do, I.

S4 00:03:00:13

At this difficult time for our church. We we long for truth. And we

know what is very difficult. And pray for you each day.

S6 00:03:24:19

Your holiness. I'm Les Dennis. My mother would be thrilled to

know I had held your hand.

S1 00:03:58:00

Incredibly, Stephen gets a chance to ask a question to the man

who matters most.

Clip: A gay man talks to the Pope - SERIES 2 - Pilgrimage Moments Clip 3 / 4

S10 00:04:04:17

I lost my mother three months ago. I buried my twin sister, who

were both very religious. So me coming on this pilgrimage, being

non-religious. I was looking for answers and faith. But as a gay

man, I don't feel accepted.

S6 00:05:48:03

Thank you. It was amazingly powerful, I think, for all of us. He

gave us so much time. He didn't dodge anything. That's what I

found was extraordinary.

S2 00:06:09:00

That was an absolutely fantastic experience. I think no one

expected it to be quite as emotional.

S6 00:06:17:12

I didn't know what I was going to say then.

S2 00:06:19:13

My mother would have loved to shake your hand and that was

that was lovely because she would've.

S11 00:06:23:22

It didn't really feel like, oh, this is the Pope. He felt like he felt

like a real person.

S6 00:06:29:18

You bless the Pope, Brendan blessed the Pope.

S3 00:06:31:14

I feel like we missed a trick there. We actually said bless you to

the Pope.

S1 00:06:37:00

He had a lovely warmth about him, a lovely energy about him.

Clip: A gay man talks to the Pope - SERIES 2 - Pilgrimage Moments Clip 4 / 4

S2 00:06:38:23

And he just said that.

S8 00:06:39:20

Yeah, he's the Pope. He'd have to, otherwise.

S1 00:06:41:24

He wouldn't be in this position. He's got to have something

special about him.

S12 00:06:50:06

It felt like a pressure cooker of emotion. And then when Steven

asked his question, I just felt myself going to bits.

S5 00:06:57:13

He used an amazing phrase. He said, adjectives that are used to

describe people are meaningless because every human has his

own dignity. And that is when I lost it. And to be frank, his candid

and honest response blew my mind. That's what I've been

searching for for a long time. Um.

S13 00:07:22:18

Yeah.

Pilgrimage Moments: A Gay Man Talks to the Pope

Video length - 07.32

Published date - Mar 2024

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

Meet Abi – they’re a bit different, in many amazing ways! Abi’s autism can make life challenging sometimes, but it’s also given them some gifts. Smart, curious and open to other cultures, Abi has been on a mission to find the right faith for them and Hinduism speaks to their soul. In the film Abi describes their day to day life, their autism, their love of languages, identifying as non-binary and why Hinduism works for them – excitingly, Abi gets to experience their first public Diwali.

Produced by Morgan Tipping.

Directed, edited and animated by Tommy Chavannes – https://tommychavannes.com/

Autism, Hinduism & Me

Video length - 05.59

Published date - Sep 2022

Keystage(s) - 2, 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

Just Me – “I’m just me… It’s like coming up for air.”

As Jaz and Charlie make a final attempt to keep their relationship alive, one of them comes out as non-binary (meaning they don’t identify as a boy or a girl), sparking a conversation that will change them both forever.

A film by Adam Tyler.

Starring Ffion Evans and Sam Buchanan.

Shortlisted for Best British Short at the Iris Prize Festival 2020 which celebrates the very best in current LGBT+ short and feature filmmaking.

Advice for young people who are thinking about gender identity can be found at the following sites:

Childline

Brook

Gendered Intelligence

Just Me

Video length - 13.15

Published date - Feb 2020

Keystage(s) - 4 and 5

An Untold Story – Robyn is a young filmmaker from a small town in Scotland. She is used to telling other people’s stories, but has never put her own on camera. So in this film, she describes how she came to realise that she was gay, the initial shame she felt (and was made to feel) before proudly accepting herself for who she is.

An Untold Story

Video length - 08.50

Published date - Jan 2019

Keystage(s) - 4

One-to-One – James has been outed at school before he could come out on his own terms, and he’s afraid of what his parents will say when they discover he’s got a boyfriend. With everything getting too much for him, James visits his youthworker to talk it all out, one-to-one.

A short coming-of-age drama by Toby Lloyd and Conor Deedigan.

Nominated for the Teen Award at the Children’s BAFTAs 2019.

One-to-One

Video length - 13.25

Published date - Sep 2018

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

Out of Love – In ‘Out of Love’ Kezi and Jess talk honestly about the struggles they faced coming to terms with being both Christian and gay, when it seems to them that the Church has blown the issue of sexuality out of all proportion.

Out of Love

Video length - 04.15

Published date - Jan 2016

Keystage(s) - 4

Katie is a nurse on a children’s ward and a practising Christian in the Roman Catholic Church. She is also gay. She talks honestly and movingly about how she struggled to reconcile her faith with her feelings, and about the welcome she eventually found in the church community.

A film by Adam Tyler.

Winner of the Digital Video category at the Jerusalem Awards 2016 and nominated in the Learning – Secondary category of the BAFTA Children’s Awards 2016

Katie

Video length - 8.37

Published date - Sep 2015

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

Gay Adoption Attitudes – Gay couples are legally allowed to adopt children in the UK, but it’s a still an issue that provokes strong views in some people… and here they are.

Gay Adoption Attitudes

Video length - 2.27

Published date - Feb 2013

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Gay Marriage Matters – Should gay people have the right to get married? And what’s the point of marriage anyway? Here’s what the people out there are saying.