LGBTQ community criticizes Bishop Tobin’s comments on Pride

In a tweet Saturday, the Bishop said in part that Catholics should not attend pride events because they encourage a culture that is contrary to the Catholic faith, and are harmful to children.

The tweet has almost has 90,000 replies.

Rhode Islanders Jeremy Sylvia and Anthony DeRose are proud members of the LGBTQ community, who were also raised Catholic.

They say the comments left them disgusted.

“Someone who’s in a place of power representing God, shouldn’t be telling people not to support. They should be telling everyone to just love,” said Sylvia.

In response, dozens protested outside the Dioceses Sunday.

The post got so much attention from people across the nation, the Bishop put out a follow-up statement, saying in part that he regretted that his comments turned out to be so controversial, and that “individuals of same-sex attraction are beloved children of God.”

Here is the full statement:

But members of the community say it’s too little too late.

“You can’t go back and say, ‘Well I really didn’t mean to offend somebody.’ Well you kind of did,” said DeRose.

Both Sylvia and DeRose tell me they hope devout Catholics aren’t taking his words literally.

“I can’t tell them not to believe their priest or their bishop,” said DeRose. “But I would say to really listen carefully, and then really listen to the teachings of the Catholic Church, to what this Bishop is saying. Does it really truly follow what the Catholic belief is? And most of the time, it’s not.”

In a statement, the Rhode Island State Commission on Prejudice and Bias called the comments misguided and misinformed.

At a State House ceremony Monday proclaiming June pride month, Governor Raimondo offered her support to the LGBTQ community.

©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2019