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# Priest criticised for supporting LGBTQ+ community
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/priest-criticised-for-supporting-lgbtq-community/
- Published: 2021-02-09T09:01:52.000Z
- Updated: 2021-02-08T14:05:09.000Z
- Description: American Jesuit priest James Martin has faced criticism from far-right Christians after explaining why the Virgin Mary is ‘for everyone’, including LGBTQ+ people.
- Author: Rachel Badham
- Tags: News, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+ rights, Poland, US

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/james-martin-1-4.jpg)

American Jesuit priest **James Martin** has faced criticism from far-right Catholics after explaining why the Virgin Mary is ‘for everyone’, including LGBTQ+ people, in response to the arrest of three LGBTQ+ activists in **Poland**. **Elzbieta Podlesna**, **Anna Prus** and **Joanna Gzyra-Iskandar** [recently went on trial ](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/polish-lgbtq-activists-go-on-trial/)after joining a peaceful protest in 2019 where attendees criticised the Catholic Church’s treatment of LGBTQ+ people. During the protests, the three displayed images of the Virgin Mary with a rainbow halo, and were subsequently arrested for ‘offending religious sentiment’.

Martin, who is known for his pro-LGBTQ+ stance, defended the activists on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/JamesMartinSJ/status/1351570481686732801?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1351570486656983041%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es2%5F&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinknews.co.uk%2F2021%2F02%2F07%2Fvirgin-mary-lgbt-rainbow-halo-christian-lifesitenews-james-martin-priest%2F&ref=scenemag.co.uk), and said the Virgin Mary is important to marginalised communities: *“In Poland, where homophobia is rampant, LGBTQ+ people are on trial for “desecrating” a copy of the Black Madonna. But Mary is for everyone, including LGBTQ+ people, and there is a long history of portraying her as part of different faith communities. She is especially important to communities that have been persecuted or marginalised.”*

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/poland-protests-virgin-mary-1.jpg)

He gave examples of how the image of Mary has been adapted by different cultures and countries, and argued the LGBTQ+ community should be able to do the same, saying: “\[Considering Mary’s importance to marginalised groups\] *is not surprising that they would add their own symbol, the rainbow, in a respectful way, to a beloved image of their mother.”* However, following Martin’s tweet, he faced backlash from anti-LGBTQ+ Catholics, with religious news site, [*LifeSiteNews*](https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholics-call-on-jesuit-order-to-censure-fr-james-martin-over-desecration-of-mary-with-lgbt-rainbow-halo?ref=scenemag.co.uk)*,* starting a petition which calls for the Jesuit Order to discipline Martin.

The petition, which has accumulated 20,000 signatures, states: *“When James Martin, SJ, promoted an image on Twitter of the Blessed Virgin and Our Lord with sodomite rainbow-halos around their heads, he deeply offended Polish religion, history, culture and tradition.”*

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/james-martin-sj-1.jpg)