Dearest ____________________, 3-30-2023
I hope you both are doing well. I write to you today because due to very recent statements and
legislation, both in civil society and ecclesial settings, families like mine (Neurodivergent, mentally
handicapped, and LGBTQIA+ families) are currently in clear danger. These current statements and
legislation are increasing violence against our families, increasing suicides, increasing harm, and
increasing disparity. Every single major medical association in the world says to accept, love, include our
families for the way we are, not to reject, not to spread misinformation, not to harm, and not to deny
the collective majority of medical associations in the scientific world. The Roman Catholic Church has
the power to do great good, bring justice, and bring life, like she does through Catholic Charities,
schools, and hospitals. The Church also can do evil, bring harm, and cause death. I want the Church’s
power to bring life like I know she can do.
Bishop ______________, you wrote my family a very kind letter of welcome and are always so good to us
which I deeply appreciate. Bishop __________, you also have taken the time to meet with me and listen for
which I appreciate. However, the attitudes of many lay leadership and even some clergy do not share
your kindness, and many Catholics within the ___________ Archdiocese detest families like mine and
have made this clear, even if we are just existing. I am fearful of us going to mass at the wrong time and
wrong place and maybe one of us being harmed or killed with the recent increase in violence towards
families like mine. This is why we are alternating parishes right now and not attending the same parish
every Sunday. I have seen levels of hatred increase towards families like mine throughout my lay
leadership training, so I stay very quiet and talk to the instructors privately about my family. Still, people
know about my family and me simply because of my publications. As just one recent ecclesial statement
of many is concerned, if you haven’t read it already, please read the recent USCCB against gender-
affirming care which is not scientifically-aligned with the vast majority of medical associations. This
public statement can endanger lives and will most likely do so.
There are safer and more welcoming individual parishes within the ____________ Archdiocese, but I
believe as a practitioner and as a mother that the wider Archdiocesan community by many (not all) are
currently not safe for those who have neurological, biological, and psychological variances. This would
include mentally disabled, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ people and their families. This is especially
true pertaining to sexual doctrine where these individuals are incapable of living up without incurring
lasting psychological damage, lasting spiritual damage, or even death. I have seen lay leadership openly
condemn and try to openly shove God and the Church out of the lives of families like mine by their
words and actions. Not aligning with current science is endangering LGBTQ+ lives who are incapable of a celibate life, even
if he/she wants celibacy initially. I know people in the Archdiocese personally who live in fear and trauma.
Please consider doing something, like calling Bishop ______ of ____________and consider making
immediate changes to ensure the safety of our families. As I stated above, the Roman Catholic Church
has the power to do great good, bring justice, and bring life, like she does through Catholic Charities,
schools, and hospitals. The Church also can do evil, bring harm, and cause death. I want the Church to
use her power to bring life like I know she can do. The longer this goes unreconciled, the more lives will
be at risk and lost.
With Much Love and Gratitude for Your Kindness and Consideration,
Julie Nichols
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In