A Milano abbiamo vegliato per abbattere il muro dell’omotransfobia

Reflections received from Chiara, a mother of the mustard grain Group, christian parents with lGBT+ Children from Milan

In May all over the world, many churches of every Christian confession are colored by Arcobaleno: in fact, the "vigils for overcoming homotransbphobia" take place with the intent to pray for the many victims caused by this intolerance, more widespread than it is believed.

On May 30, 2025 the vigil also took place in Milan, in the large and welcoming evangelical church of via Francesco Sforza and I just about this vigil I would like to update you, to make you participate in an event that remains mostly unknown to most of the Christian people.

La Viglia di Milano was characterized by the ecumenical aspect: promoters of the initiative the Catholic groups of the "ford" (Christians LGBTQ+), "Young people of the ford" (Youth Section of the ford), "Granel of mustard", (group formed by parents of children LGBTQ+) together with the Christians belonging to the various Protestant churches of the group "Varco Refo+".

The Valdese Church of Milan, the Methodist Evangelical Church of Milan, the Evangelical Battista Church of Milan via Pinamonte, the Christian Church Protestant in Milan and the Anglican Church of all saints, joined this initiative.

As you can see, although three Catholic groups were present among the promoters, officially the Catholic Church of Milan did not join, citing reasons concerning disagreements within it due to a considerable part of dissent towards the LGBTQ+reality.

Of course we Catholics have suffered a little, but we realize the real difficulties present in the Milanese Catholic context and we appreciate other steps forward which however have been taken to the diocese.

The theme to be developed in the vigils of this year was taken from the acts of the Apostles 10,34-35, underlining in particular the verse in which Pietro says: "In truth I am realizing that God does not make people preferences ..."

The vigil took place following a program that provided for the alternation of prayers and musical moments, as well as some testimonies, to the homily of the Valdese pastora and a symbolic sign that involved the entire assembly. Prayers were read by different people to encourage greater participation.

Particularly felt were the prayer where God was invoked as the Father and Mother, thus underlining the female aspect of God, and the prayer to ask for not only comfort for the victims, but also forgiveness for the faults of the Church and society.

Many were then the strong moments of the vigil: mediating the reading of the "Acts of the Apostles", where Peter, the first Pope, stated that "in truth I am realizing that God does not make people preferences ...", we have confirmed that even the LGBTQ+ people are a living part of the Church.

Listening to the homily of the Pastora Valdese Daniela Di Carlo, which focused his speech on the citation of a French philosopher, who stated that it was necessary, in the wording of the famous motto "Liberté, égalité, fraternité", replacing the word "égalité" (equality) with "respect for the differences", we have heard of the diversity that characterizes the world that characterizes the world.

In addition, the valuable contribution of a Russian lyric singer of the Baptist Church raised the spirits as only the music can do.

Even the final blessing, which involved the representatives of the various promoting groups, was an intense and participated moment.

Wanting to participate in my personal impressions, the most engaging moments of the whole vigil for me were the testimonies and the symbolic sign.

The testimonies were four: a mother of the group "Grandello di mustard" told the initial disturbance of her and her husband in finding herself suddenly on a road different from what, as a committed Christian couple, was traveling, however discovering with surprise the beauty of this new path that involved the "full adhesion" to the love design of God on the homo -affective son.

Then a young man from the "Young Del Forua" group intervened who, engaged since childhood in several activities of the parish, expressed the difficulties encountered on his path, both in self -discovery and after the coming out that caused the refusal to the family and the revocation of all responsibility in the parish, but also highlighted the beautiful moments lived later: the reconciliation with the mother and the arrival of a new parish priest, who then became its spiritual director.

The intervention of a young man from the "Irono Refo+" was followed who told a recent episode in which he did not want to express his sexual orientation for fear of breaking the harmony he had created in a thematic laboratory he was following, fear then won thanks to the help of a friend with whom he had had the courage to confide.

Finally, for the "ford", an adult intervened who told his story where there was no lack of moral and spiritual sufferings due to the refusal encountered in various environments, but also underlined the great help received by the "community of Pope John XXIII".

On the second moment, that of the symbolic sign, I tell you the truth, I, which I had in the slightest part participated in the preparation of the vigil, had some doubts ... In reality, then it was in my opinion of great effectiveness because it gave all the participants the opportunity to intervene.

A wall formed by wooden bricks that symbolized the wall that the socio -cultural environment builds towards LGBTQ+people has been positioned on a table next to the light.

The people present in the vigil could leave the counter, go close to the table and, microphone in hand, telling something of themselves, expressing which wall in particular they would have liked to break down (of indifference, of pietism, of solitude, etc. ...), then detach a brick of the wall to break it down.

At the beginning, as often happens, there was a little hesitation and waiting between one intervention and the other, but then, as people followed one another, the wait was going to decrease, the people came out one after the other and expressed their feelings or their experiences and the wall was shot down!

This simple gesture, which seemed to me a little trivial, instead allowed many people to express themselves and participate actively, enriching the contents of the vigil with their own contribution.

Another aspect, which I risked omitting, was also the beneficial purpose that we wanted to give to the vigil: funds were raised for the LGBTQ+ communities of the African continent, the sum reached was 150 euros.

After the final singing (it remains here with us) the translucence booklet was Distributed, which tells seven stories of transgender faith accompanied by biblical-theological, pedagogical and pastoral contributions.

The ecumenical vigil, which began at 9:15 pm, lasted just over an hour and ended at 10:20 pm with warm mutual greetings.

The participation was not particularly numerous, we were about eighty in all, but you know, Milan is a city full of any type of evening attractions, in any case those who participated have not regretted it at all: we lived deep moments of meditation, listening, sharing, moments that penetrate straight in the soul, lift it and reassure it.

>All cities where it was watched in May/June 2025 for overcoming homotransbphobia