“I trust you” will be the book of testimonies that will accompany the vigils for overcoming homotransbiphobia

Text by Francis DeBernardo* published on the Bondings 2.0 blog of New Ways Ministry (United States) on 14 April 2026. Freely translated by the volunteers of the Gionata Project

In Italy, the prayer vigils to overcome homotransbiphobia they have been held every year since 2007, and over the years they have become an increasingly popular event, even outside the Italian borders. They are ecumenical moments, in which Catholic people come together with other Christian churches to pray, reflect and take on a concrete responsibility: opposing violence and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people.

In 2026 these vigils will use a new tool: the booklet I trust you, written by Elisa Belotti. The text will be distributed in Italy and also abroad, as well as being available online.

The vigils were born in Florence, thanks to the initiative of catholic lGBTQ+ Group Kairos. It all began after the suicide of a gay teenager, victim of homophobic bullying at school. In that year, 2007, vigils were held in 14 Italian cities. From there a journey was born that has never stopped.

Over the years the number of cities involved has grown steadily. In 2025, vigils took place in dozens of Italian cities and also in other European countries such as Malta, Spain, Poland and Switzerland. They are usually held in May, around the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), which falls on May 17 in 2026.

This process is coordinated by La Tenda di Gionata, an Italian network of LGBTQ+ Catholic people. The association prepares booklets every year, also adapting them for different Christian confessions, and promotes training meetings for volunteers and pastoral workers. In these spaces we share concrete experiences, lived stories... stories that show how these vigils have changed the relationship between faith and inclusion over time.

Every year a biblical verse is also chosen as a common thread. The proposal comes from an ecumenical commission and is then voted online. For 2026, Isaiah 43.1 was chosen: “Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name".

As the vigil committee explains, it is not a random choice: it is a word that is born within fear, within fatigue. God does not begin with a rebuke, but with a caress. “Do not be afraid”… a word that does not erase the pain, but passes through it. And immediately afterwards he adds: “I called you by name”. Not by labels, not by categories, but by name.

For many LGBTQ+ people, fear has been, and sometimes still is, a constant presence: fear of being rejected, of not finding space in Christian communities, of having to choose between faith and self-truth. In this context, that verse sounds like a promise that puts everything back in its place: God's love comes before every condition.

The booklet I trust you it is divided into two parts. The first collects testimonies from Italian Catholic LGBTQ+ people, very different from each other in terms of age and life paths. There are stories like that of Tiziano, a gay man who was married to a woman and is a father; Daniela, a demisexual woman who after marriage experienced a relationship with a trans woman; Lorenzo, a young gay man who was preparing for the seminar but was removed due to his orientation; Alessandra, who realized she was a trans woman after years of marriage; and Luisa, mother of a trans and bisexual son.

They are concrete stories, full of even difficult passages... but crossed by meetings, by support networks, by communities that have been able To welcome. stories that show how fundamental recognition, care and relationships are.

The second part of the book collects contributions from experts. Among these, Alessandra Bialetti reflects on how homophobia, biphobia and transphobia can influence the way a person perceives themselves even before coming out. Maria Luisa Berzosa González, catholic religious, who underlines how important lGBTQ+ pastoral care Is for the entire catholic church. Daniela Di Carlo, a Waldensian pastor, offers a look from the Protestant churches. The volume also opens with a preface by the psychologist Laura Ricci on identity development.

The project doesn't stop at the book. “I trust you” is also a listening service: an online space of first contact for LGBTQ+ Christians and their families who are going through difficult times. Trained volunteers welcome, listen, accompany... and, when necessary, put them in contact with psychologists, family consultants or pastoral workers.

The publication was produced thanks to the support of cornerstone 2 Project, financed through the Otto per Mille of the Waldensian church with the support of Faith, gender and sexuality commission of the Methodist and Waldensian churches et al Global Network of Rainbow Catholics.

It's a small booklet, yes... but inside there is a story that spans almost twenty years. A story made of wounds, of faith, of resistance... and also, little by little, of trust.

* Francis DeBernardo is an American journalist and Catholic activist, executive director of New Ways Ministry, an organization committed to dialogue between the Catholic Church and LGBTQ+ people, with long experience in pastoral care and communication on these issues.

Original text: “I trust you” Booklet Serves as Aid to Vigils Against Homophobia and Transphobia