Click here to join this online CLGS Lavender Lunch via Zoom!

What does it mean to be Transgender and Catholic in a Church still learning to grasp the full dignity of trans persons?

Sponsored by the CLGS Catholic Roundtable, this Lavender Lunch panel will bring together Trans Catholic leaders whose lives, faith, and courage are at the heart of the Church and are already shaping the Church’s future. Rather than rehearsing old debates, we look ahead—toward communities where Trans bodies are honored and help shape a Catholic tradition informed by their grace-filled lives.

Panelists will reflect on emerging theological visions, pastoral practices, and spiritual insights borne from Trans wisdom. Together, we explore how trans Catholics are not just included in the Church’s future, but essential to creating it. They are the heart of the Church.

Come join us for this discussion!

Our Presenters

Professor Ish Ruíz is Coordinator of the CLGS Catholic Roundtable and Assistant Professor of Latinx and Queer Decolonial Theology at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. Dr. Ruíz holds a PhD in Theology and Ethics from the Graduate Theological Union.

A native of Puerto Rico and a queer Catholic theologian, his research interests explore the intersection between queer theology, Latinx theology, ecclesiology, sexual ethics, liberation, human rights, and Catholic education.

He is the author of LGBTQ+ Educators in Catholic Schools: Synodality, Inclusivity, and Justice (Rowman and Littlefield), the editor of Cornerstones: Sacred Stories of LGBTQ+ Employees in Catholic Institutions, and the author of numerous academic articles.

Other Presenters TBA

A CLGS Spring 2026 Lavender Lunch