Click here to join this CLGS Lavender Lunch via Zoom!

At this CLGS Lavender Lunch we will explore the recently-published book Cornerstones: Sacred Stories of LGBTQ+ Employees in Catholic Institutions. Published by our colleagues at New Ways Ministry, this book offers a new anthology of 12 stories of faith, sacrifice, joy, and pain by LGBTQ+ people who have been employed by Catholic parishes and schools.

Edited by Ish Ruiz and Mark Guevarra, two gay Catholic men who themselves have been church employees, this anthology’s stories are organized in three categories: LGBTQ+ people fired from Catholic schools, LGBTQ+ people fired from Catholic parishes, and LGBTQ+ people who continue their employment in Catholic institutions with support from their employers.

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes.” (Psalm 118:22-23)

Come join this conversation with a few of the authors!

Our Speakers

Dr. Ish Ruíz

Ish Ruíz is Assistant Professor of Latinx and Queer Decolonial Theology at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, and he holds a PhD in Theology and Ethics from the Graduate Theological Union. A native from 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), co-editor of Cornerstones: Sacred Stories of LGBTQ+ Employees in Catholic Institutions, and the author of numerous academic articles.

Shelly Fitzgerald and Family

Shelly Fitzgerald, a life long resident of Indianapolis, IN, raised in a Catholic home and educated in Catholic schools for 12 years. She spent15 years serving as the Director of School Counseling at her alma mater, until she was fired in 2018 for being gay—a moment that sparked national conversation and advocacy. Today, Shelly is the Director of Resource Development at IYG, the longest continually running LGBTQ+ youth organization, located in Indianapolis.  She and her amazing wife Vic have been together for 29 years and are proud parents to their 19-year-old daughter Sofi, a student at Penn State. They share their home—and hearts—with three beloved dogs: River, Ben, and Sonny.

Breanna Sinclairé

Breanna Sinclairé is a graduate from CalArts and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (as the first Trans person in the conservatory’s opera program). On the stage, she has performed in many operatic works: Carmen, Samson and Delilah, and Durufle’s Requiem, to name a few. She has also sung with the Gay Men’s Choruses of San Francisco, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. Recently, Breanna performed for the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention (alongside House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi). She has also sung the national anthem for the San Franciso Giants, the Oakland A’s, and The San Francisco Deltas as the first trans singer to perform at a national sporting event. Breanna was named OUT Magazine’s LGBT Hero of the Year in 2015.

A CLGS Spring 2025 Lavender Lunch