Dear Listeners,
This week’s episode begins with the recent New York Times essay by Matthew Vines, “I’m Gay, Not Queer. It Matters,” but it quickly becomes something much more personal. Rather than debating labels for their own sake, I wanted to explore what the word queer has come to mean in my own life.
For me, queerness isn’t simply another word for LGBTQ. It’s a way of describing a life that exists beyond the expectations of what society assumes is “normal,” “natural,” or “default.” As a transgender man and a Catholic, I’ve spent much of my life navigating identities that many people insist cannot coexist. In that tension, I’ve discovered that queerness isn’t just about who we love or how we identify—it’s about refusing to let other people’s assumptions define who we are.
In this episode, I reflect on why I continue to embrace the word queer, how it has shaped my understanding of faith, and why I believe the Gospel — and Catholic Social Doctrine — has always made room for people whose lives don’t fit neatly into society’s categories. Whether or not you identify with the label yourself, I hope this conversation offers a deeper understanding of what queerness can mean—and why it has become such an important part of my own journey as a Catholic.
As always, thank you for listening.
Max
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