Report: Pope Francis Met with Gay Couple During Trip to U.S.
HRC President Chad Griffin describes news as "heartening"
WASHINGTON - October 2, 2015 -- Today, in response to reports that Pope Francis met privately with a local same-sex couple during his visit to the nation's capital, Chad Griffin, President of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, released the following statement:
"It is heartening news that Pope Francis met privately with his friend and former student, Yayo Grassi, and his partner of 19 years, Iwan. It now not only appears that the Pope's encounter with Kim Davis has been mischaracterized, but that Pope Francis embraced these longtime friends. "
Grassi's partner posted on Facebook a brief video of the couple's meeting with Pope Francis; the Vatican has not yet confirmed the meeting or its details.
The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) News
Other Human Rights Campaign (HRC) News Articles
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) seeks to improve the lives of LGBT Americans by advocating for equal rights and benefits in the workplace, ensuring families are treated equally under the law and increasing public support among all Americans through innovative advocacy, education and outreach programs. HRC works to secure equal rights for LGBT individuals and families at the federal and state levels by lobbying elected officials, mobilizing grassroots supporters, educating Americans, investing strategically to elect fair-minded officials and partnering with other LGBT organizations.
