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I recently celebrated 11 years as a columnist at National Catholic Reporter. Some longtime readers may recall that I began as a member of the first cohort of NCR's Young Voices columnists. After a few years, Tom Fox, who was then our editor, invited me to write my own weekly column. I called it "Grace on the Margins," echoing the headline of the first column I ever wrote for NCR, " The Grace of Living on the Margins." Looking back at that first piece, what strikes me most today is that I came out as a lesbian in the third sentence! Though I suspect there are a good number of LGBTQ writers in the Catholic media, few feel safe enough to come out. In fact, to my knowledge, I'm the only out queer woman who writes for a Catholic newspaper in the world.
And, yet, back in 2008, when marriage equality still seemed like a distant dream, I didn't think twice about revealing who I am in NCR's pages. I think my confidence is a testimony to my trust that NCR was truly a prophetic voice -- a publication that didn't simply talk about marginalized people, but actually gave us a voice.
Whether they are sex abuse survivors, or black or Latinx Catholics, or feminists, or LGBT persons, NCR is singular among other Catholic media outlets for the range of voices it includes in its reporting and its commentary. That level of inclusion isn't simply visionary, it understands the kind of reporting, storytelling and truth-telling that new generations of Catholics demand.
Not all publications that are independent can boast this kind of diversity. For more than a decade, I have been proud to contribute to a news organization that courageously and consistently takes full advantage of this opportunity.
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At NCR, we have not given up our hope of realizing a church that is a reflection of God's justice and love, and we are not afraid to give a platform to those who might otherwise be ignored or silenced by the institutional church.
As someone writing from the church's margins -- as I do as both a feminist and LGBTQ person -- I ask you to become an NCR Forward member. Your support of $5 a month or more allows me to continue to have a voice at National Catholic Reporter.
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 Thank you,
Jamie Manson Columnist and Books Editor |
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