Windy City Times (@windycitytimes.com)

WORLD Pope Leo, IDAHO, Eurovision win, UK Pride marches International development expert Zikora Ibeh wondered if Pope Leo XIV's approach to LGBTQ+ issues will be similar to Pope Francis' approach, because there is one group for whom the answer to this question can have serious consequences: queer…

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WORLD Pope Leo, IDAHO, Eurovision win, UK Pride marches International development expert Zikora Ibeh wondered if Pope Leo XIV's approach to LGBTQ+ issues will be similar to Pope Francis' approach, because there is one group for whom the answer to this question can have serious consequences: queer Africans, according to New Ways Ministry. Writing in the journal International Politics and Society, Ibeh explained that Francis' historic 2013 statement "Who am I to judge?" caught the attention of the globe, but did so particularly in Africa, adding, "His words also reverberated across Africa, a continent that accounts for 20 percent of the global Catholic population and where culture and religion have for decades served as powerful tools to reinforce the most virulent forms of homophobic stigma.” According to Gay Christian Africa founder Adélard Kananira, Pope Francis changed the tone and broke the silence allowing Catholic communities to open up space to finally talk about queer reality, stating, “His approach addressed the elephant in the room, which had been impossible for decades.” https://windycitytimes.com/2025/05/23/world-pope-leo-idaho-eurovision-win-uk-pride-marches/