Franciscan Fr. Daniel Horan quit Twitter after receiving pushback on a pro-transgender tweet, he wrote for the National Catholic Reporter (NCR).
Horan tweeted Dec. 22 “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Nonbinary people are people.” He wrote for the National Catholic Reporter that he meant the tweet as a “transgender-affirming post” in a time he says is particularly hateful toward transgender people. However, the backlash against the tweet ultimately drove Horan to delete his account.
Fr. Dan Horan posted that men are women & women are men in opposition to Pope Francis, the place he teaches, & the truth.
He could not handle criticism of such untruth.
Now, he tries to give a noble justification of him leaving Twitter. https://t.co/7xWbvc5ERK pic.twitter.com/unPSj6ZRoS
— Fr Matthew P. Schneider, LC (@FrMatthewLC) December 28, 2023
Horan implicated Elon Musk for the vitriol against his pro-transgender tweet, claiming he has transformed Twitter into an anti-LGBT social media platform, including changing conduct policies to allow for such speech.
Horan’s tweet was counter to Pope Francis’ remarks about gender ideology and transgenderism. The Pope has called gender ideology “dangerous” and maintained that marriage is between one man and one woman. (RELATED: Trans Actor Melts Down After Being ‘Misgendered’ At Delta Air Lines Gate)
The response to Horan was decidedly against the pro-transgender tweet.
A priest tweeted, “He could not handle criticism of such untruth,” while another user expressed Horan needed to go back to “biology class.” The negative response to his tweet incited Horan to call Twitter “a space … designed to … encourage violence.”
Horan has previously written articles for NCR supporting left-wing causes such as climate change ideology, the “devolvement” of Twitter after being bought by Elon Musk and anti-racism.
Horan’s tweet emerged after Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, an all-girls Catholic school, reversed its previous decision Dec. 21 to allow transgender women to enroll. Horan, a director and faculty member of the school, opposed the school’s decision.