Speaker Series — Tyler Bieber — March 22, 2026

Against the Current : Father Tom Oddo and the New American Catholic

On Sunday evening, March 22, 2026, approximately 28 Dignity Washington members and friends gathered after Mass to hear Tyler Bieber, MA, discuss his new book, Against the Current : Father Tom Oddo and the New American Catholic. The work uncovers the life of Father Thomas Oddo (1944–1989), who was described as “the most influential gay activist you’ve never heard of.”

Bieber portrayed Father Tom as a “Renaissance man” — athletic, deeply intellectual, and charismatic. He possessed a “movie star” quality that made him equally endearing to corporate boards and students in the cafeteria.

Bieber cited Father Tom’s “dual leadership” roles. As a 29-year-old gay man, he co-founded DignityUSA. At 38, he became the 17th president of the University of Portland, where he was widely beloved by students and credited with saving the institution’s Catholic identity during a time of financial and organizational uncertainty.

The author encountered Father Tom’s story while researching another project in 2023. He decided to write the biography after realizing that not even a Wikipedia page had been created/dedicated to this accomplished priest.

Father Tom died at age 45 in a tragic car accident, in 1989, just as he was becoming a national voice for church reform. His sexuality was largely kept out of public records for years; in 1993, a public memorial openly acknowledged him as a gay man.

Sunday’s audience responded positively to the energetic, thought-provoking presentation. A Q&A session generated several follow-up questions. Before the evening ended, Bieber signed copies of his book and spoke one-on-one with several attendees. This was the first in a series of speakers Dignity Washington plans to offer its members in the coming year.

Read Lou Chibarro’s Blade article Gay priest credited with boosting church support for LGBTQ Catholics… here.