CAMPUS CHRONICLES: Catholic University Silences LGBT Awareness, While Georgetown University Raises Standard Again

The flyer which caused the film screening to be cancelled

The two largest Catholic colleges in Washington, DC, are making headlines over LGBT issues, but in differing directions. The Catholic University of America cancelled a film screening on the life gay advocate Harvey Milk over concerns that the film opposes Catholic teaching, while Georgetown University announced its plans to host an LGBT conference for Jesuit schools next year.

The cancellation occurred the day before the CUA College Democrats were set to host the screening, with University administrators citing concerns the event had moved from education to advocacy by including a rainbow flag and the words “LGBT awareness” on an event flyer.

Besides the film, the event included talks by politics professor John White and Montgomery County Democratic chair Kevin Walling, a 2007 alumus, about how gay rights affected the Democratic party. Michael O’Loughlin of Crux says Walling expressed his disappoint about:

” ‘…number one for how they treated their students, and number two, how they treated this topic…

” ‘This seems like a regression…The fact that the university canceled this event the day of is sparking an important conversation the university should have…and hopefully some good will come out of this.’ “

 

Ryan Fecteau, a 2014 alumnus who led efforts for an LGBT student group, CUAllies, that was ultimately denied recognition [disclosure: I co-led the organization with Fecteau as an undergraduate], told The Tower:

” ‘As a CUA alum who is on the verge of being the youngest openly gay elected state representative in the country, I am disappointed to see CUA digress to a point where they once again send an unwelcoming message to LGBT students…In fact, the message that the University is sending students could very well impact emotional and psychological health, it is a message that really could impact someone’s life.’

” ‘This is not the kind of culture [we] should be trying to cultivate or even our Church…Everyone in the CUA community should be disappointed by this decision. I am.’ “

On a personal note, I attended the first iteration of this “Milk and Cookies” event in 2011 and remember the conversations that developed around the embattled life of Harvey Milk to be extremely generative. University administrators persist in their empty distinction about education and advocacy, which is, in my opinion, an easy way of disregarding this issue. Many Catholic institutions, educational and otherwise, have successfully entered into the complex realities of what sexual orientation and gender identity mean. By branding events such as this screening as “advocacy,” President John Garvey and his staff have written off the issue — and thus the real and present needs of LGBT community members — altogether.

I think the comments of gay sophomore, Steve Morris, who happens to be a College Republican, best summarize my own response to this pastorally-damaging situation:

” ‘I can’t help but think if Pope Francis — he of “Who am I to judge?” — were making this decision, there wouldn’t have been an issue about it at all.’ “

Following the pope’s welcoming and merciful tone, Georgetown University is choosing a different path than Catholic University. GUPride, along with Campus Ministry and Student Affairs, will be hosting the second IgnatianQ LGBTQ Catholic conference following up on a 2013 conference held at Fordham University in New York. The Georgetown Voice reports the conference of about 200 participants from Jesuit colleges will focus on forming Ignatian-inclined contemplative communities. GUPride president Thomas Lloyd says of the event, nicknamed “IggyQ”:

” ‘It’s really important that there is transparency among the LGBTQ communities on Jesuit campuses that allows the progress of one school to influence the actions and progress of another…It was sort of healing for students who felt as though there was no place for that part of their identity on a Jesuit campus.’

” ‘We recognized what Georgetown in particular could bring to this conversation…There are very few LGBTQ spaces that exist nationally to address this question … that’s why this conference is so important.’ “

This conference is the latest effort by Georgetown University’s students and staff members to deal positively with LGBT issues at a Catholic institution. However, this inclusiveness was not always the case as student Julie Tanaka points out in that same issue of The Georgetown Voice that announced the conference. She emphasizes a key point that the University is always a “living and learning community” that needs to be held accountable for growth, a lesson Catholic University students should keep in mind as they address the silencing of LGBT awareness on their own campus.

To lend your support to CUA students, consider signing the Change.org petition asking The Catholic University of America to follow Pope Francis’ lead and create a welcome for LGBT students. You can find it here.

–Bob Shine, New Ways Ministry

7 replies
  1. Friends
    Friends says:

    On a more positive note, I’m happy to report that Holy Cross — another well-known Jesuit undergraduate college — hosts GLBTQ social and support groups for both its students and its alumni, and also has several openly gay or trans faculty members. The Jesuits seem to be far out front on this issue, while Catholic University appears to be stuck in a cultural backwater. I suspect that the Archbishop whose Diocese includes the District of Columbia has got something to do with producing this very negative climate. Who is he, by the way?.

    Reply
  2. Brian Kneeland
    Brian Kneeland says:

    CUA is sadly becoming such a conservative place of learning, while the Jesuits are helping the church open the doors to new ideas once more. My hope is that a Jesuit pope will help the church be more pastoral to LGBT persons and less about judgment. If not – I will become an Episcopalian!

    Reply
  3. Brian Kneeland
    Brian Kneeland says:

    I would add that when I was entering the University of Detroit (the Jesuit University in Detroit) in 1975 we had to spend a weekend living on campus. They were very open to LGBT students and instructed us of a meeting and where to go (bars, unfortunately) to meet others near the campus!

    Reply
  4. pjnugent
    pjnugent says:

    Each year in our parish there is a collection for CUA. My wife and i will not support it this year, or any year until the administration of CUA changes its LGBTQ policies. And we will so notify our pastor and the CUA administration.

    Reply
  5. Kathleen Fallon
    Kathleen Fallon says:

    Giving the lgbt voice to one party at CUA is misleading. Being gay is not about D or R. Perhaps reschedule the event independent of politics and keep the politicians away would work out.

    Reply

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  1. […] 2014, administrators cancelled a screening of the film Milk about the life of gay rights icon Harvey Milk, and have the school has hosted […]

  2. […] Princeton Review’s rankings at #18 in 2013 and #12 in 2014. The administration repeatedly rejected a student LGBT group or any positive outreach through student affairs and campus ministry. A recent change in […]

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