CAMPUS CHRONICLES: Chipotle Celebration Follows Catholic Teammate's Coming Out

The spring semester has brought many positive developments for LGBT inclusion at Catholic colleges and universities in the United States. Below, Bondings 2.0 features some of the highlights with links provided to read more.

Villanova University

A member of Villanova Unitiversity’s swim team came out as gay to applause — and Chipotle — in January, in yet another positive moment of LGBT college athletes being welcomed in Catholic higher education.

After winter break, Ryan Murtha told his teammates at the suburban Philadelphia school about his sexual orientation.  OutSports reported:

“When he was done speaking, Murtha looked up at his teammates. Some stared back at him, others looked down. The room was silent. No response…

“One teammate broke the silence with clapping. Then another. It was like a scene from a movie, with the entire team eventually joining in the celebration, cheering. They circled around Murtha and hugged him, assuring him that he was the same guy they’ve loved since he arrived on the team, and this wouldn’t change a thing.”

To celebrate, the team headed to Chipotle, Mexican fast-food chain restaurant. Hurdles remain for Murtha whose Catholic parents are struggling to accept him as a gay son .  Additionally, he is now barred from serving the Boy Scouts, an organization he has been dedicated to for most of his life. However, Murtha’s coming out will help the atmosphere at the more conservative Villanova where LGBT inclusion is a positive, but ongoing effort according to an article in student newspaper, The Villanovan , .which reported:

“At first glance, the University might not seem like the ideal place for an organization like the Gay-Straight Coalition. It’s small, with only around 6,500 undergraduate students. It is religious, with prominent Augustinian and Catholic roots. And it is conservative, or at least more so than the average public university. But nevertheless, the GSC has been operating at the University with the help of Kathleen Byrnes, the Associate Vice President of Student Life, since 2003. The group has around 40 active members, more than 100 on its email list and hosts several prominent events each semester. These events range from the ‘That’s So Gay’ student-led panel, where Villanovans discuss what it’s like to be openly gay on campus, to LGBT Awareness Week, where members raise awareness about homophobia and violence against those in the LGBT community. “

Georgetown University

The Washington Blade reports that an openly gay Republican is running as one of six candidates for student president at Georgetown University, in the District of Columbia. Tim Rosenberger would become the school’s second gay president in two years, following Nate Tisa’s election in 2013. He is running on a platform of fairness, saying in an interview:

“I think I can make Georgetown more supportive and fairer for all students…I want to see everyone, even people who don’t fit the very traditional Catholic mold, do well here and succeed.”

In a related story, Georgetown students also rallied for transgender rights as part of a student coalition in Washington, D.C. acting in response to the suicide of Leelah Alcorn. Campbell James of GU Pride told The Hoya:

“What we as Georgetown students can do to help counter the high rates of trans suicide is to make sure that we are supportive of our friends, family and fellow students who may identify as trans by making sure we use appropriate language choices and by allowing these individuals to feel comfortable being themselves.”

Marquette University

Marquette University administrators are seeking to  fire tenured Professor John McAdams for harassing a graduate student. Bondings 2.0 reported in December about a graduate student who came under fire for passing over a student’s comments about same-sex marriage because she felt they were irrelevant to the course material. McAdams harshly criticized the teacher on his personal blog, which led to her leaving the university after tremendous harassment. The incident is making waves in higher education as some defend Marquette’s decision while others claim it attacks academic freedom.

University of Notre Dame

The Gay and Lesbian Alumni of Notre Dame and St. Mary’s has announced the creation of the  first LGBTQ scholarship, awarding two out undergraduates $2,500. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2015.  The scholarship would be awarded to a student at one of the two South Bend, Indiana, institutions, which are closely connected academically.

Thus far into 2015, it seems LGBT inclusion is hitting a very positive note in Catholic higher education. To read Bondings 2.0‘s full coverage of Catholic higher education, see the “Campus Chronicles” category to the right or click here.

–Bob Shine, New Ways Ministry