Mexican Bishops Warn of “Gay Dictatorship;” Defend Reparative Therapy

letran3

Members of the Mexican episcopate

Tensions over LGBT rights have been increasing in Mexico over the past two months, with Catholic bishops there taking a strong stand against marriage equality. The debate in that nation has elicited some strident rhetoric from both sides, with strong charges of persecution by their opponents from each side.  And, Catholic bishops have received the endorsement of a powerful Catholic voice in their anti-marriage equality campaign: Pope Francis.

The rhetoric of persecution has now enjoined the bishops in a battle about the much-disproven field of reparative therapy, which the bishops have endorsed.

Mexico’s National Council to Prevent Discrimination (Conapred), a governmental agency, recently denounced reparative or “ex-gay” therapy, responding to an article in Catholic media titled “No one is born gay.”

The country’s bishops reacted negatively to Conapred’s denunciation, reported Pink News. Fr. Hugo Valdemar, a spokesperson for the bishops, said:

“There is persecution against the Church. . .It is something very serious, the state now determines the sexual behavior of citizens and forbids any attempt to return to normalcy.

“The state prohibits parents from helping their children to solve their sexual doubts and prohibits homosexuals from changing, but if they want to change their sex they fund that atrocity, it’s something diabolic.”

Valdemar said there would be a “gay dictatorship” soon under which people who disagree with LGBT rights would be imprisoned.

Debates over LGBT rights have intensified in recent weeks after President Enrique Peña Nieto said in May that he would push Congress to pass marriage equality, adoption rights for same-gender partners, non-discrimination protections, and allowances for people to self-identify their gender on official documents. Just ten of Mexico’s 31 states do not have bans on same-gender marriages in place. Peña Nieto’s federal effort seeks to override such bans, and implement LGBT protections universally.

However, LGBT advocates have challenged the president’s commitment, suggesting that his announcement in May might have caused more harm then good. After Peña Nieto’s party suffered losses in June elections, LGBT issues have been sidelined by parrty leaders. But his announcement did stir intense opposition from the Catholic hierarchy and other groups opposed to LGBT rights.

The anti-equality group National Front for the Family has organized dozens of rallies across Mexico, according to Animal Politico. Reports from ABC News said about 215,000 people turned out for anti-marriage equality rallies this past weekend, following up on earlier protests on September 10th. The National Front is primarily supported by the Catholic hierarchy in Mexico with key bishops offering their support in an August 12th letter.

Fr. Valdemar attempted to withdraw such direct support by the bishops later in August, saying moral support for the marches offered by church leaders was in favor of marriage and family, not opposed to any specific legislation or community of people. Church leaders have led marches or rallies in at least eleven states between the September 10th and September 24th demonstrations.

Following the September 10th rallies, TeleSur reported that Conapred released a statement implicitly critical of the bishops’ involvement, saying the denial of equal marriage rights is “an affront to [gay couples] dignity and their integrity.” The statement said further:

” ‘Encouraging discrimination against people because of their sexual and gender orientation or status, as well as trying to exclude families that do not replicate the traditional nuclear model, through expressions and speeches that may incite hatred and violence, as has happened in recent months, violates the human rights of all people.’ “

Pro-equality organizations have organized their own rallies, including one on September 11th which ended at the cathedral in Mexico City. There the National Pride Front of Mexico, an umbrella group for 70 LGBT organizations, launched a campaign calling for the removal of the city’s archbishop, Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera. Spokesperson Patria Jimenez explained the Front was appealing to Pope Francis because, TeleSur reported:

” ‘We want to stop the speeches of violence. We respect freedom of expression and we have open arms. The Church says that it preaches love for your neighbor, but today we see that it promotes hatred.’ “

Rhetoric about marriage equality LGBT rights has been heated and hyperbolic from both sides. Bishop Pedro Pablo Elizondo of Cancun said he would “go to prison to defend the family” where he said “some charitable soul would go to visit me, especially in this year of mercy.”

On the other side, La Jornada reported a national strategy put forth by the group Equality Mexico to file discrimination complaints against the Catholic Church in multiple regions. For instance, LGBT coalition Red Positiva filed a discrimination complaint with Conapred against Bishop Elizondo. Crux reported:

“The complaint filed also claimed the bishop was opposing article 130 of the Mexican Constitution, which dictates that religious ministers can’t oppose the law nor call the faithful to do so in any public event or religious ceremony.”

Victor Aguirre Espinoza and Fernando Urias Samparo, the first same-gender couple to marry in the state of Mexicali, filed a complaint against the Catholic Church with the governor there. They claim church leaders have violated Article 8 of the Law of Religious Associations, which the plaintiffs allege means religious organizations cannot intervene in politics and must the respect human rights of all people, reported La Voz de La Frontera.

Elsewhere, two LGBT groups filed a complaint against the Archdiocese of Tijuana, specifically alleging that Archbishop Francisco Moreno Barrón had incited hate speech. Equality Mexico filed a complaint against the Archdiocese of Mexico City with the Ministry of the Interior. Complaints are expected in Chihuahua, Yucatán, Hidalgo, and Sinaloa as well.

Finally, Crux reported that Pope Francis offered support for Mexico’s bishops following the Angelus yesterday, saying

” ‘I join willingly the Bishops of Mexico in supporting the efforts of the Church and civil society in favor of the family and of life, which at this time require special pastoral and cultural attention worldwide.’ “

Francis has refrained from entering debates about legal protections for same-gender couples in many countries, including the United States and Italy. But he involved himself when LGBT issues were being debated in Slovakia and Slovenia. This bifurcated response is puzzling.

Mexico is the world’s second largest Catholic nation with nearly 100 million people, or more than 80% of the population, identifying as Catholic. But opinions are equally divided on marriage equality. 40% of Mexicans support equal rights, 40% oppose them, and 10% have no opinion per polling in early September, reported Vanguardia.

When considering what is happening in the country on LGBT rights, one must be keep in mind that Mexico has a troubled and violent history between the church and secular government, including anti-clerical laws in the early 20th century which led to many churches being closed and the oppression and even murder of priests. While laws have changed and tensions lessened, the legacy of these decades lingers. Furthermore, church ministers are targeted today as part of the country’s drug-related violence.

These realities may cause prelates to make extreme claims like the church is being persecuted or suggestions they would be jailed. But church leaders should be more responsible in their rhetorical actions, instead of using hyperbolic and inflammatory terms like “gay dictatorship.” Actual violence in the past and today makes it especially troubling that church leaders and LGBT advocates have both used such charged language in this debate. Where the church should be a unifying force for the promotion and expansion of human rights for all people, including LGBT communities, it is instead acting as a source of unnecessary pain and conflict.

De-escalation from both sides would be advisable, as it would likely allow dialogue to replace divisive tactics. Dialogue could produce laws which are respectful of every person’s dignity and the rights of religious institutions. Such laws would ultimately advance the common good, and that is the cause to which all sides should ultimately commit themselves.

–Bob Shine, New Ways Ministry

 

17 replies
  1. John Hilgeman
    John Hilgeman says:

    They’re fools. “Reparative” therapy is abuse. And one might even call it sexual abuse, because it is an abuse of one’s sexuality. I just do not understand how RC bishops can walk lock-step around the globe in pushing theories of homosexuality and transgenderism that are based on falsehoods. I cannot understand how they can be so oblivious to the reality of so many of God’s children. I cannot understand how they can call the gift of sexuality diabolic, and how they can justify the attack on the basic human rights of so many people in the name of the God of Love. In this instance, the wisdom of many in the laity is the true wisdom. In this instance, the ignorance and behavior of the RC bishops is abominable.

    Reply
  2. Thomas
    Thomas says:

    I may be one of those Catholics who thinks that the Church should take a seat behind the secular state. I am all for religious freedom, but a secular society should / would not promote the kind of speech heard from these Mexican bishops and indeed bishops around the world. The Church is taking the road of division rather than acting like a loving parent. Just yesterday I was watching a documentary about the freedom marches in Alabama in 1964 and 1965. There were priests and nuns marching with black and white Americans to promote civil rights. Somehow, I can’t see that happening in the atmosphere of today’s church.

    Reply
  3. Loretta
    Loretta says:

    The hierarchy screams that they are under attack. But it’s okay to attack gays, criminalize them, and as John said, sexually abuse them by undergoing so-called reparative therapy. Where was all of this official outrage when priests were molesting kids?

    Reply
  4. Wilhelm Wonka
    Wilhelm Wonka says:

    Mexican bishops are on the losing side of history in terms of LGBT equality, and, like all such losers (including Pope Francis), are dealing with it very sorely.

    As for Francis’ bifurcated approach to LGBT issues internationally, there is no puzzle here: he’s being the consummate politician and diplomat. Francis pulls his partisan weight only in countries which are broadly accepting of magisterial teaching, including that on homosexuality. There is far less chance in these countries of an embarrassing public backlash against him and against the Church.

    I repeat what I said on a previous Bondings 2.0 blog: Pope Francis is not sincere on LGBT equality. He would keep the LGBT community as second-class citizens, as his intervention in Mexican politics attests. And, as he apparently did not criticize Mexican bishops for their support of so-called “Reparative Therapy”, he would have this community (including its young) subjected to the torture and humiliation of such a degrading and discredited form of quackery.

    Reply
    • Friends
      Friends says:

      Sadly, I agree with you, Will Wonka. Francis is a consummate Jesuit politician — telling various audiences and ideological camps whatever he believes will keep them at least moderately pacified, and thereby keep them “on board” with the larger RCC global enterprise. Diplomacy is one thing — but deceptive political prevarication is something else entirely. Francis is arguably more compassionate and charismatic than JP II or Benedict XVI. But if he continues to obscure the solid core existential truth of his own core beliefs as Pope — if in fact he holds such core beliefs — then what are we to make of him? And how seriously should we take to heart (or to conscience) his official pronouncements? Many (if not most) of us rebelled against Benedict’s extremely reactionary political, social and moral views, but we did not abandon our commitment to professed Catholicism. Pope Francis is giving us a much more subtle — and in some ways a much more daunting — existential conundrum.

      Reply
  5. bjmonda
    bjmonda says:

    Let’s see: The Church is under attack?? By the people they are attacking for wanting to be Catholics in good standing? Doesn’t make sense?? Let’s count the dead: Gay’s = millions killed by words leading to actions of brutality and death by the minions. Catholic Bishops, Cardinals, priests killed by Gays ? 0% I hear the Koch Broither are under attack as well?

    Reply
  6. Larry
    Larry says:

    You just can’t trust Francis. Folks will say he has to play political games to move the Church in a progressive direction but it is beginning to seem like the same old same old with a smiley face.

    Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. […] an ambiguous stance toward conversion therapy.2 In 2016, a spokesperson for the Mexican bishops implied their support of conversion therapy. While U.S. bishops have not specifically affirmed conversion […]

  2. […] highly contentious debate over marriage equality, saying during the Angelus one Sunday that he joined the country’s bishops in their efforts “in favor of the family and of life, which at this time require special […]

  3. […] the past autumn, Bondings 2.0 has been reporting on the same-sex marriage debate in the heavily Catholic nation of Mexico.  As we reported, […]

  4. […] the past autumn, Bondings 2.0 has been reporting on the same-sex marriage debate in the heavily Catholic nation of Mexico.  As we reported, […]

  5. […]  For more information read a detailed article of the Massive Protests from ABC and the Support from Mexican Bishops to Reparative Therapy from Bondings 2.0 (courtesy of New Ways […]

  6. […]  For more information read a detailed article of the Massive Protests from ABC and the Support from Mexican Bishops to Reparative Therapy from Bondings 2.0 (courtesy of New Ways […]

  7. […]  For more information read a detailed article of the Massive Protests from ABC and the Support from Mexican Bishops to Reparative Therapy from Bondings 2.0 (courtesy of New Ways […]

  8. […] Marriage equality and other rights for LGBT people are hotly contested issues in Mexico after President Enrique Peña Nieto announced in May that he would be pushing Congress to approve such laws.For further context, see Bondings 2.0’s coverage of Mexico earlier this week by clicking here. […]

  9. […] Diversity). For more information read a detailed article of the Massive Protests from ABC and the Support from Mexican Bishops to Reparative Therapy from Bondings 2.0 (courtesy of New Ways […]

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *