LGBTQ+ Youth “Deserve So Much Better” from Church, Writes Catholic Sister

Sr. Christine Schenk, CSJ, is currently grieving the loss of freedom for many LGBTQ+ students in Ohio. The reason for this grief over loss of freedom is because of a new gender policy established by the Diocese of Cleveland, where Schenk lives.

In the National Catholic Reporter, Schenk writes that Cleveland young people “deserve so much better” than the policy which states that LGBTQ+ youth will be unable to use gender-affirming pronouns, restrooms, and healthcare within school settings. In addition, parish and school staff are mandated to tell parents if a student comes out as transgender.

Schenk cites Cleveland’s mayor, Justin Bibb, who said the policy “forces LGBTQ kids to hide their authentic selves and attend school in fear of persecution for who they are.” Similarly, Cleveland Councilman Kerry McCormack stated that “this politically motivated decision will harm young people in our local parochial schools and continue to alienate the church.”

The new policy does not apply to the 14 Catholic high schools in the diocese sponsored by religious congregtions. Schenk is “grateful” for this clause, since her congregation’s high school, St. Joseph Academy, is not required to follow diocese orders. After the diocese released the guidelines, St. Joseph Academ’s leaders sent a letter to parents affirming the school’s commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ students. For Schenk, she has “rarely been more proud and grateful to be a Sister of St. Joseph.”

Yet, this is not the religious congregation’s first step towards LGBTQ+ allyship. Ten years ago, the Sisters of St. Joseph began to educate themselves on LGBTQ+ issues in order to better support the community. Schenk explains:

“We learned about pronouns, yes, but mostly we learned about the people who find themselves persecuted and marginalized because of their God-given embodiment. We learned startling statistics about the incidence of suicide attempts or self-harm among LGBTQ youth and adults.”

“We chose to be allies of our LGBTQ sisters and brothers because our charism impels us to live the truth that love of God and love of neighbor are one. As a result, we have become engaged in an array of activities, from attending Pride festivals and parades to joining with Catholic bishops supporting the Tyler Clementi Foundation standing with at-risk LGBT youth in our country.”

According to Schenk, one of the most “distressing” parts of the anti-LGBTQ+ policies springing up in U.S. dioceses is that it assumes that all people are either male or female. In actuality, 1.7% of babies have intersex traits, and 1.6% of the U.S. population identify as transgender. Despite science showing that “sex is anything but binary,” the Catholic Church continues to make policies “within their comfortable bubbles.”

She also questions how the Cleveland policy was developed. School leaders were not consulted. KC McKenna, president of St. Edward High School, said the school was unaware of the diocese’s policy until it was formally established. Schenk states:

“This is a really bad way to develop policy — especially in a time of synodality with a pope who is passionate about including everyone. I wish that the Cleveland Diocese — indeed, all U.S. dioceses — would imitate the far more enlightened guidelines recently issued by the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, after widespread consultation.”

David Palmieri at Outreach wrote that there is more “rigor” to Cleveland’s policy than is found in other diocesan guidelines. He explained the language of the text is “more detailed and legalistic.” For example, the policy flatly states that rainbows and Pride flags cannot be used on the institution’s property or at institutional events.

The Cleveland policy, like all other restrictive ones enacted, has the potential to negatively impact students’ mental health, self-esteem, and feelings of support. Catholic schools should be concerned about the potential impact for harm such policies threaten. Sr. Schenk is right: LGBTQ+ youth “deserve so much better.”

—Sarah Cassidy (she/her), New Ways Ministry, November13, 2023