College Of St. Catherine To Host Drag Show

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COLLEGE OF ST. CATHERINE TO HOST DRAG SHOW

The radical feminist professor of a course on lesbian literature at the
College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota, is sponsoring a “Drag
Show” on campus this evening, May 12. This is the third year that the
event featuring lesbian themes and sexuality will occur on the Catholic
campus. The event is co-sponsored by a group called PRIDE and the student
government, with funding from the St. Kate’s Activities Team.

Announcements of the event identify the main sponsor as “Lesbian Texts in
Context,” an English and Women’s Studies course taught by the chair of the
English Department, Cecilia Konchar Farr. In Farr’s syllabus for the
course, which requires reading homosexual-themed books including Oranges
Aren’t the Only Fruit and The Dyke and the Dybbuk, she informs students
that the course “may appear to more political to you than others.
…Please be assured that your views… will not affect your grade (except
when they are poorly articulated).” The spring semester course ends with
a “Queer Graduation Party” held on May 10 and a “Final Exam: Queer Coffee”
on May 17.

The recipient of a 1992 National Organization for Women “Women of
Courageous Action” award, Farr received national attention in 1993 when
she was dismissed from the faculty of Brigham Young University, a Mormon
institution. Although herself a Mormon, Farr provoked the ire of Brigham
Young officials by advocating abortion rights and other tenets of radical
feminism. She spoke at a 1992 abortion rights rally in Salt Lake City,
Utah, identifying herself as a faithful but “pro-choice” Mormon, and later
published her speech.

CONTACT: Sr. Andrea Lee, IHM, President, College of St. Catherine, 2004
Randolph Ave., St. Paul, MN 55105; Phone: (651) 690-6525; E-mail:
ajlee@stkate.edu
 
I’m starting to wonder if the best strategy for these events is to ignore them. Who on earth would be interested in such an event except the very small minority of confused and bewildered?
 
I have a question. Why would a Catholic College hire a radical feminist?
 
The spring semester course ends with
a “Queer Graduation Party” held on May 10 and a “Final Exam: Queer Coffee”
on May 17.

Nope, there is no “gay” agenda in this culture.
 
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StratusRose:
I have a question. Why would a Catholic College hire a radical feminist?
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Or have a course on “lesbian literature” ? Good grief.
Lisa N
 
Lisa N:
Or have a course on “lesbian literature” ? Good grief.
Lisa N
Click to expand...
Really. Who cares? I shudder to think what that literature is like.
 
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Brad:
I’m starting to wonder if the best strategy for these events is to ignore them. Who on earth would be interested in such an event except the very small minority of confused and bewildered?
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We’ve been doing that for 40 or so years… Has it worked well? Now we have Gay Pride days in High Schools and middle schools…
 
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CatQuilt:
We’ve been doing that for 40 or so years… Has it worked well? Now we have Gay Pride days in High Schools and middle schools…
Click to expand...
Ignoring the issues rarely makes them go away. An aggressive defense ot the truth is needed. Ignoring these isssues opened a big door and they rushed through as fast as they could. It took less than 1 generation.
 
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CatQuilt:
We’ve been doing that for 40 or so years… Has it worked well? Now we have Gay Pride days in High Schools and middle schools…
Click to expand...
A Gay Pride day in High School is vastly different in scope and influence than a drag show in a college. I’d be the first person protesting such an event in my local high school.
 
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buffalo:
Ignoring the issues rarely makes them go away. An aggressive defense ot the truth is needed. Ignoring these isssues opened a big door and they rushed through as fast as they could. It took less than 1 generation.
Click to expand...
I think you are being a tad unfair here. From my posts, you must know some of my track record in combating relativism and heresy. What I’m talking about here is situationally specific. I’m not talking about ignoring everything. You have to prioritize.
 
I looked through St. Catherine’s website and was appalled at the events and activities. What does Archbishop Flynn have to say about this place?
 
The following is the reply I received from Sr. Andrea Lee, IHM, President of College of St. Catherine. I’m sure it’s a form letter sent to all who wrote to protest the Drag Show. Note how she invites me/us to contact her with our additional thoughts or questions. Why don’t you all take her up on her offer and give your additional thoughts?

Dear _____,

Thank you very much for taking time to express your views. The College of St. Catherine upholds the teachings of the Catholic Church, actively fosters them and reflects them in our curriculum and campus life. At the same time, we respect the broadly held norms of academic freedom and so do not automatically screen out as unacceptable every speaker or event that might appear to some to be in opposition to Church teaching. Instead, we thoughtfully consider the context of each case and make decisions accordingly.

This College position applies to discussion of controversial issues such as homosexuality, capital punishment, protection for unborn children, serious medical ethics dilemmas and issues imbedded in the “consistent life ethic” or other teachings of the Church. In this particular case, the event to which you refer does fall under the rubric of academic freedom and, in fact, is not in opposition to Church teaching despite the fact that it may
be distasteful to some.

While I understand and respect your right to hold your position, this College – indeed most colleges – assumes and encourages diverse viewpoints on a wide range of issues addressed by speakers and reflected in campus events. No one should conclude that the College of St. Catherine endorses the positions of every speaker or event here on campus. We do not.
At the same time, education at St. Catherine’s requires students to exercise critical thinking and judgment in evaluating multiple positions, sometimes about difficult subjects. Of course, as a Catholic College, we encourage and expect that students will give their faith and values the dominant role in making those judgments.

Allowing a professor and her class to examine the cultural implications of gender and sexuality as expressed through literature or this related event does not imply that the College agrees or disagrees with any of the ideas discussed within the context of this course. It does, however, acknowledge the importance of academic freedom in any legitimate institution of higher learning and, in this case, the legitimate academic decision of a highly respected faculty member.

Finally, while you and I may disagree with her views on this subject, it is important to note that the professor in question publicly supports the College’s mission as a Catholic college and upholds positions on a wide range of issues fully consistent with Catholic moral teachings, especially those that uphold the dignity of every human person.

The faculty of the College of St. Catherine consistently distinguish themselves as highly intelligent, principled, and caring professors committed to the mission of St. Catherine’s as a Catholic, liberal arts college for women. They take seriously their responsibility to teach students to think critically and they believe strongly that students learn best when challenged to consider a wide range of ideas and positions within a supportive learning environment. I support this belief.

I invite you to contact me again if you have additional thoughts or questions.

Sincerely,

Andrea Lee, IHM
President
ajlee@stkate.edu
 
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