Should a Catholic university have a LGBTQ student organization?

[SalesianSDB]

I am a freshman at a liberal Jesuit university. Our school does have a gay rights club and is very accepting of the gay community. In fact, one of our more popular events is a drag show the club puts on for gay rights month :banghead: We also have a large amount of homosexual students.

Apparently, the University of Notre Dame does not include LGBTQ students in their anti-discrimination clause and they do not have a LGBTQ student organization. Our student body senate will be voting next week to support the LGBTQ students of Notre Dame and urge them to include these students in their anti-discrimination clause and to allow them to have a LGBTQ student organization. They say ND must do this because of the social justice teachings of Mother Church.

I am a senator and would like to get a Catholic response on how I should vote. I’m leaning towards no, but would like to voice my well formed thoughts on this before the vote.

Any thoughts/opinions?

Should a Catholic university have a gay rights club?

 

[EddyDRR]

Absolutely NOT!

Should a Catholic University also have a “Euthanasia Club”, or a “Future Abortionists for Women’s Rights” for a medical department?

No.

Gay rights, unless we are talking human rights, are the direct opposite of Catholicism.

Drag shows? Gay Rights Month?

What happened to love the sinner, hate the sin? This sort of behavior and approval only encourages sin and sends people on a path straight to Hell.

Disgusting that such a vote should even be entertained in a Catholic university.

 

[Inquiringperson]

I am a freshman at a liberal Jesuit university. Our school does have a gay rights club and is very accepting of the gay community. In fact, one of our more popular events is a drag show the club puts on for gay rights month :banghead: We also have a large amount of homosexual students.

Apparently, the University of Notre Dame does not include LGBTQ students in their anti-discrimination clause and they do not have a LGBTQ student organization. Our student body senate will be voting next week to support the LGBTQ students of Notre Dame and urge them to include these students in their anti-discrimination clause and to allow them to have a LGBTQ student organization. They say ND must do this because of the social justice teachings of Mother Church.

I am a senator and would like to get a Catholic response on how I should vote. I’m leaning towards no, but would like to voice my well formed thoughts on this before the vote.

Any thoughts/opinions?

Should a Catholic university have a gay rights club?

If the LGBT club is only there to fight bullying against homosexuals, then they are okay. However, I have never heard of an LGBT club that does that. The vast majority of these clubs are in support for Homosexual unions and name calling to those against homosexual marriages. So obviously, voting to help these LGBTQ students is probably a BIG NO-NO!

IMO, if Notre Dame wards off these attacks on marriage, then I think that would be very good restitution for having Obama speak on campus.

Edit: A good reminder to these students that Homosexual “marriages” are wrong should also be given to them.

Plus, if they don’t comply, you might want to mention that they are excommunicated Latae Sententiae but only use this as a LAST RESORT! and only if it is needed. Using this card as a first resort might just make this situation worse.

 

[George_Stegmeir]

I firmly believe that you should vote no !!! Voting to recognize and allow a “gay” organization meet on a Catholic University campus is condoning an occasion of sin.
Talk it over with your confessor before you cast your vote.

 

[sedonaman]

Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile. Over 40 years ago, they told us all they wanted was to be left alone. Now we are debating SS"M" and fighting a general rear-guard action.

The bases for their claims are 1) non-discrimination, i.e., men and women are interchangeable; and 2) equality.

If men and women are interchangeable, why don’t homosexuals just choose a member of the opposite sex?

The very purpose of law is to classify (discriminate among) people for different treatment; for example, statutes distinguish adults from children. Blacks, women, and 18-year-olds have the right to vote, while aliens and felons do not.

There is no requirement of equality other than the tautology that all people must be treated in accordance with their legal rights.

 

[sw85]

I am a freshman at a liberal Jesuit university. Our school does have a gay rights club and is very accepting of the gay community. In fact, one of our more popular events is a drag show the club puts on for gay rights month :banghead: We also have a large amount of homosexual students.

Apparently, the University of Notre Dame does not include LGBTQ students in their anti-discrimination clause and they do not have a LGBTQ student organization. Our student body senate will be voting next week to support the LGBTQ students of Notre Dame and urge them to include these students in their anti-discrimination clause and to allow them to have a LGBTQ student organization. They say ND must do this because of the social justice teachings of Mother Church.

I am a senator and would like to get a Catholic response on how I should vote. I’m leaning towards no, but would like to voice my well formed thoughts on this before the vote.

Any thoughts/opinions?

Should a Catholic university have a gay rights club?

No. Homosexuality is a grave disorder. When acted upon, it is a mortal sin requiring confession and reparation. Those who agitate for the normalization of homosexuality compound that sin with the sin of scandal and disobedience.

This group is not entitled to endorsement by a Catholic university, nor do anything its teachings require such an endorsement. I think as a faithful Catholic you are probably obligated to refrain from endorsing such activity, lest you scandalize other faithful Catholics who may be led astray by your example.

 

[andrewstx]

What people here are doing is not distinguishing bettween homosexual sex acts, andSSA.

Perhaps from prejudice?

The church does not teach that SSA is sinfull unless and until acted on.

Let’s be fair please.

 

[sw85]

What people here are doing is not distinguishing bettween homosexual sex acts, andSSA.

Perhaps from prejudice?

The church does not teach that SSA is sinfull unless and until acted on.

Let’s be fair please.

OK, well, first of all:

Homosexuality is a grave disorder. When acted upon, it is a mortal sin requiring confession and reparation.

Second, what impression exactly is that you have of the nature of “LGBTQ” groups? Do you have no experience with them? They are generally instituted in order to celebrate this disordered lifestyle and to bully and harass, as “homophobes,” those who refuse in principle to do so. Are you of the opinion that demanding “equal treatment” of disordered lifestyles is not, in a sense, “acting on” that disorder?

Let’s be fair, indeed, before calling people “prejudiced.”

 

[andrewstx]

OK, well, first of all:

Second, what impression exactly is that you have of the nature of “LGBTQ” groups? Do you have no experience with them? They are generally instituted in order to celebrate this disordered lifestyle and to bully and harass, as “homophobes,” those who refuse in principle to do so. Are you of the opinion that demanding “equal treatment” of disordered lifestyles is not, in a sense, “acting on” that disorder?

Let’s be fair, indeed, before calling people “prejudiced.”

;
No I haven’t any experince with LGBTQ groups. I don’t even know what all the initails mean, and not particularly interested in learning. I don’t think that all the gay groups celebrate a lifestyle.

I think that campus groups that support a celibate way of living for homosexuals should be encouraged and not banned from Catholic Universities.

I am a little bit offended by the hate the sinner and the sin.

To be honest I am a former Franciscan Friar and when I left for health reasons remained chaste. I have been labled homosexual when I am not for the “sin” of being unmarried.

 

[sw85]

;
No I haven’t any experince with LGBTQ groups. I don’t even know what all the initails mean, and not particularly interested in learning. I don’t think that all the gay groups celebrate a lifestyle.

The LGBTQ stands for “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Questioning.” It used to be GLBT, but that was deemed to be sexist in prioritizing men over women, so the lettering was reversed.

You should have an interest in learning what they mean. As you may guess from their title, they are not generally groups of Christians struggling to help one another carry their cross through life. They are interested in celebrating perversion. It has no place on a Catholic campus, even one that is Catholic only in name.

I think that campus groups that support a celibate way of living for homosexuals should be encouraged and not banned from Catholic Universities.

I think that’s fair. That’s not what this group is, though. As the OP indicated, they flaunt their perversion publicly, staging outrageous and scandalous drag shows (i.e., men dressing up as women), not only sinning themselves but inducing others to sin, as well.

I am a little bit offended by the hate the sinner and the sin.

To be honest I am a former Franciscan Friar and when I left for health reasons remained chaste. I have been labled homosexual when I am not for the “sin” of being unmarried.

That you have been unfairly and uncharitably attacked after a life of service to God’s Church is sad and regrettable. It doesn’t change the fact that homosexual behaviors are disordered and sinful and Catholic universities have no business tolerating them, much less endorsing them.

 

[Richard320]

No.

They don’t need to have a club to fight discrimination. No one can tell they are gay just by looking, unlike blacks, asians, wheel-chair-bound, etc. Unless they tell people they’re gay, no one will know, no one can discriminate against them because they are gay. Did anyone know Rock Hudson was gay? No. Why? Because he didn’t tell anyone and that’s the only way to know. Is anyone discriminated against because they like to wear a diaper and get spanked for being naughty? No. Why? Because no one knows about that perversion.

If it’s not about fighting discrimination, then what? Socializing? A Catholic organization should sponsor a club with the purpose of encouraging “gravely disordered” behavior?

But okay… Logically, if you have a club for one sexual preference, you will need to accomodate all. Where do you draw the line? Homosexuals are okay? Are diaper wearers okay? What about bestiality?

And for Notre Dame…they already hosted a queer film festival.

 

[SalesianSDB]

Thanks for the responses. The supporters of this at my university say that Catholic universities are bounded by the social teachings of Mother Church (they use that phrase) to include LGBTQ students in their anti-discrimination clauses because the Catechism states, “Respect for the God-given dignity of all persons means the recognition of human rights and responsibilities. The teaching of the Church makes it clear that the fundamental
human rights of homosexual persons must be defended and that all of us must strive to
eliminate any form of injustice, oppression, or violence against them.”

I’d say, if we were asked to support non-discrimination against gay students, sure I may support it, but not supporting a club.

I want to speak out about it gently since it is an extremely liberal student body with many gay students. I don’t want to seem hateful but want to stand by the Church. Is there anything I could say that would go against their “social justice” argument? Anything I could use that wouldn’t come off at too harsh?

 

[triumphguy]

I am a freshman at a liberal Jesuit university. Our school does have a gay rights club and is very accepting of the gay community. In fact, one of our more popular events is a drag show the club puts on for gay rights month :banghead: We also have a large amount of homosexual students.

Apparently, the University of Notre Dame does not include LGBTQ students in their anti-discrimination clause and they do not have a LGBTQ student organization. Our student body senate will be voting next week to support the LGBTQ students of Notre Dame and urge them to include these students in their anti-discrimination clause and to allow them to have a LGBTQ student organization. They say ND must do this because of the social justice teachings of Mother Church.

I am a senator and would like to get a Catholic response on how I should vote. I’m leaning towards no, but would like to voice my well formed thoughts on this before the vote.

Any thoughts/opinions?

Should a Catholic university have a gay rights club?

What rights, freedoms and protections do the LBGTQ people want that they haven’t already got by being students in your University?

What rights should they, or ought they, have beyond anyone else, just because of their sexual orientation?

LBGTQ people are individual students working to get some education aren’t they? Why should they be recognized as special group?

What are they at University for? To ‘queer’ the university or to get a degree?

Why do they need everyone to know they are 'queer"?

Why do they have to be labelled as members of a special group in order to come under the aegis of Catholic Social Teaching?

No body should be discriminated against, and everybody should be treated with dignity. Why does each group, sub-group and sub-sub-group have to be specially identified?

My guess is the desire to form a LBGTQ group is part of a political process to “queer” your university and effect systemic change to its identity.

What is your duty as a Catholic?

 

[SalesianSDB]

What rights do they want that they haven’t already got by being students in your University?

What rights should they have beyond anyone else, just because of their sexual orientation?

LBGTQ people are individual students working to get some education aren’t they? Why should they be recognized as special group?

What are they at University for? To ‘queer’ the university or to get a degree?

Why do they need everyone to know they are 'queer"?

Why do they have to be labelled as members of a special group in order to come under the aegis of Catholic Social Teaching?

My guess is the desire to form a LBGTQ group is part of a political process to “queer” your university and effect systemic change to its identity.

What is your duty as a Catholic?

There’s two issues: should a Catholic university include LGBTQ in their non-discrimination clauses and should they have a LGBTQ club. My “Catholic” university already has both.

Our student government wants to urge another Catholic university (ND) to have both as well. I am clearly against this.

However, they claim that they should be included in anti-discrimination clauses because the Church teaches that we must respect homosexuals and there have apparently been incidents (from what I’ve heard from their supporters). If this were the only issue, I may support it, but I do not support a gay rights club.

 

[triumphguy]

1. It’s kind patronizing of the student body to “urge” another University to adopt these measures.
2. Maybe the anti-discrimination clauses should be simplified.

“No-one should discriminate against another.”

Or make the assertion positively, “Treat one another with respect”

Or even put it biblically, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

I think that, paradoxically, the more that groups are identified and singled out for special treatment the less inclusive the community as a whole becomes.

 

[Holly3278]

I do not believe that a Catholic university should have any sort of LGBTQ club unless it is of the sort that promotes chastity. Perhaps a Courage Apostolate club or something would work. Here is a link about the Courage Apostolate. It is a Catholic organization which helps those with same-sex attraction to live chaste lives:

couragerc.net/

 

[vera_dicere]

Such an organisation would only foster temptation. If it was an organisation where they met with a priest and spiritual directors to learn ways to combat their disorder, that is fine.

But drag shows? That’s disgusting.

Catholic universities and hospitals are becoming a hotbed of immorality. There needs to be a crack down.

 

[sedonaman]

What people here are doing is not distinguishing bettween homosexual sex acts, andSSA.

Perhaps from prejudice?

The church does not teach that SSA is sinfull unless and until acted on.

Let’s be fair please.

Most are all for fairness. Those with SSA should be fair and not ask the rest to validate and endorse what they believe is wrong. Fair is fair.

 

[In_Spiration]

Just don’t be pressured into taking any sort of apologetic tone or stance. Like every PC agitator, power is what they’re really after. At the very beginning I would call them out for trying to passive-aggressively impose a blatantly ideological agenda under a guise of compassion and ad hoc “Catholicism.” They will scoff and retreat into their favorite safety zone, that is, plausible deniability. At this point keep taking the offensive and inquiring further about their precise motives, noting the recent politics surrounding the issue, as well as the triviality and arbitrariness of the proposal otherwise, etc.

You have good reason to lack kindness and courtesy them. In reality, I suspect, not only do they want to bully you around for a failure to be politically correct, they want to make you feel guilty for not taking their abuse with a smile and then self-sacrificially asking for more. And as with most malicious aggressors, the more weakness they detect, the more ambitious and intrusive will be their attack. You’re the designated “oppressor,” and the self-appointed “victim” desires to get revenge by manipulating your anticipated public shame, to watch you squirm in your new underdog position while struggling to appease the eternal martyr’s absurdly-sensitive posture of self-righteous anger. Thus he intends to exhibit dominance in the end by coercing/forcing a Catholic to explicitly submit to something everyone already knows Catholics expressly condemn.

 

[Havard]

And for Notre Dame…they already hosted a queer film festival.

That’s totally different from having a club that defends or endorses the lifestyle.

The film festival’s purpose was to examine gay culture, not celebrate it. Sociology and film & television students should be informed of what is out there. To quote the spokesman: “Within reason, we would prefer that our students encounter the secular American culture, with all its faults, in the context of their Catholic education rather than attempting to cloister them till the time they graduate, only then to confront reality.”