Even the Catholics are starting to queer things up

Everyone knows where the Pope stands on Gay Marriage.  What we tend to forget is that not all Catholics, nay, not all people of faith, share this stance.  In the past few weeks, there have been multiple reports of a Catholic school’s rejection of students based upon the sexual orientation of their parents.  In both cases, the children were told that they would not be allowed to attend their school of choice because their mothers were in a committed lesbian relationship.  In both cases, the media shone the spotlight on the Catholic leaders making these decisions.  In both cases, the parents stood behind their belief systems despite the open hatred of a few small-minded followers.

The newest case, however, proves that some Catholics are committed to the inclusive teachings of the originator of their faith.  The archdiocese in Boston, Mass., has made a commitment to the parents of the recently rejected eight-year-old boy to assist them in finding a Catholic school that will be more in sync with the teachings of Jesus Christ and will not discriminate against the boy for having a non-traditional family.  While recognizing that official policy is to negate the validity of all households that do not conform to the one-man, one-woman marriage structure, the officials at the archdiocese state that there is no policy that prohibits the children of same-sex couples from attending Catholic schools.  This aligns with the stance that a school system that allows children of divorce, those of non-Catholic upbringing or even those of single, never-married parents should be open to all family structures as long as the parents recognize that their children will be exposed to an education that is based upon traditional Catholic values.

Back in 2005, officials at St. John the Baptist school in Costa Mesa, CA decided not to expel the two sons of a gay couple.  While the admission decision was met with a mixed response from other parents at the school which eventually led to the revision of admission policies, the fact that the decision was made in the first place reflects a growing trend toward acceptance of families that are headed by same-sex couples.  The fact that same-sex couples are making the decision to have their children educated by the private school system also reflects a change in attitude by the Queer community to fight for their right to believe while living an life that feels authentic to themselves, in every regard.

The term ‘openly gay Catholic’ might seem odd to most of us, but once upon a time the term Openly Gay was a rarity.  Maybe we’re changing the world after all.  Heck, if we can get leaders of one of the most intolerant branches of the faith community to stand up for us, we must be doing something right.