Sr. Christine Schenk
Sr. Christine Schenk, CSJ, is now grieving the loss of independence for some LGBTQ+ pupils in Ohio. The reason for this grief over loss of flexibility is because of a new identity scheme established by the Diocese of Cleveland, where Schenk lives.
In the National Catholic Reporter, Schenk writes that Cleveland young people” need but many better” than the policy which states that LGBTQ+ youth will be unable to apply gender- affirming pronouns, restrooms, and healthcare within school settings. In addition, church and school personnel are mandated to notify parents if a student comes out as trans.
Schenk cites Cleveland’s president, Justin Bibb, who said the plan” makes Gay children to hide their true self and attend college in fear of persecution for who they are. ” Also, Cleveland Councilman Kerry McCormack stated that” this socially determined decision will hurt young people in our native religious schools and continue to alienate the church.”
The new legislation does not apply to the 14 Catholic great schools in the province sponsored by spiritual congregtions. Schenk is” pleased” for this section, since her church’s high class, St. Joseph Academy, is not required to follow province purchases. After the bishop released the rules, St. Joseph Academ’s officials sent a letter to kids affirming the school’s commitment to supporting LGBTQ+ individuals. For Schenk, she has” seldom been more happy and pleased to be a Sister of St. Joseph.”
But, this is not the religious church’s first step towards LGBTQ+ allyship. Ten years ago, the Sisters of St. Joseph began to teach themselves on LGBTQ+ problems in order to better support the community. Schenk explains:
” We learned about nouns, yes, but generally we learned about the people who find themselves persecuted and marginalized because of their God- given essence. We learned striking statistics about the severity of suicide attempts or personal- harm among Gay youngsters and adults.”
” We chose to become friends of our Gay sisters and brothers because our describes impels us to survive the truth that love of God and love of cousin are one. As a result, we have become engaged in an array of pursuits, from attending Pride celebrations and parades to joining with Catholic bishops supporting the Tyler Clementi Foundation standing with at- chance LGBT youth in our land.”
According to Schenk, one of the most” troubling “parts of the extra- LGBTQ+ plans springing up in U. S. dioceses is that it assumes that all people are either male or female. In reality, 1.6 % of Americans identify as transgender, and 1.7 % of children have trans characteristics. The Catholic Church” continues to make plans” within their cozy bubbles despite the fact that research has shown that” sex is anything but ternary.”
She also queries how the Cleveland scheme came to be. The school’s administrators were no consulted. St. Edward High School’s president, KC McKenna, claimed that until the policy of the diocese was fully established, the school was aware of it. Schenk claims:
This is a terrible way to formulate plan, particularly when the pope is excited about including everyone and there is synodality. I wish that the Cleveland Diocese—indeed, all U.S. dioceses—would adopt the much more progressive policies recently released by the Davenport, Iowa, district after extensive conversation.
Cleveland’s plan has more “rigor” than other catholic guidelines, according to David Palmieri of Outreach. He stated that the text’s language is “more extensive and legalistic.” Colors and Pride colors, for instance, are expressly forbidden from being used on the home of the institution or at institutional occasions.
Like all other stringent policies implemented, the Cleveland policy has the potential to harm students ‘ mental health, self-esteem, and thoughts of support. Catholic schools need to be worried about the potential damage that these plans could cause. LGBTQ+ youth “deserve but little better,” as Sr. Schenk correctly points out.
New Ways Ministry, November 13, 2023: Sarah Cassidy ( she/her )
