Once again, Boston College has refused to allow the a GLBTQ/safe zone dance

[WindRavenX]

How ironic this is Ash Wednesday.
I am a member of the GLBTQ/Leadership Counsel (GLC), the ONLY organization on campus that political advocates on behalf of BC's GLBTQ community. Obviously, being on a very Jesuit university leads to many clashes. Last year, they canceled our benefit gala because they thought it was a "gay" dance where gay sex (yes, this is what actual BC administrators said to our face last year)and advocate the "gay lifestyle". Never mind the dance was not exclusive to just the GLBTQ community, was designed to raise funds for the Boston Living center, yada yada. They chose to cancel it because they were too homophobic to realize how being gay doesn't mean reducing us to who we have sex with, or even just an act of sex in general. This year, we decided to try to hold another dance that was explicitly in compliance with last years's demands from the administrators. Our benefit social gathering (we can't call it a dance) was to be called "A Celebration of Gay History" which would also include an award given to a member of the BC community who did something positive for the GLBTQ community.
Well, surprise surprise, they wanted us to remove:

1)"gay" from the title
2)"Celebrate" from the title--apparently celebrating means advocating the "gay lifestyle"
3)We could not use our name in the title or advertisements--we wouldn't be running the dance, it wouldn't be in our name.

So, we decided that because the event as the administrators wanted to see it wasn't in the spirit of what we, the GLC, wanted to convey.

I'm so sad and depressed.

Why can't people just let people live?

Homophobia, as I thought about it tonight, is inseparable from the concept of freedom. The freedom to love who you love, kiss who you kiss.

How sad it is :(

[Critters2]

1. Wow. I don't remember it being that bad when I was at BC,

but that was 20 years ago. I don't think we expected much. Still, much of the faculty, including many Jesuits, were cool. But then, I hung out with the Mary Daly bunch. The administration was scared of us.

I'm disappointed to hear this, and a bit surprised. Keep fighting the good fight!!

[WindRavenX]

2. funny thing is...

...most of the Jesuits are on our side--many of the Jesuits have come to our meetings, display safe zone signs, etc.

The Admins, OTOH, are all Roman Catholic and are obsessed with money, money, money, MONEY. BC is determined to become an Ivy, and because they need so much, they fear "gay" shit will turn off older conservative alum :puke:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

4. The Jesuits are Roman Catholic. They're the most Catholic of the Catholics.

The head of the Jesuits is called "The Black Pope."

[WindRavenX]

6. oh I know they're RC--but they're the crazy, hippie Catholics

I really loved my jesuit professor last semester in philosophy--awesome.

[LostinVA]

13. Actually, Jesuits are the most Catholic of the Catholic orders

Although many of them can be a bit nuts. And, some very vocal Jesuits have strayed from the Church's teaching on abortion, gay rights, etc.

Their primary responsibility is to be in service to the Pope, hence their nickname of "Foot Soldiers of His Holiness." They are primarily focused on higher education and social justice/charity, but they are totally orthodox Catholics. That's actually why the current Pope and Pope John Paul II openly criticized them: they ARE "real" Catholics, and follow the teachings of Christ. Which many in the close circle around the present and former Pope don't.

And thus, the ex-CCD teacher will now STFU!

[theboss]

14. I find a lot of the orders to be far more conservative

I went to a law school at a school run by Fathers of the Holy Ghost. I think they viewed the Jesuits as crazy liberals.

And I was reading an article about a Franciscan Friar who stated "Off the record, I'm not convinced that Jesuits are really Catholic."

Jesuits seem to run some of the most "liberal" Catholic schools for what it's worth.

[Critters2]

15. Not for me to interpret the words of another, but I think you and

LostinVA are in agreement. Note that she says the current and former Pope were/are not kindly disposed toward the Jesuits, that they are "real" Catholics, with an emphasis on social justice, etc...that they follow the teachings of Jesus--at least as much as those of the tradition.

For me, a Protestant who studied under the Jesuits, and came to love them, the clearest model of the Jesuits was the 6 Jesuits who were killed in El Salvador in 1989. Working among the poor at risk to their own lives...yep, those were the kind of people who would be Jesuits. I'm grateful to have gotten to know them, even if I was there to study medieval scholasticism.

Btw, I also knew some Franciscans when I was in Boston, and respected them, too. I used to refer to them as the Catholic Church's answer to the Mennonites. The many hues in the Catholic spectrum have always amazed me.

[Critters2]

7. The Jesuits at BC are mostly progressive, the archdiocese not so much

When I was there, Jesuits in other places were up to their eyeballs in Central American revolutions, and those at BC supported their work.

Jesuits have been a pain in the church's butt for a long time.

[Critters2]

5. I'm glad to hear the Jesuits are on your side.

That's what I would have expected. I really admired them when I was there. They started standing up to Bernie Law as soon as he arrived in Boston, and were all great progressives.

Yet, there was always this undertone of RC conservatism, and bending to the archbishop by the administration. Doesn't sound like things have changed much.

I did love some of the guys in the theology dept, most notably Steve Brown. Not even sure if he's still there. I heard they finally forced Daly out. But it took 'em 20 years!!

[dysfunctional press]

3. why did you choose to go to a school that is so out of line with who you are?

you said yourself that it is a "very jesuit university"...considering the long history of homophobia in the catholic church- honestly, what did you expect?

[WindRavenX]

8. 1)because it has a great bio department and liberal arts spirit 2)To be a change...

...against homophobia.

Catholic or not, homophobia is wrong.

[Critters2]

10. BC was founded to make education available to Irish immigrants

and their children who couldn't get into the Ivy League schools in the Northeast. Has a very noble history in helping the working people of Boston and environs, and has turned out some great lefties, like Tip O'Neill. There are some at BC working for real reform in the Catholic Church. I know that, as a woman studying theology, I was never treated with anything but support and respect by the faculty.

[rockymountaindem]

9. That's a bummer

I lived at a catholic-run educational institution for the first year of my college career (rather by accident). While I was there, the GLBTQ students finally got to form their own group. They were really, really excited. Having only been there for a couple of months at the time, I have no idea of what they went through to get the admins to allow their organization, but it must have been something for them to have been that happy. I moved on to another residence (across the street) that isn't Catholic-run, and never have there been any problems between the administration and the gay organizations.

I don't think I have to tell you which residence has the better reputation with the campus as a whole.

[HuffleClaw]

11. its a private catholic college?

they can do what they like iirc. doesn't mean its right of course.

[Smarmie Doofus]

12. Too bad for BC. Keeps them mired in the 2nd tier....

... of Boston-area colleges. ( That is ... their Fintstonianism on this issue keeps them mired.)

So it goes.