LGBT in Catholic High Schools Discussion

[Thafoo]

I know, however, that not everyone is as lucky as i am. I'm concerned that bullied lgbt youth may feel unaccepted by their families, peers, and authorities which is a prime breeding ground for depression to develop.

I was fortunate enough to go to a fairly liberal public school with parents as atheist as atheist goes, so pretty much it was only the popular douchebags who were men, because that's what popular douchebags do, y'know? I keep hearing stories of LGBT friends on here who are less fortunate, however, and I feel so bad for them.

[Hakio]

I know, however, that not everyone is as lucky as i am. I'm concerned that bullied lgbt youth may feel unaccepted by their families, peers, and authorities which is a prime breeding ground for depression to develop.

I was fortunate enough to go to a fairly liberal public school with parents as atheist as atheist goes, so pretty much it was only the popular douchebags who were men, because that's what popular douchebags do, y'know? I keep hearing stories of LGBT friends on here who are less fortunate, however, and I feel so bad for them.

That sucks, I hope they find a place where they feel they belong. This is why I support Gay Straight Alliances in all schools. It's already mandated on Catholic schools in Canada. I don't think a school's religious freedom should extend to playing dice with a child's mental health.

[Thafoo]

I was fortunate enough to go to a fairly liberal public school with parents as atheist as atheist goes, so pretty much it was only the popular douchebags who were men, because that's what popular douchebags do, y'know? I keep hearing stories of LGBT friends on here who are less fortunate, however, and I feel so bad for them.

That sucks, I hope they find a place where they feel they belong. This is why I support Gay Straight Alliances in all schools. It's already mandated on Catholic schools in Canada. I don't think a school's religious freedom should extend to playing dice with a child's mental health.

So true. Claiming religious freedom has wrongfully extended so much to places where it isn't a question of religious freedom anymore as it is of affecting a person's wellbeing and pursuit of happiness- notably, LGBT rights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODeJQu-IB4I <-- This is awesome, by the way. It's Anderson Cooper totally humiliating an Arizona state representative claiming that new anti-LGBT laws protect religious freedom.

[Hakio]

That sucks, I hope they find a place where they feel they belong. This is why I support Gay Straight Alliances in all schools. It's already mandated on Catholic schools in Canada. I don't think a school's religious freedom should extend to playing dice with a child's mental health.

So true. Claiming religious freedom has wrongfully extended so much to places where it isn't a question of religious freedom anymore as it is of affecting a person's wellbeing and pursuit of happiness- notably, LGBT rights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODeJQu-IB4I <-- This is awesome, by the way. It's Anderson Cooper totally humiliating an Arizona state representative claiming that new anti-LGBT laws protect religious freedom.

Anderson Cooper is awesome

[Kelinfort]

So true. Claiming religious freedom has wrongfully extended so much to places where it isn't a question of religious freedom anymore as it is of affecting a person's wellbeing and pursuit of happiness- notably, LGBT rights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODeJQu-IB4I <-- This is awesome, by the way. It's Anderson Cooper totally humiliating an Arizona state representative claiming that new anti-LGBT laws protect religious freedom.

Anderson Cooper is awesome

Only reason I watch CNN.

[Thafoo]

So true. Claiming religious freedom has wrongfully extended so much to places where it isn't a question of religious freedom anymore as it is of affecting a person's wellbeing and pursuit of happiness- notably, LGBT rights.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODeJQu-IB4I <-- This is awesome, by the way. It's Anderson Cooper totally humiliating an Arizona state representative claiming that new anti-LGBT laws protect religious freedom.

Anderson Cooper is awesome

Cooper: “You can’t cite one example where religious freedom is under attack in Arizona.”
Melvin: “Not now, no, but how ’bout tomorrow?”
Cooper: “...I don’t understand what that means.”

[Canaore]

After 2 months of my freshman year in the closet I finally decided to blurt it out to the world on a bus one day.

...why? Seriously, why? Yelling "Hey guys! I'm bisexual!" is simply crying out for attention. Not saying you should have remained in the closet, but there are better ways of telling "the world" you're bi.

[Hakio]

Anderson Cooper is awesome

Cooper: “You can’t cite one example where religious freedom is under attack in Arizona.”
Melvin: “Not now, no, but how ’bout tomorrow?”
Cooper: “...I don’t understand what that means.”

Thanks for that, it cheered me up.

[Hakio]

After 2 months of my freshman year in the closet I finally decided to blurt it out to the world on a bus one day.

...why? Seriously, why? Yelling "Hey guys! I'm bisexual!" is simply crying out for attention. Not saying you should have remained in the closet, but there are better ways of telling "the world" you're bi.

If you're not bi or gay it is hard for people to understand. Listen, it's sort of like an identity crisis or like society is pressuring their roles on you. It eats away at you and causes anxiety and insecurity because you are denying who you are to the world. I think that's the best I can explain it. Thus, I wasn't yelling for attention but yelling at society to stop presuming who I am. I wasn't looking for attention.

[Thafoo]

...why? Seriously, why? Yelling "Hey guys! I'm bisexual!" is simply crying out for attention. Not saying you should have remained in the closet, but there are better ways of telling "the world" you're bi.

If you're not bi or gay it is hard for people to understand. Listen, it's sort of like an identity crisis or like society is pressuring their roles on you. It eats away at you and causes anxiety and insecurity because you are denying who you are to the world. I think that's the best I can explain it. I wasn't looking for attention.

I understand. It's the feeling where, at some point, you'd do anything to get it off your chest.

[Herskerstad]

If it is a private school, then they are pretty much within their limits to impose a code of conduct which also encompasses the sexual.

[Estormo]

There is nothing nearly "Christian" about detesting Homosexuals.

[San Benedict e San Francesco]

I think, from the perspective of a former catechism instructor and latent bisexual, the school administrator was wrong.

While I don't doubt he was operating within the purview of the Archdiocese's policies, I question the wisdom of the policy. Per 1 Cor, 1 Timothy, and a few other books of the bible (more specifically per 2357 of the CCC and the papal document Personas Humana 8, the church policy is that homosexuality is what it is and no amount of anything will likely shift those particular goal-posts.

However, the following paragraph of the CCC, 2358, states "[Homosexuals] must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite in the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their [orientation]."

By convention this graph applies to the whole of the LGBT spectrum, as all issues of non-normative sexuality are inherently regarded as homosexuality in this book, except where non-human or non-adult partners may apply.

[Hakio]

I think, from the perspective of a former catechism instructor and latent bisexual, the school administrator was wrong.

While I don't doubt he was operating within the purview of the Archdiocese's policies, I question the wisdom of the policy. Per 1 Cor, 1 Timothy, and a few other books of the bible (more specifically per 2357 of the CCC and the papal document Personas Humana 8, the church policy is that homosexuality is what it is and no amount of anything will likely shift those particular goal-posts.

However, the following paragraph of the CCC, 2358, states "[Homosexuals] must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite in the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their [orientation]."

By convention this graph applies to the whole of the LGBT spectrum, as all issues of non-normative sexuality are inherently regarded as homosexuality in this book, except where non-human or non-adult partners may apply.

Thank you for that info! I was wondering about that.

[Vashta Nerada]

Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 19 has a verse and I think it is also condemned in a line of the Book of Timothy.

It does not apply to you, my friend , you're not a Levite.

Leviticus was a book given to the Levites to serve as the law of Israel. You don't have to be a Levite to have those laws applied to you. What Leviticus truly means today is that it backs up the laws set out for Christians in the New Testament, showing that God's views on certain matters hadn't changed. Homosexuality (not the person but the act), was still condemned by God. So unless the OP is out there having sex with men, I don't see what sins he has committed.

And on another note, I don't see how calling someone gay is an insult if they are gay. If someone called me black, I wouldn't be insulted because I am black. I don't see why people have to be so darn sensitive all the time. Just own it and you rob them of their ammunition. It's that easy.

[Thafoo]

It does not apply to you, my friend , you're not a Levite.

Leviticus was a book given to the Levites to serve as the law of Israel. You don't have to be a Levite to have those laws applied to you. What Leviticus truly means today is that it backs up the laws set out for Christians in the New Testament, showing that God's views on certain matters hadn't changed. Homosexuality (not the person but the act), was still condemned by God. So unless the OP is out there having sex with men, I don't see what sins he has committed.

And on another note, I don't see how calling someone gay is an insult if they are gay. If someone called me black, I wouldn't be insulted because I am black. I don't see why people have to be so darn sensitive all the time. Just own it and you rob them of their ammunition. It's that easy.

It depends on the tone. If they're saying, "Oh, dude, you're gay." in a playful tone, well, that's just friends being playful. If they're say, "*scoff!* You're gaaaaay." then it's obviously being used in a manner that is derogatory. The same thing applies to how someone states your ethnicity- tone is everything.

[Vashta Nerada]

Leviticus was a book given to the Levites to serve as the law of Israel. You don't have to be a Levite to have those laws applied to you. What Leviticus truly means today is that it backs up the laws set out for Christians in the New Testament, showing that God's views on certain matters hadn't changed. Homosexuality (not the person but the act), was still condemned by God. So unless the OP is out there having sex with men, I don't see what sins he has committed.

And on another note, I don't see how calling someone gay is an insult if they are gay. If someone called me black, I wouldn't be insulted because I am black. I don't see why people have to be so darn sensitive all the time. Just own it and you rob them of their ammunition. It's that easy.

It depends on the tone. If they're saying, "Oh, dude, you're gay." in a playful tone, well, that's just friends being playful. If they're say, "*scoff!* You're gaaaaay." then it's obviously being used in a manner that is derogatory. The same thing applies to how someone states your ethnicity- tone is everything.

Right...I guess I just have a harder skin and quicker comebacks then.

[Hakio]

No, calling someone gay who is gay is not inherently insulting, but it's all about context. You see, many kids say that things that are bad are "gay" and thus associating homosexuality with negativity and inferiority. Believing that straight relationships are better than gay ones is a common example of heterosexism, which is a more appropriate word than homophobe for most people these days, I'd say.

[Thafoo]

It depends on the tone. If they're saying, "Oh, dude, you're gay." in a playful tone, well, that's just friends being playful. If they're say, "*scoff!* You're gaaaaay." then it's obviously being used in a manner that is derogatory. The same thing applies to how someone states your ethnicity- tone is everything.

Right...I guess I just have a harder skin and quicker comebacks then.

I don't know what you're getting at here.

[Vashta Nerada]

No, calling someone gay who is gay is not inherently insulting, but it's all about context. You see, many kids say that things that are bad are "gay" and thus associating homosexuality with negativity and inferiority. Believing that straight relationships are better than gay ones is a common example of heterosexism, which is a more appropriate word than homophobe for most people these days, I'd say.

Calling someone a homophobe because they don't agree with your "sexual life style" is as arrogant as calling someone anti-Semitic because they don't agree with Israel blowing up entire Palestinian communities in "self-defense".

Right...I guess I just have a harder skin and quicker comebacks then.

I don't know what you're getting at here.

It means that I don't pay attention to insults about my race, and I don't go around calling people racist because they don't accept me. Therefore, I have a harder skin because I better ignore insults than give them fuel to stick and hurt.

[Vissegaard]

Eh, I had a classmate, who was LGBT and a total jerk, so my attitude towards the only one "different" person I have ever known is strongly negative. But I try to not judge too fiercely, because I realise it is dumb to expect everybody homosexual to be like him. However, it is still hard to not have prejudices. I label myself as homophobe, but I´m ashamed about it a bit.

[Thafoo]

No, calling someone gay who is gay is not inherently insulting, but it's all about context. You see, many kids say that things that are bad are "gay" and thus associating homosexuality with negativity and inferiority. Believing that straight relationships are better than gay ones is a common example of heterosexism, which is a more appropriate word than homophobe for most people these days, I'd say.

Calling someone a homophobe because they don't agree with your "sexual life style" is as arrogant as calling someone anti-Semitic because they don't agree with Israel blowing up entire Palestinian communities in "self-defense".

I don't know what you're getting at here.

It means that I don't pay attention to insults about my race, and I don't go around calling people racist because they don't accept me. Therefore, I have a harder skin because I better ignore insults than give them fuel to stick and hurt.

And... by "don't accept [you]", does this include refusal of service in commercial venues...?

[Hakio]

No, calling someone gay who is gay is not inherently insulting, but it's all about context. You see, many kids say that things that are bad are "gay" and thus associating homosexuality with negativity and inferiority. Believing that straight relationships are better than gay ones is a common example of heterosexism, which is a more appropriate word than homophobe for most people these days, I'd say.

Calling someone a homophobe because they don't agree with your "sexual life style" is as arrogant as calling someone anti-Semitic because they don't agree with Israel blowing up entire Palestinian communities in "self-defense".

I don't know what you're getting at here.

It means that I don't pay attention to insults about my race, and I don't go around calling people racist because they don't accept me. Therefore, I have a harder skin because I better ignore insults than give them fuel to stick and hurt.

No, I know how you think. I used to be a conservative in my youth. You devalue the purpose political correctness so that you can have an excuse to speak in broad judgmental ways justifiably, like you just did.

[Hakio]

Really, you just can't be bothered to do any research because you already think you're right on a topic you know nothing about.

[Grossdeutsches Kaiserreich]

I am a 16 year old bisexuals male who goes to a Catholic High School in Pennsylvania. I had known since I graduated 8th grade that I was most likely bisexual. After 2 months of my freshman year in the closet I finally decided to blurt it out to the world on a bus one day.it was like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders, I then weng home and told my family and whilethey were religious and would object to me living a bi lifestyle they accepted me for who I was.

The next day of school I came back with a new sense of confidence and happiness about who I am. I finally felt like I could truely be myself and not have to conform to a sexual identity I didn't affiliate with. Sadly, while most kids were moderately accepting and others rather skeptical the school administrators reacted worse.

Aparently, my bus driver had ratted me out to the school administrators and two days after I came ouf I was called into their office. I was told to sit down and was spoken to in private. The man looked me in the eyes and asked me if "I had said anything on the bus". My body froze I was incredibly uncomfortable and being scared I denied it.

He then got more serious and asked me if I had said I was bisexual. My face was fucking red, it was none of this guys business what sexuality I am! I said yes I did say that. And then he asked me why, as if he didn't fucking know. So I told him directly "because that's who I am".
He told me: "You can't tell anybody that."

I was fucking furious but maintained my composure until I was able to leave. I now don't feel safe around school authorities. Doesn't he know that by telling a kid to reject who they are they are only adding to the piles of bullying and depression common in LGBT youth?

Oh yes, by suggesting that you shouldn't be announcing your sexuality on a catholic school bus he's adding to the bullying and depression that is common amongst 'LGBT youth'.

I think being gay is causing more depression amongst 'LGBT youth' than bullying, homosexuality is an inappropriate, horrifying and sinful activity that brings the wrath of the Lord.

I think the fact that even someone asking you about it making you react in such a way is further proof that in your heart you know what you are doing is wrong.

I feel sorry for you, having succumbed to homosexuality at such a young age. but there is hope.

There are plenty of treatments and other remedial opportunities for youth who suffer from this issue. infact, there is an excellent app called, 'door of hope' on Android that offers many opportunities for you to shun the Homosexual lifestyle and embrace Jesus. i really hope it works out for you.