December 2002 Call to Action News
GLBT track: Not for Gay Folk Only
New this year was a track of conference sessions probing concerns of the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans- gendered) community and showcasing the gifts that community brings to CTA. "Not for Gay Folk Only," the track drew unexpectedly wide participation from both GLBT and straight CTAers, and stirred a variety of thoughtful questions.
Marianne Duddy, Executive Director of Dignity/USA, discussed the impact of the priest sex abuse scandal on GLBT Catholics. Instead of recognizing child sex abuse as violent acts that are fundamentally criminal abuses of power, the Vatican and prominent U.S. bishops focus on aberrant sexual behavior and equate it with homosexuality. Duddy demonstrated how these prelates are using the crisis to further their long-time antigay agenda and thereby divert attention from their own failures.
Marc Adams told of growing up as the gay son of a fundamentalist Baptist minister. He said it was like being Amish and in the military at the same time. Hoping to change his sexual orientation, Marc enrolled at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University where he experienced the oppression many GLBT students feel. Many GLBT students in these schools receive hate messages; some are told they would be better off dead. Six years ago Marc and his partner Todd Tuttle started HeartStrong to combat this oppression with an outreach ministry to GLBT students. Heartstrong reaches students via an information-packed website and free literature in libraries, laundries and other campus locations.
Jim Bussen and James Cappleman drew parallels between being in the closet as a GLBT person and being in the closet as a liberal Catholic. The climate of fear engendered in our Church often means that people have to conceal their progressive views of Church, their membership in Church reform organizations, even their attendance at a CTA conference. The coming out experiences of GLBT people offer lessons for CTA members who want to come out as progressives in a less than welcoming atmosphere.
Mark Matson of Dignity/Columbus was stunned when media coverage of Matthew Shepard's funeral highlighted protests by Fred Phelps' anti-gay congregation. Angered by the failure of mainstream Christians to refute the hate-mongering of Phelps and his group, Mark sought a dialogue with Christian leaders from many denominations about speaking out in the face of evil. This "Shepherd Initiative" evolved into a national conference in 2000 with 350 people, and plans another conference next summer.
Chris Connors, a singer/song-writer from Boston, reprised her 2001 CTA presentation about her life story as an Irish Catholic lesbian woman. In words and her own songs, Chris shared her journey to self-acceptance, the pain of losing her mother, and her joy at finding a spiritual home in Dignity/Boston. Her new songs included "The Cornerstone," written for the upcoming 30th anniversary of the Dignity/Boston community.