Catholic school in Washington ousts a vice principal for marrying a man. Students walk.

[White Eagle]

Sorry it's a petition link. Just all I had in my email and thought it very important to spread the word. It looks like the kids are gonna get it right. It may not be long when they get old enough to vote.

http://act.faithfulamerica.org/sign/eastsidecatholic/?source=sign_on#

Posted: Dec. 20, 2013

A beloved vice principal at Eastside Catholic School in Washington state was recently ousted after he got married to another man. Sadly, similar incidents have been happening at Catholic schools across America.

But this time was different, because hundreds of high-school students walked out of class and held a rally outside to demand that the Catholic archdiocese reinstate their vice principal.

 

[palbert]

Signed.

 

[MystikWizard]

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around why anyone who is Gay wants anything to do with anything that is religious. Why would Gay people take positions in religious institutions knowing what you are going to face?

 

[Vitamin]

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around why anyone who is Gay wants anything to do with anything that is religious. Why would Gay people take positions in religious institutions knowing what you are going to face?

While I understand where you're coming from I find something very inspiring about these kids. How often do you see high school kids taking a stand against homophobia?

 

[CowboyBob]

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around why anyone who is Gay wants anything to do with anything that is religious. Why would Gay people take positions in religious institutions knowing what you are going to face?

Educators are a special kind of people. They put up with a lot of crap for little pay mostly because they find the job rewarding. Teaching at a parochial school is a job like any other. Unless he signed some kind of contact stating he's not gay or won't marry another man or had some kind of morality clause his termination can be challenged.

Unfortunately in 29 states you can still be fired simply for being gay. However Washington state isn't one of them.


http://www.upworthy.com/29-states-can-fire-you-for-being-gay-is-your-state-one-of-them

 

[Vitamin]

Educators are a special kind of people. They put up with a lot of crap for little pay mostly because they find the job rewarding. Teaching at a parochial school is a job like any other. Unless he signed some kind of contact stating he's not gay or won't marry another man or had some kind of morality clause his termination can be challenged.

Unfortunately in 29 states you can still be fired simply for being gay. However Washington state isn't one of them.


http://www.upworthy.com/29-states-can-fire-you-for-being-gay-is-your-state-one-of-them

If Washington State has any sort of religious exemption in its ENDA law, you can bet the Catholic Church is going to use it here.

 

[xbuzzerx]

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around why anyone who is Gay wants anything to do with anything that is religious. Why would Gay people take positions in religious institutions knowing what you are going to face?

I went to a Catholic high school and had several teachers that everyone widely understood to be gay, even including the other teachers, and it was simply an open secret. Of course gay marriage was a pipedream in California back then so one of them getting married was a non-issue. Most of them had either attended that high school themselves or were from families affiliated with the school or parish, and were from Catholic backgrounds. There are many gay Christians, you know.

 

[CowboyBob]

I went to a Catholic high school and had several teachers that everyone widely understood to be gay, even including the other teachers, and it was simply an open secret. Of course gay marriage was a pipedream in California back then so one of them getting married was a non-issue. Most of them had either attended that high school themselves or were from families affiliated with the school or parish, and were from Catholic backgrounds. There are many gay Christians, you know.

I live across the street form a large Catholic church and school. I know two of the priests there are gay (know first hand one of them is!) and have a gay friend who's the second grade teacher. A woman in the business office is the typical bull dyke lesbian. If the church fired all the gay staff they'd probably have to close.

 

[xbuzzerx]

I live across the street form a large Catholic church and school. I know two of the priests there are gay (know first hand one of them is!) and have a gay friend who's the second grade teacher. A woman in the business office is the typical bull dyke lesbian. If the church fired all the gay staff they'd probably have to close.

Many of our Franciscans (several of whom taught classes) were "visibly" gay, and widely understood to be gay, which (I was not raised in a Catholic upbringing) the strange thing to me as an outsider was, everyone there seemed to know and be used to it. I recall one kid I was friends with who was raised Catholic saying that it'd probably always been that way because "what easier for a gay man to give up than women?" when deciding to become a priest. I was a bit late to the ballgame on this realization but that was the first time I had thought that maybe the priesthood itself had been sort of the "accomodation" that Christian European societies had always made (in an unspoken manner, of course) for gay people to go and still remain upstanding members of the community.

As a side note one of the gay Franciscans was probably the smartest person I've ever actually met. He spoke something like 13 languages and since he'd come from a very small and poor South Pacific island, I heard more than one person say that they didn't really think he had joined the priesthood for religion but for its offering of a world class education. With as smart as he was it was easy to see that interpretation as being probable.

 

[vulgar_newcomer]

I think they might sign some form of contract of conduct in accordance to the church. Remember a while back the female teacher in a Catholic school was terminated for being pregnant and not married? In that case the parish responding that she did sign a contract/papers upon employment. The teacher and woman's groups had a valid point that unmarried males can live with partners or have sex with no fear of being caught in most cases not as easy for a woman. Perhaps not every gay teacher would be terminated but a teacher or employee in the school who they are looking for a reason to can, well there's the ticket.
I agree why would anyone subject themselves to such employment in a religious environment that is hostile from the get go? Certainly other positions in the field could be found.

 

[xbuzzerx]

I think they might sign some form of contract of conduct in accordance to the church. Remember a while back the female teacher in a Catholic school was terminated for being pregnant and not married? In that case the parish responding that she did sign a contract/papers upon employment. The teacher and woman's groups had a valid point that unmarried males can live with partners or have sex with no fear of being caught in most cases not as easy for a woman. Perhaps not every gay teacher would be terminated but a teacher or employee in the school who they are looking for a reason to can, well there's the ticket.
I agree why would anyone subject themselves to such employment in a religious environment that is hostile from the get go? Certainly other positions in the field could be found.

Yup my understanding of it at the time (no clue how laws may have changed since) is that it was legal for them to hire and fire on some religious criteria. For example, I know that all faculty at my school were required to be formal members of a Catholic parish.

 

[JayHawk]

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around why anyone who is Gay wants anything to do with anything that is religious. Why would Gay people take positions in religious institutions knowing what you are going to face?

Because change comes from within a large organization like the Catholic church.

 

[White Eagle]

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around why anyone who is Gay wants anything to do with anything that is religious. Why would Gay people take positions in religious institutions knowing what you are going to face?

I understand what you are saying. But I think if we, gays, are gonna get anywhere there would be a lot of help from someone like this VP. The kids walking out has helped our situation also. It brings to the attention of the Nation that we are being discriminated and these kids are the best way to do that.

 

[Kulindahr]

Three cheers for the kids!

The bishops won't give a hoot, but the people who put money in the offering plates just may.

 

[lambdaboy]

Remember that when you see all this stuff they print about the new pope being so wonderful! He just excommunicated a priest in Australia because he wants women priests and gay marriage.

 

[darden]

Remember that when you see all this stuff they print about the new pope being so wonderful! He just excommunicated a priest in Australia because he wants women priests and gay marriage.

the priest in question left the Catholic church and started his own church... it's safe to say that he excommunicated himself.

 

[Kulindahr]

the priest in question left the Catholic church and started his own church... it's safe to say that he excommunicated himself.

It also wasn't a sudden decision by the Pope; these days, excommunication is a process that takes a long time. It was almost certainly begun when he kept celebrating Mass after resigning his position as a parish priest several years ago.

 

[chrisrobin]

White Eagle: Thanks for the post. Signed the petition.

 

[maxpowr9]

Catholic school is a bit messed up having attended one. It can be more liberal than most public schools but on the same token, far more conservative.

Homosexuality was basically brushed under the carpet at my school. There were a few teachers that were closet cases that the students loved but they lived the "bachelor's lifestyle" which is an old-tyme term for homosexual.

As crude as it sounds, I am even shocked the board and the headmaster even allowed a gay man to even become principal. The headmaster is usually a Sister or Brother and can usually snuff out any "morality" issues of a potential principal.