Supporting a Straight Ally Campaign

Donna Bess Myers & Lisa ReiterSaint Louis University

Personal reflections Climate of fear

◦ Due to unfamiliarity with Church teaching Survey

Climate on Campus

Institutional Individual Administrators/Staff

Three Sets of Values

Scripture Tradition (Natural Law) Moral Teaching of the Church Human Experience

Four Areas which inform

Decision-making in a Catholic context

Purpose: The “All of Us” Campaign seeks to recruit allies and support from students, faculty, and staff to create a safer and more welcoming environment for lesbian and gay students and their allies on campus.

Three Stages◦ Posters ◦ Stake Signs◦ Bring speaker, Mary Lou Wallner

“All of Us” Campaign

A Sample poster

Purpose: The “All of Us” Campaign seeks to recruit allies and support from students, faculty, and staff to create a safer and more welcoming environment for lesbian and gay students and their allies on campus.

Three Stages◦ Posters ◦ Stake Signs◦ Bring speaker, Mary Lou Wallner

“All of Us” Campaign

◦ Church emphasizes the dignity of all people, including those with a homosexual orientation. A homosexual orientation is not considered

immoral in itself.

◦ Church: “all of us must strive to eliminate any forms of injustice, oppression, or violence” against homosexual persons

◦ The Church community should be a place where homosexual persons are welcomed.

The Campaign and fidelity to Our Catholic identity

Always Our Children, (1997), United States Catholic Conference http://www.usccb.org/laity/always.shtml  This letter was written by the U.S. Bishops to the parents of LGBT

persons and to those who minister to and with them.  Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2art6.htm  See sections 2357-2359

Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination: Guidelines for Pastoral Care (USCC, 2006)

http://www.usccb.org/dpp/Ministry.pdf This pastoral letter was issued by the USCCB on November 14, 2006.

This letter re-affirms earlier Church documents, respecting the fundamental dignity of each human person, including those who are homosexual.

Church documents

The Pledge Banner in the Quad Google Site & Facebook Stake Signs approved without approval of

the campaign

What Happened: Glitches

Communication with ◦ Students◦ Upper Administration ◦ Each other

Revised pledge◦ https://sites.google.com/site/slurainbowalliance/all

ofuscampaign

What Happened: Resolution

Most of the Jesuit Universities have an LGBT group

Other Catholic universities◦ University of Dayton (Marianist)◦ Catholic university◦ Notre Dame university

Time to share your experiences Answer Questions

What’s Happening At Other Institutions

Read Documents Consult a moral theologian Frequent dialogue with Student Life &

Mission & Ministry Be aware of position of local bishop

Conclusion