KELLY MANGES, Staff Reporter
My son is gay, black, deaf, mentally ill and adopted. Fortunately for him, his world of silence keeps him safe from most of the pain and ridicule inflicted by those who disagree with his sexual orientation. But for others in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Questioning or LGBTQ community, the confusion, frustration and external condemnation can be tantamount to feeling as if you’re a cancelled stamp in the post office of life.
Lewis Theology faculty member and Coordinator of Service Learning, Dr. Christine Billups, believes this is the time to bombard the individual with the message that God loves them.
Catholics students, Jen Rohde, a junior Bio Chemistry major, and Jillian Marianoff, a junior Nursing major, agree that God loves homosexuals. “When people are against you, [because you’re gay] that’s their opinion. Don’t let them tell you what they think is right. It’s what God thinks and He loves us all,” said Rohde.
According to the Web Site, www.catholic.com, the Catholic Church acknowledges that homosexuality’s psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. “[The GLBTQ] 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 to the sacrifice of the Lord’s cross and the difficulties they may encounter from their condition,” states the site.
If people are hurting, pastoral care is essential. “They need a listening and caring ear and heart to accompany them. We need to be present holistically and actively, authentically and relevantly. We need to begin by creating a safe place for young people,” Billups said.
The Gay Straight Alliance, which is in place on Lewis’ campus for that very reason, has one acting member. John Bradley, a sophomore major in Aviation Administration and treasurer and media liaison for the Lewis University Student Governing Board, said he thinks people just don’t know the organization exists or are afraid of exposure. Bradley would like to assure students who might be interested in GSA that the experience would be enriching, that there would be no pressure and it would be a place where they could come and just be themselves.
Last year, Director of Multicultural Student Services and Co-Chair of the Lewis University Diversity Action Team, Carlos Fernandez Serrato, started a Safe Zone Program at Joliet Junior College in order to teach heterosexuals to become allies with LGBTQ students. “I would like to create an alliance at Lewis as well that is genuine and authentic to help ensure that students have everything they need to succeed here in our Sanctified Zone,” Serrato said.
Serrato said his own coming out was not a one time occurrence but more like a series of coming outs. “You come out to your family, you come out to your friends, you come out on your job, etc.,” he stated.
As far as Serrato’s spirituality is concerned, he feels God is concerned with even the lowest form of life; i.e., if His eye is on the sparrow, Serrato feels he watches over him as well.
Philosophy professor Dr. George Miller, wrote and performed a play during Diversity Week titled, “You Brought This on Yourself” to inspire people to rebel against systems that perpetuate injustice against LGBTQ individuals. According to Miller, his oldest daughter was the victim of a hate crime at Naperville high school. When she reported the incident to the administration they told her, “We can’t be of any help, you brought this on yourself.”
“I wrote the play because I wanted the world to know how she was treated,” Miller said.
While Miller is supportive of his daughter, not all students have the support of their family members. As a result, LGBTQ youth are frequently depressed and suffer from low self-esteem due in part to isolation and silence sometimes associated with being gay. “One of the most troubling discoveries is that LGBTQ youth comprise up to 30 percent of teen suicides,” Billups said.
George Valentia of the Trevor Project Suicide Hotline noted gay and lesbian people are three to seven times more likely to attempt suicide, and every five hours a LGBTQ teen takes his or her life. “For every teen who takes their life, 20 more make an attempt to.”
One of the top five reasons teens call the hotline is for religious issues. “They feel there’s no place for them and God,” Valentia said.
“Regardless of the starting place, the realities in which LGBTQ youth find themselves demand a response. Each community must discern for itself the appropriate place to begin. The voices of LGBTQ persons must be part of that discernment, and we must root all that we do in prayer. Prayer keeps us rooted in God and tapped into the compassion and wisdom of the Spirit,” Billups said.
“The bridge is about recognizing the humanity and respecting the dignity of every single person in our midst,” concluded Billups.
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