Diocese banning visit from gay author and sacking governors that approved it

[gymgymgo]

The Archdiocese of Southwark over-ruled one of its own headteachers and is sacking some governors because they approved the visit of a children's author who writes books about fictional gay characters. They've said the visit is "outside the scope of what is permissible in a Catholic school". The school's chaplain has said "the event is about promoting the literature of a lifestyle choice that is contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ." Some of the teachers are now threatening strike action. Aibu to think this story will blow up in the diocese's face?

inews.co.uk/news/catholic-state-school-john-fisher-southwark-diocese-governors-cancel-visit-gay-author-simon-james-green-1505735

Guardian coverage: www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/books/2022/mar/09/catholic-church-bans-visit-by-gay-author-to-london-school

It sounds as if the Chaplain thoroughly stirred it up.

Lots of things are a sin according to the Catholic Church. Do you think they would refuse to host an author who was divorced? Or who had had an abortion? Or is of a different or no religion?

Yes, I think it's quite likely, especially if that author had been invited because they had a reputation as a children's author writing on those subjects.

I really feel for the author who has been treated very rudely, and I really, really feel for the children at this school. But I think you're mad if you imagine a Catholic-run school would be happier about abortion than homosexuality.

I’m a Catholic, and a Governor in a Catholic highschool - this does not sound anything like my school.

Homosexuality is part of the PSHE curriculum, there are a number of young people who are openly gay, there is a zero tolerance of bullying (including homophobic bullying), as part of “enrichment days” sex and sexuality are discussed. At no time are out young people told it’s wrong.

We have celebration masses, in our Diocese, for gay men and women - there are plenty of gay catholics. Pope Francis has been very clear that everyone is welcome. He’s been very clear about “spreading love” .. no idea what that Chaplin is up to.

… and we also talk about Abortion, and provide support to the young people who find themselves pregnant and take this option.

Unfortunately this is to be expected and I fear only the tip of the iceberg so to speak.
I have long expected that there would be a massive push back against Stonewalls extreme pro trans stance and ideological indoctrination of all parts of government and in particular educational institutions and because stonewall have linked the TQ+ to the LGB then it puts LGB people in the firing line for the push back add to that the fact that stonewall itself has become homophobic which normalises homophobia and allows groups like the Catholic Church to justify their own extremist views.
The law passed this week in florida should be a warning to us all www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-60576847

And yet we can have rainbow cock monkeys and drag Queens

Yeah state schools really should all be secular to avoid this kind of crap.

@ExtraOnion

… and we also talk about Abortion, and provide support to the young people who find themselves pregnant and take this option.

Sorry, in my post I should have said, a Catholic organisation that bans a gay writer would not be likely to take a more permissive attitude towards abortion - not that all Catholics or all Catholic organisations would share these attitudes.

@maddening

And yet we can have rainbow cock monkeys and drag Queens

I am 99.9% sure this school doesn't go in for those either, don't you think?

Pope Francis has been very clear that everyone is welcome.

Unless they want a leadership role. This will ring more true when the church starts ordaining women and openly gay people.

OK, a couple of things, The Church can only remove he governors it has appointed, ie the Foundation Governors, it cannot remove the parent govs or staff govs as they are elected, nor may it remove the LA or Co-opted governors.

I fear that the issue here is not the writer per se, but a means to remove part of the governing body because the various dioceses are being encouraged strongly to form academies chains and this is not sitting well with parents.

There is nothing in the article about sacking the HT, because that is quite a difficult thing to achieve, possibly gross misconduct by bringing the school into disrepute... but frankly it would seem that the priest, who will doubtless be on the GB will be the person on whose doorstep that should be laid. If they tried to sack the HT, a combination of the NAHT and the NEU would, I suggest be more than able for any fire and brimstone the Diocese invokes.

[quote Hoardasurass]Unfortunately this is to be expected and I fear only the tip of the iceberg so to speak.
I have long expected that there would be a massive push back against Stonewalls extreme pro trans stance and ideological indoctrination of all parts of government and in particular educational institutions and because stonewall have linked the TQ+ to the LGB then it puts LGB people in the firing line for the push back add to that the fact that stonewall itself has become homophobic which normalises homophobia and allows groups like the Catholic Church to justify their own extremist views.
The law passed this week in florida should be a warning to us all www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-60576847[/quote]
It
Has
Literally
Nothing
Whatsoever
To
Do
With
Trans
Issues.

It is to do with a section of the Catholic Church being boringly homophobic.

When you drag in Stonewall and trans issues you sound unhinged.

@DetailMouse

I'd imagine that's exactly what most parents sending DC to Catholic school would expect

Last time I went to my local Pride, I bumped into the RE teacher from the Catholic secondary school having a nice chat with the lesbian parents of one of her pupils at the LGBTQ+ film event the night before, saw lots of pupils from that school walking at the front of the parade under the school banner alongside parents and teachers, and then picked up a rainbow coloured rosary from the priest running the diocese's LGBTQ+ ministry which hosts a monthly mass locally. He had a stall.

The homophobic Catholics might shout louder, but plenty of others are just getting on with things.

The ‘it’s their religion’ argument doesn’t wash. If the bible were being used to the letter to guide behaviour all catholic men should have beards. Jesus would be accepting of difference. So should the church. Homophobia is un-Christian, unevolved and outdated.

This is really shocking. The school is local to me and I’m appalled

05SarahAndQuack

maddening

And yet we can have rainbow cock monkeys and drag Queens

I am 99.9% sure this school doesn't go in for those either, don't you think?

I totally agree, it is just the craziness of the 2 ends of the spectrum that we are seeing within our society rather than a statement about this actual school.

What this school has done is awful imo.

[quote Lovelteers]@OpheliaThrupps ‘ It's their religion. Homosexuality is a sin.’

Didn’t take long for the crazy homophobes to pop up, did it ?

That’s the problem - this kind of action allows others to feel free to start spewing their hatred too.[/quote]
I read that as - in their religion they see it as a sin - rather than the poster’s actual opinion.

It's not clear from the article how old the children are or whether the books have characters who happen to be homosexual or if there is more detail than that. Cancelling a visit from an author just because they are gay is not on imo but having someone come in to talk about and promote homosexuality in a Catholic school would be like inviting McDonald's to come in and do a burger cooking workshop in a school for vegans (if a school for vegans existed).

I'm a Christian and while I read books with homosexual characters in and watch glee/modern family (as do my teenagers), I don't think it would be appropriate for someone to be teaching people in a church or a church school that being a practising homosexual is a good idea.

@ExtraOnion

I’m a Catholic, and a Governor in a Catholic highschool - this does not sound anything like my school.

Homosexuality is part of the PSHE curriculum, there are a number of young people who are openly gay, there is a zero tolerance of bullying (including homophobic bullying), as part of “enrichment days” sex and sexuality are discussed. At no time are out young people told it’s wrong.

We have celebration masses, in our Diocese, for gay men and women - there are plenty of gay catholics. Pope Francis has been very clear that everyone is welcome. He’s been very clear about “spreading love” .. no idea what that Chaplin is up to.

Thank you for sharing that! I'm Catholic too, and would be horrified if a school in my diocese reacted the way that school has.

I don't believe that being gay and acting on it is sinfull at all (assuming both parties are above the age of consent, consenting, and neither is in a relationship). God made us all, why would he have made approx. 7% of mamals gay if it was wrong in some way? It's human batshittery at its most intolerant best.

Those poor children, having their education controlled by such small-minded people. It is possible to respect religious beliefs and still provide truthful education

Catholic Church has an uncomfortable relationship with sexuality full stop! I grew up Catholic most people I know think it's a load of nonsense - they take the bits they like education and culture and leave the bits they don't like mainly anything to do with sexuality. i find the C of E people I know take a very much pick n mix approach too - and pretty much stick with the church while it delivers a privileged education away from the riff raff.

Is this school particularly conservatively Catholic. It sounds like they are. I wonder how much they mention being gay in their PHSE, probably not that much?

I don't think it would be appropriate for someone to be teaching people in a church or a church school that being a practising homosexual is a good idea.

Being a homosexual, practising or not, isn't an idea. That implies it's a choice. It's not.

The best way to resolve this is to completely shake up education and make it so that taxpayer funded education has to be fully secular. No more compulsory acts of Christian worship any more either - secular assemblies. The RE curriculum can stay, if well taught it's very useful in teaching mutual respect and critical thinking, but let's stop funding the religious nutjobs ( by which I mean people like the Diocese here, not everyday decent people of faith!) and make education free from religion - that way everyone can have freedom of religion. I'd much rather my taxes didn't go towards funding schools like this one where the homophobic religious zealots have so much control.

I went to a convent - we were taught the full biology GCSE including all the bits about contraception and there were no religious opinions brought into it. Meanwhile, the same year a friend who attended another Catholic school, they had refused to cover the contraceptive part of the course. There are extremists in every walk of life.

I know the chaplain. He is very conservative.