Crawford is the embarrassment
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Well, here we go again — only at Notre Dame could the two main topics of conversation and debate consistently be football and homosexuality. Mary Crawford's Oct. 15 letter to the editor did nothing if not contribute to my disbelief that there are still seemingly intelligent, educated people out there in the world (other than Jerry Falwell) who continue to believe homosexuality is immoral and somehow un-Catholic.
She stated that as a Saint Mary's student she takes pride in her Catholic teachings, values and morals and that she has been taught to live as a "true" Catholic all her life. It is obvious though, that she is not informed of the "true" teachings of the Catholic Church on the issue of homosexuality. Her argument appears to reduce down to the basic form of "being gay equals being immoral." Or, more accurately perhaps, "encouraging people who are gay to come out to their family and friends and no longer be ashamed of who they are equals being immoral."
Her substantiation to these claims seems to come from the Catholic nature of our institutions and these "true" Catholic teachings. How many times do we have to go over this, people; I mean, really. After what seems like hundreds of letters to The Observer and countless clarifications and reclarifications on this issue, you'd think that everyone on our campuses would know what the Church's stance on homosexuality is.
The Church does not believe that homosexuality is immoral, but that homosexual acts are. The Church encourages homosexuals to live a celibate life and believes they should be supported and loved in their struggles. The Church has even suggested that homosexuals do not necessarily choose their way of life. To reiterate, according to the Catholic Church, homosexuality is not immoral! Therefore, encouraging those who are homosexual to be "loud and proud" cannot be considered immoral. This of course calls into serious question the University's ban on GALA ads and exclusion of sexual orientation from the non-discrimination clause, but that's for another letter.
As for her insightful words of wisdom that being gay isn't the only way to be happy — somehow I doubt that the writers of the sign "Be Gay, Be Happy" were implying that being gay is, in fact, the only true path to enlightenment. National Coming Out Day is about encouraging homosexuals who are ashamed of or hiding a significant aspect of their lives to talk to their friends and families about their feelings. This openness could lead to increased happiness on their part, if the people they come out to are accepting and supportive (as "true" Catholics should be).
Advertising National Coming Out Day in the manner that she objected to is merely a means in which to show this support and raise awareness.
Frankly, I was embarrassed, just as Miss Crawford was. Her letter came out (ah, no pun intended) on a football weekend — who knows how many alumni, parents and visitors read The Observer that day. I am embarrassed that those people might think that all students who attend Notre Dame and Saint Mary's might be as uninformed and seemingly narrow-minded as Miss Crawford.
Julie Fahey
Senior
Farley Hall
October 16, 1999
All Viewpoint Stories for Thursday, October 28, 1999
