Yesterday Phil Attey (pictured, seriously), the former HRC staffer behind the now-shuttered ChurchOuting.org (which threatened to out gay clergy), launched Catholics For Equality, a new 501(c)(4) gay rights group (whose formation was guided by HRC types) that wants to “to support, educate, and mobilize Catholics in the advancement of freedom and equality at the federal, state, and local levels for our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered family, parish and community members,” but will not, according to board member Tony Adams, “try to change the Catholic Church.” Snipes San Francisco activist Michael Petrelis: “Sounds like the HRC agenda, with the word Catholics thrown into the mix. Not sure why this agenda isn’t already part of HRC’s religious arm and why Phil just didn’t go work for his old boss.” [Spero, Petrelis]
Joe
wow. Queerty has managed yet ANOTHER story to attack HRC
Mike
We appear to have Catholic #1 (aka The Pope) over here in the UK right now.
He’s just managed to insult every atheist by comparing them to the Nazis and one of his aides (who is now mysteriously “too ill to travel to the UK”) likened our airports to arriving in a third world country.
OK – so Heathrow isn’t on the same par as Barcelona or Dubai Intl but its OUR airport — so only We get to critique it OK?
Current rumor suggests that popey-boy is going to meet with UK victims of catholic sex abuse.
[email protected]
Hey, maybe they can start with trying to change Maggie Gallagher FIRST! ;o) And, doesn’t Phil Attey look kinda’ HAWT in that costume? :o)
Jeffree
My first reaction was that it makes no sense form and org. if they’re not trying to change church policy BUT since 23% of Americans *maybe* they can do *some* good through education of Catholics and catholic educators. Lots of legislators are cathiolic too.
i’m still skeptical, though, because the Vatican and Benny XVI aren’t going to be changing their theology & rules anytime in at least the next 2 centuries!.
I personally would’nt want to be part of a church that commands me to be celibate & thinks I’m morally, intrinsically disordered.
Jeffree
**amend first sentence to read “makes no sense to form an org…..”
and “23% of Americans are Catholic”
Sorry. Very tired.
MikeH
As one who participated in meetings with Catholic leaders on the Hill thru Phil’s efforts, I found it an important avenue to put a human face on the issue of LGBT Catholics, in this case in relation to military service under DADT. Most Catholics know that the Church does not change thru lobbying and other efforts, similar to a government. I may not always be a supporter of the HRC lobbying tactics, but in this case, laying the groundwork for dialogue, though, is rarely a bad thing.
As for the photo, really? I mean, we all have pics from our down time that do not demonstrate our public, professional face. Cheap shot.
DR
I’m with Mike on the photo, seriously cheap shot.
I think the group’s goals are sound. Change the minds of active rank-and-file Catholics, and the rest will come. Smart move. The more you change the people, the more you change the climate. But of course, there’s always going to be those who snipe and make pointless demands since it’s easier to type than work…
edgyguy1426
@Mike: Yeah Mike being compared to the Nazi’s makes this atheist jew-boy even more aggressive towards the Catholics. For a Pope that wants to be a healing Pope, he sure has declared all out war on gays and atheists. Just what IS an aggressive atheist, in his mind? It’s not like we fund atheist missionaries in 3rd world countries trying to spread the (unfortunate) Word.
Drake
This is an organization of Catholics, who can contact Congress, State politicians, etc. and be another voice in the religions mix, but one that is Catholic AND pro-gay.
An example of why this is useful: on the health care reform debate, the Cahtolic bishops came out against it. However, the Catholic Hospital Assoication and the national organization of Catholic nuns came out strongly in favor of the health care reform, since it would expand coverage to tens of millions currently not covered. Having these groups gave “political cover” for politicians who have lots of Catholic voters, so that they could say that the “Catholic opinion is divided on the issue” or “lots of Catholics contacted my office supporting gay rights”, etc.
Bottom line, individual Catholics vote, not the Church as an organization. And of course, politicians want votes.
This organization will also get quoted in the news on gay issues as a Catholic opinion, rather than just old fart priests and bishops.
It is interesting to note: gay rights (marriage equality, anti-discrimination laws, etc.) are more often found in states with higher Catholic populations. Also, therewas a public opinion poll this week about Irish Catholics (in Ireland) stating that 91% of Irish Catholics support gay rights, including gay marriage. In Ireland, they do not hesitate to tell the bishops to buzz off. US Catholics are more and more doing this now. The typical Catholic is fairly supportive of all sorts of social justice issues. They have loved all their Catholic priests for years, and are not about to trash them as the pope and bishops want Catholics to do.
In Massachusetts, where same sex marriage started ( predominately Catholic), although the bishops still officially oppose gay marriage, they officially allow children of gays to be baptized and to enroll in schools. This is progress, although slow, but still progress.
Drake
In the previous comment, I dropped a word.
I meant to say “They have loved all their GAY Catholic priests for years…..
Justin
How will we recognize the “changed” Catholics? They’ll sleeping on Sundays or wear goofy costumes? What?
What a waste of time. Are these people being paid for this crap?
Sacramento
I don’t give a sh*t about the article, but he looks hot in that photo, mmm!
steveMD2
@[email protected]:
The only way that you fix maggie is to skin that bitch alive and roast her over a fire of camel dung.
The bitch talks about her moral values and had two illegitimate children. And hides from her similar creepy southern bible belt pals that her husband is black.
She reminds me of a man I know, a ‘fixed gay’ . Initally he appears to be a decent guy but when you challenge his anti gay beliefs – he becomes psychopath and pathalogical liar. He said “gays are supporting the westboro baptist church because it gets them sympathy. And then he said “matthew shepards family should have fixed him”
The whole gang of those kind of people should be sent to a deserted island with a one way ticket. I’m sure they would quickly turn to hating each other and solve our problems with them/
Just make sure to send the maggies and that whore O’Donnel and all the other females to a separate place.
So they cant reproduce and maybe3 with a satelite cam we can watch them all go gay.