notre dame

It’s His Catholic Beliefs That Has GLAAD’s Jarrett Barrios’ Sick Over That Gay Bashing Cartoon

SOUNDBITES — “As a Catholic, a father, and a gay man, I was deeply troubled to see ‘The Mobile Party’ cartoon printed in The Observer on Jan. 13. My faith is an important part of my life. As a Catholic, I’ve always cherished our traditions of promoting peace and kindness to all people. Jesus taught us that, ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.’ We are called to abhor violence, and to treat our fellows with respect. Sadly, this cartoon did not live up to this teaching. In America today there are still far too many cases of anti-gay violence; violence that is often the consequence of slurs that demonize people by demeaning who they are. This imagery is real for many Americans, because we’ve seen the stories of Matthew Shepard, Gwen Araujo, Angie Zapata, Simmie Williams, Steven Lopez Mercado and far too many others. These young people were targeted for violence by people who hated them because they were gay or transgender. Let there be no mistake, images in the media make an incredible impact, and this cartoon diminished the sense of safety and respect among many people — gay and straight alike — in the Notre Dame community. As the father of two teenage boys, I worry about sending my sons out into a world where this type of violence is promoted for a cheap laugh.” —GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios, writing in to Notre Dame’s college newspaper The Observer (via)

EARLIER: Notre Dame’s College Newspaper Filled With Boring Student Government Reports, Pro-Gay Bashing Cartoons

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