Olivia Harrison, the daughter of Jill and Tracy, whom married in Canada in 2006, was told days before the school year begins Monday that she isn’t wanted at the Episcopal Church’s St. Vincent’s School in Bedford, Texas, because she has two mommies.
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“It’s hard to believe that a place that’s supposed to take in and teach children about God and the basics of religion would actually discriminate against her because of who we are,” says mother Tracy. Counters Kenneth Monk, head of the school: “We are a church affiliated with the Anglican Church in North America, and it is their policy that we don’t provide services to individuals or families that do not behave properly. We’re going off our canons that say ‘The Anglican Church in North America affirms our Lord’s teaching that the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is in its nature a union permanent and lifelong of one man and one woman.” This brings to four the number of times Monk’s school has denied admission to the children of same-sex parents.
And as such, their children might as well be the offspring of Satan!
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
On the upside, the Harrisons can become pen pals with the Boulder family whose son was banned from a Catholic pre-school. Maybe they can play online Scrabble together, that’s educational.
[NBC DFW]
Rhenaiya
Marriage has existed in every culture for as far back as we have the historical proof, and the fact is marriage isn’t a privelege or a territory of any one religion or culture. This means that same sex marriages are just as legitimate as any other marriage.
However why anyone would want to try to mingle with the enemy is beyond me. I believe that having faith is a right we all have, but belonging to a hate mongering, self-appointed representative group of fundamentalist organization is just pointless. It’s ok for them to feel the way they do, ignorance is bliss. It’s not ok for them to try to socially attack people by placing their morals above the laws of equality that the country is founded on. It is ok for gay and lesbians to be married and be of whatever religion they choose but it’s folly to think that we should be able to sway their opinions and force our way in to groups that are predisposed to alienating us.
Kieran
The Anglican/Episcopal Church? Isn’t that the “church” that was founded by King Henry VIII after the Pope refused to allow him to Divorce his wife Anne Bolyn? Yep. And isn’t that the same King Henry VIII who later had several of his wives beheaded? Yep.
What in the hell would the Anglican church know about “the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony”?
I suggest these bigoted Protestants go back and read the Bible where Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me. DO NOT hinder them!”
Steve
Must be aligned with the part of the Anglican church that doesn’t support gay clergy. More like Roman Catholics really.
Jimmy Fury
As a private school they do have every right to deny entry though. It’s crappy and they really should have done it sooner but it is their right.
Hyhybt
Well, which is it? Are they Episcopalian or ACNA?
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
@Jimmy Fury: Yes, but if they decided they didn’t want a pupil enrolled because they were a minority holy hell would ensue. We can not accept second class citizenship on any level………….
Mudduck
The school is ACNA, not The Episcopal Church. The continuing diocese of Fort Worth has said:
Many stories refer to the school as St. Vincent’s Episcopal School. While this is indeed a private school, it is not an Episcopal school. Clergy at St. Vincent’s left The Episcopal Church in 2008, and have, in fact, been deposed by The Episcopal Church, which means they can no longer function as clergy in our church. This confusion is understandable because even though they and former bishop Jack Iker have left The Episcopal Church, they continue to use our name and to occupy Episcopal Church property. The Episcopal Church is in litigation over these matters in the 141st District Court in Tarrant County, Texas. All the schools in the continuing Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth (established by the General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 1982) have policies of non-discrimination in matters of admission.
David
So, what’s the justification of the school keeping its tax-exempt status if it’s going to exclude kids based on the parent’s characteristics?
None that I can see.
Syl
@Jimmy Fury: But just being a private group or business doesn’t exempt them from anti-discrimination laws. I could run my own business but that wouldn’t allow me to discriminate against a black job applicant just because he’s black. I could not hire him because another applicant has a better resume, or because he drove a Honda to the interview and I only hire Ford men, dammit!, but not because of his race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, etc.
@Kieran: Nail on head!
Also, Doesnt the Episcopal Church have female and gay bishops? Or just the Anglican one? What’s the deal?
Hyhybt
@Syl: Well, it’s a confusing point: “Anglican,” generally, means any church descended from the Church of England…. except that, in the US, those are called “Episcopal,” while the ones going by the name “Anglican” are NOT affiliated with the Anglican Communion, but have broken off from the Episcopal Church over issues like gays or women clergy.
In the US, Episcopalians have female and gay priests and bishops.
In this case it’s worse, as they’ve left the Episcopal Church but insist on continuing to use the name, which serves no purpose except to confuse people.
Rikard
I am mystified. Why do you want to associate with a church that will not support you, much less give them a role in education your precious children?
Jeffree
Ah yes: as if we needed another example of the Xtians selectively choosing which parts of the Buy-Bull they’re going to enforce!
So when are kids of divorced parents going to be disenrolled from their schools?
Be Thankful
Believe me, that little girl is SO much better off not going to a Catholic school; I know from personal experience because I went for many many years. It might’ve sounded all wonderful to the lesbian parents at first – a private school! – but it isn’t. For one, their teachers don’t have to be certified like public school teachers. Their certification is basically being a Catholic. Also, Catholic schools are infamous for skipping on science education (it must have something to do with the evolution vs. creationism theories). They also aren’t that great teaching mathematics. And don’t even ask about health and sex education or world history or equal rights. But they have classes all about angels! And saints! And the bible! Whoopee!
Oh, and if a Catholic school is known for its sports you can forget about getting the grades you earned. My older brother is a whiz at math yet he somehow flunked calculus while the two varsity football players who barely attended class, passed. My parents took him out of that school pronto, after that debacle.
I can’t tell you how much my siblings and I feel so cheated out of a science education. We all wish we could sue those freaking so-called schools. We have a cousin who is now attending a four-year Christian college for a liberal arts education. The majority of his required classes are religious-based (angels!) while they require him to take only one math class. One math class. What is wrong with this picture? Olivia Harrison, count your blessings.
JoeBob
I’d be interested to know whether children of divorced parents who have both a mother and a step-mother would be eligible for entry or if this would be too many mums (and dads) for them to cope with?
Be Thankful
Oops, I just realized the article has to do with the Episcopal and Anglican churches, not Catholic. Is it obvious I was looking at and flirting with my male schoolmates than paying attention in reading comprehension class?! Anyway I’m sure the Episcopal, Anglican and Catholic schools probably have the same mindset concerning education; teaching their religion is more important.
WTF
“It’s hard to believe that a place that’s supposed to take in and teach children about God and the basics of religion would actually discriminate against her because of who we are”
Really?
Honey, you’re too damn old to try pulling off stupid. It just ain’t cute at your age.
Cheryl
Why would a lesbian couple want to send his kid to be educated at a homophobic school?…..I have friends in Dallas, a gay couple married in Montreal and they have their daughter attending the Episcopal school and they have no problems whatsoever.
Aaron in Honolulu
I DON’T SEE THE SCHOOL DISMISSING CHILDREN WHOSE PARENTS HAVE BEEN DIVORCED!!!!!!!!! The hypocrisy burns…
David
The Fort Worth Episcopal Diocese is very conservative, and I think they’re considering (or have already) putting themselves under the Episcopal Church in Uganda. Yeah, some US Episcopal churches have already done that, and yes, over the gay issue.
It’s appalling.
–
But then, in North Dallas, we’ve got very liberal Episcopal churches with schools where gay couples are welcomed and appreciated.
Not being a Christian, it’s still no place for me. Too much ritual, too much doctrine, and too much blood for my blood.
–
Didja know we’ve got an atheist church in Dallas area also? “Church of the Freethinker” I think is what it’s called. Meets once a month, mostly heterosexuals, sort of “soccer-mom” -ish. Great place for straight atheist geeks. It’s run by a great guy, a gynocologist.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
@David: To add to your point regarding Uganda, if you happen to see the most recent Advocate.(I know its diffult, its not much thicker that an advertising flyer now) its worth reading the pretty exhaustive investigation into the US evangelicals infecting the African countries with their rabid anti-Gay venom. It is sickening the legnthes these scumbags are going to in efforts to basically create a Gay holocaust in Africa and the backing of numerous United States Senators and representives via the family……….sickening shit