The high school alma matter of Democratic Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg has an unfortunately all-too-common policy in place: the school will not hire LGBTQ teachers. As an out-gay man, that disqualifies the popular presidential contender from working there.
Buttigieg attended Saint Joseph High, a private Catholic school in his native South Bend, Indiana the city in which he now serves as mayor. According to Jennifer Simerman, a spokesperson for the local diocese, “The Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend requires our educators to adhere to Catholic teachings on the respect for the dignity of all persons and on marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”
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Simerman adds that policy disqualifies Buttigieg, as his marriage to a man is “incompatible with the mission of the Catholic school educator.” Simerman also contends that the school is welcoming of gay students, though it does prohibit transgender students.
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“It perfectly underscores the very difficult situation of LGBTQ people in our country right now,” Eliza Byard, executive director of queer student advocacy group GLSEN said of the policy. Bayard told Rebecca Klein of The Huffington Post: “We live in a country where in some states it’s perfectly legal to discriminate against LGBTQ people,” Byard said. “Religiously based schools like his high school have the legal right to refuse to hire people who are LGBTQ.”
Despite its discriminatory policies, Saint Joseph High and other religious schools like it still receive millions of dollars in public funds.
Larry
Not at all Christian according to the Bible.
unreligious
Since when do Christians follow the bible?
ConnorBryant1658
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SteveM
Reminds me of the Biblical saying: judge not lest ye be judged. In any case, The RC Church has no moral authority to pronounce judgement on LGBTQ people or same sex marriage.
Cam
The actual purpose of religion these days seems merely to be to shield bigots.
JamJewel
The actual purpose of religion these days seems merely to… scam people out of their hard-earned money so they can live off the fat of the land.
Cam
@JamJewel
Tomato Tom-ah-to 😉
Kangol2
Well, you might revise the above statement: if Buttigieg were a closeted gay priest or nun, he could be hired in a heartbeat. The Church looks the other way in that regard. We also know how they have repeatedly hired and looked the other way when dealing with pedophiles and ephebophiles of either sex.
But many Catholic schools, especially diocesan ones, will not hire out gay people. Or they’ll hire them if they keep quiet, but if they get married to a person of the same sex, they’re fired.
A number of instances of this have popped up over recent years. In many cases, the alums, students, fellow teachers, and community support the fired gay teachers over the hateful, discriminatory Catholic Church officials.
russellhm
Gee, the Catholic Church in Mayor Pete’s hometown is as modern and up-to-date as, well, perhaps as the invention of the wheel. But no rational, educated person would be duped into buying a sliver of wood as “a piece of the Cross that Jesus was crucified on,” or a piece of homespun cloth that was cut from the robe Jesus wore. Ah, but I do believe the Roman Catholic Church did sell indulgences during the 16th century for the forgiveness of certain sins. Such a deal. Church makes money and you get your sins forgiven—but you would need money to live that way. Hmmmm.
JamJewel
The big money maker is Catholic divorce… forbidden, except when you have money and more power than them.
boymikefl
As if raping tweens wouldn’t get people to run. Somehow people think calling themselves Catholic makes them appear sin free. No, it makes you look like a follower. See the bridge, we’re all jumping? Do you want to go to hell? THEN JUMP 1ST!
batesmotel
Interesting that they don’t follow much about the Bible, but obsess over a couple of sentences that are anti-gay that were added by patriarchal men at a later date long after the original Bible was put together, then claimed it came from God even though there is no verifiable evidence that proves God actually dictated words to a patriarchal man that he is anti-gay. If there is a god, then he created gays without question.
Felecia
Why would any self-respecting LGBTQ person WANT to work for the enemy in the first place…but the Catholics are entitled to their beliefs here in America. So they reject us; so what. I myself wouldn’t hire an openly anti-gay Hater, even if the individual had the best experience and skills I’d ever seen on a resume’ in my entire life, lol…seems fair, I think.
Cam
It matters because it’s a foothold of bigotry in a school that in spite of claiming to be private takes money from the government.
If you start allowing churches to discriminate AND take govt. money it’s only one step from allowing all businesses to discriminate.
youarederanged
@Felecia… Exactly.
@Cam… zzzzzz
Man About Town
So which is it Dave, Byard or Bayard?
youarederanged
Gays wanting to work within the religious scam deserve any discrimination they get. The whole thing is a joke. They’ve been discriminating against gays since the beginning and always will. Laws won’t change that.
Kangol2
So you’re rationalizing discrimination? Of course you are. Let’s pick another example: Catholic-run hospital systems. There are quite a few, all over the US. In some areas they may be the only comprehensive health care option, especially now that public hospitals have been increasingly eliminated since the 1980s, so you’re essentially saying that if you’re a gay health care or support staff person who wants a job and the only hospital is Catholic or some other religious denomination that decides to discriminate against gay/LGBTQIA people, that’s OK? Uh, no!
And it’s just a short step from the discrimination you’re rationalizing to saying that a gay person who has to be admitted to a Catholic hospital that anti-gay health care and support staff should be allowed to be discriminated by that hospital and staff. I mean, just think through what you’re saying is OK here. It’s not.