LGBTQIA+ Students Should Not “Distract” Catholics By Existing, Says Bishop DeGrood
The deeply conservative US legislature can often be better understood by looking through the perspective of an individual.
John Wilka is the father of a transgender football player who attends a Catholic school in South Dakota and he has decided to vehemently oppose the diocese’s anti-LGBTQIA+ policy, reports Advocate.
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY PREJUDICE
People raised in Catholicism are aware of the coded language the church uses to stigmatise LGBTQIA+ people. For example, this is a direct quote from a statement from Bishop Donald DeGrood of the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, S.D.
“When discussing homosexuality or homosexual inclinations, the use of the term ‘same-sex attraction’ is preferred, as it is a more appropriate description in accordance with the truths of Catholic faith and morals.”
He continues: “Students may not advocate, celebrate, or express transgenderism in such a way as to cause confusion or distraction in the context of Catholic school classes, activities, or events.”
How exactly would a student confuse or distract from classes, activities or events? By simply being there? This arbitrary policy makes it clear that the Catholic church does not want to acknowledge the existence of LGBTQIA+ people yet, when forced to, they would prefer to shroud the conversation in vague rules about semantics.
This exact kind of implication is what John Wilka found issue with. “These policies in that letter are very frightening and very dangerous. It is my fear that it will cause more harm to children. That there will be suicide attempts. That there will be actual suicide occurrences,” he says. Wilka’s 15-year-old son Kris moved to a school under the Catholic Diocese so that he could play football and John believes the statement to be a reaction to this, reports Advocate.
John Wilka reportedly feels that this response is a continuation of a “culture war” raging in America – it’s not hard to see how he would come to this conclusion. “My son is no threat to you,” he says. “He’s not going to come into your home and try to convert your children and win an air fryer. He just wants to grow up to be the young man God wanted him to be.”
