On Nov. 14, a group of students met with Vice President of Student Affairs Juan Gonzalez and presented him with a preliminary proposal for the creation of an on-campus resource center for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students. The report included statistics reflecting the problems sexual minorities face as well as information that pointed out that, historically, Catholic Church teachings are not imcompatible with sexual orientation.
At the end of the meeting, Gonzalez told the students that he would be able to respond to some of the points of their presentation a week after Thanksgiving. But Gonzalez did not meet with students that week, and when he eventually met with them Tuesday, Dec. 3, he hadn’t developed a specific response. When students pressed him for a response, Gonzalez said he didn’t think the GLBT Center was a likely possibility because Catholic teachings wouldn’t permit it. Students again reiterated the arguments they had made in their first proposal, that Catholic teachings drew a firm distinction between homosexual activity?of which the Church did not approve?and homosexual orientation, which is perfectly acceptable. To this Gonzalez had no specific response.
Gonzalez simply hasn’t given the possible establishment of a GLBT resource center the attention it deserves. This summer, a committee comprising various faculty and administrative members asked him to explore the idea of a GLBT resource center. Gonzalez hasn’t reconvened the committee.
This issue cannot be ignored. The University needs to take better care of the needs of its gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students who suffer disproportionately from depression, eating disorders, behaviorial disorders and HIV-AIDS. These students need a resource center that caters to these concerns, and until the University creates one, it sacrifices its Jesuit obligation to care for the entire community.
Gonzalez needs to make a specific and reasoned response to the students’ proposal. More importantly, he should endorse their proposal and actively encourage the administration to create a GLBT resource center. What he should not do is waffle on the issue and offer vague statements about Catholic identity that aren’t entirely accurate. There are very real consequences to this failure to take a stand : action needs to be taken.
