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Last Updated: November 16, 1999
NEW! LGBT MASS DIRECTORY
The Lesbian and Gay Catholic Handbook is an attempt to organize and present a
great deal of information, discussion, and argumentation that will be helpful to lesbian,
gay, and bisexual Catholics. I have spent much time organizing, writing, and researching
this information. Please let me know what you think.
The Handbook is specifically a copyrighted document [although parts of it are
links to texts copyrighted by others]. At some point I hope to publish this in print.
Note: The abbreviation "LGB" stands for "Lesbian, Gay, and
Bisexual". Although I am supportive of transgendered people, I think the issues are
different, and have not addressed them fully here. Sometimes, for brevity, I have just
used "gay", but I wish to make it clear that my approach is always meant to be
inclusive.
This website is structured as twelve chapters. Under each chapter heading are
documents, images and links to others parts of the Internet. You can browse the entire
handbook, or jump directly to a chapter by selecting it below.
To Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Catholics, other Christians, and friends visiting this
site for the first time - Welcome! You will find much of interest here, and much to think
about.
To people who are hostile to gay people, or to those who wonder what is the point or
"agenda" of a site like this, please read on.
One of the commonest charges made by anti-gay religious people is that gay people have
"an agenda" [as if Pat Robertson and his ilk did not.] Of course on a page like
this I have - with respect to gays and Christianity - an "agenda". It is not
though quite the agenda you might imagine. My goal is that Catholic, or indeed any, kids
as they grow up will not have to suffer the hell of the closet compounded by threats of
hell and damnation. Being gay should, for a kid, be like growing up left-handed: yes it
makes you different, but it is not a matter of God loving you or not. Just like
left-handers you will even have some gifts related to your difference. Although, since
heterosexuality will likely remain the norm for some time to come [!], gay people will
always have to go through some degree of discomfort, ultimately they [we] need to know
that God cherishes us and does not hate us.
Since I think that Christianity - and its cultural remnants - are among the prime
creators of the repression of gay people, I am concerned to change things. But more: I am
also a Catholic who believes very deeply in the revelation of God in Jesus of Nazareth and
God's continued presence in the world - to quote the English poet John Betjeman:
That God was man in Palestine,
and lives today in bread and wine.
I am outraged that gay people are denied access to this vision if they refuse to
internalize self hatred - or more accurately if they even begin the process of recovery
from the internalization of "normal" social values. Many gays and lesbians make
the judgment that since religion rejects them, they must reject religion. My goal is to
work towards "bringing the gay community to Christ, and Christ to the gay
community." Non-gay people are not, for a change, the focus here.
In the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Catholic Handbook some of the work that has
been done in this area of faith and spirituality is highlighted. I also write about it
myself and, drawing primarily from my profound experientially based belief that the gay
and lesbian communities can be especially powerful locii of Christ's love and
presence, argue here that this love and presence is not incompatible with the erotic
expression of gay love.
I freely recognise then that in what I do I have an "agenda". That is part of
the reason why my academic work focuses on an area where I can never be so accused [Female
Byzantine Saints !] But, having admitted I have an agenda, I also try very hard to be
honest. In the bibliographies I compile I include any and all texts. In the reviews of John Boswell's works
[essential reading for any Gay Catholic], I have distributed rather aggressive attacks on
Boswell as well as defences. An agenda, yes this site has an agenda - but it also try very
hard to be neither dishonest nor unfair. Above all it seeks to show why gay people can be
Christians, and why Christians who despise gay people are wrong. My own approach to the
faith is summarized in an evolving credo.
General Discussion
Discussion of Individual Texts- So-called "Anti-Gay" Texts
Discussion of Individual Texts- Pro-Gay Texts
The Roman Catholic Magisterium
Why Stay Catholic
Re-Visioning Ethics
Gays and Theology - Ecumenical Perspectives
Specific Arguments/Books
- Thomas E. Schmidt: Straight & Narrow?: Compassion & Clarity in the
Homosexuality Debate(Downers Grove,IL: InterVarsity, 1995)
Schmidt's book is the current favorite of anti-gay Christians. It is apparently restrained
and careful. In fact, under a sheen of civility, it is a vicious and demeaning attack on
lesbians and gays. In Weblink:
MORE LIGHT UPDATE, April 1996 Volume 16, Number 9, a publication of Presbyterians
for Lesbian and Gay Concerns there are two devestating reviews. One by Tom Hanks names
what Schmidt is up to; the other by Cleveland Kent Evans, Ph.D., (a professor of
psychology, Bellevue University, Bellevue, Nebraska) exhaustively examines "Chapter
6: The Price of Love" of Schmidt's book. This is the crucial central chapter in which
Schmidt claims to prove the homosexual sex is intrinsically sick. Evans examined all his
references, and blows the 'phobe out of the water.
- The Publications of Paul Cameron
Weblink: QRD Page on Paul
Cameron and the Family Research Institute Paul Cameron is one of the most frequently
quoted anti-gay forces in the US. Yet, as this page demonstrates he is not respected as a
scholar, and indeed quotes as evidence his own material which he has published in
"pay for publication" journals. The good folks at QRD have collected together
all the evidence about this man. It says much about the enemies of gays that they rely on
this sort of "expert". Read it and laugh. Read it and weep.
- Animals Don't Do It!
OH Yes they do! It has been one of the longest standing arguments that homosexuality is unnatural
because animals do not do it. It is no documented that many animal species exhibit
homosexual behaviour. Among the closest to humans of all animals are the Bonobo Apes, who
have a lot of sex for all sorts of reasons. See the:-
Bonobos! website for more information
and pictures. It turns out that it is human hang-ups, and the unfounded notion that sex is
meant only for reproduction that is, as they say, unnatural.
Coming Out of Religious Abusive Organizations
- Weblink: Ex Ex-Gay is an
organization which exposes the activities of "Ex-Gay" organizations.
The Radical Religious Right and "Ex-Gay" Organisations
Although they will not provide information about positive approaches to gay and
Christian issues, we are not afraid. Some of the links here are to extremely
anti-gay groups. If you are worrying about your sexual identity, I suggest calling the
Dignity hotline at 212 620 0369: you need to have a pretty string stomach to read some of
this stuff.
- A Catechism on Courage Courage is an
"official" Catholic organization in the US and Canada which seeks to persuade
gays to abstain from sexual relationships.
- David Morrison on Courage Morrison is a member of
Courage, who responded to the Catechism above, in ways which reveal a great
deal about the mentality of the organization.
- The Courage Website.
This is a link to the increasingly right-wing, [and ever more linked with fundamentalist
anti-gay groups] organization known as Courage. The group is actually for those
afraid of their own sexuality. The link is made because Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual
Catholics are not afraid of dealing with all the issues, and all points of view. Courage
does not make any link to Dignity, this page, or any viewpoint which opposes its own. We
challenge them to do so. Until they do, we invite comparison with the situation of NIZKOR,
the web-project devoted to opposing holocaust deniers, but which links to the deniers' web
pages. The holocaust-deniers do not, however, link to NIZKOR.
- Willaim Donahue: Gays, Giuliani, and Catholics An
article from CRISIS magazine in which the head of the Catholic League - he has an office
next to Cardinal O'Connor - gives his bigoted opinions about the annual NYC Lesbian and
Gay Rights March.
- Weblink:
Biblical Perversion on the Religious Right
- Weblink: QRD Guide to the
Radical Religious Right
- Weblink:The United Church of
Christ's page on the Radical Religious Right - and what is wrong with it!
- Weblink: QRD Page on
"Ex- Gay" Ministeries QRD is keeping track of the "ex-gay"
organizations!
- Weblink: Exodus
International Homepage This is a group of Protestant "ex-gays".
- Weblink: Christianity
and Homosexuality Homepage This is a radical religious right page which attacks gays
and lesbians calling it "love."
- Weblink:The Pro-Life Encyclopedia from the American
Life League. Although this group claims to be concerned with abortion, its
"Encyclopedia" includes a massive attack on gays and lesbians, calling us
"sodomites" and proposing that our "agenda" includes murdering
opponents. Shamefully the ALL claims to be Catholic organization, but here it adopts all
the hate tactics of the largely Protestant Radical Religious Reich. In particular it
reprints much of the dross from Paul Cameron. A good place to look for examples of sheer
homophobia. Also a good place to point your local bishop: even when supporting Vatican
statements, most reasonable bishops would be shocked at the low-life vitriol here.
- Weblink: Bridges Across the Divide
This site says about itself that it is "a cyberspace initiative providing models and
resources for building respectful relationships across the divide in the homosexuality
issue." As such it is not nearly as hateful as many of the other links in this
section, and does present "pro-gay" arguments. Nevertheless, the entire premiss
of this site is that those who oppose gays and lesbians have good arguments that deserve
to be treated with respect. Implictly then, by this approach the moral status of
homosexuality and of LGBT people is put into question: one wonders if the creators of the
site would be willing to put up a "pro and con Black people" site, or a
"pro and con anti-Semitism site" on the same grounds of "respectful
dialogue".
Jump Back to INDEX
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Masses/Liturgies
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual
Catholic History
Lesbian and Gay Catholic Organizations
- Weblink: Inactive Priests
& Sacramental Validity Many Priests who celebrate masses, and hear confessions, at
Dignity Chapter are inactive. This commentary by Dr. James Biechler, a member of
the Canon Law Society of America, (at the ARCC website] makes it clear that there is no
canonical problem with the validity of the sacraments at Dignity, or other small faith
communities.
- Fr Ramón Anglés; Weblink:
SSPX: A Canonical Study - "The Validity of Confessions and Marriages in the Chapels
of the Society of Saint Pius X"
This is a long discussion of canon law and "validity" by a member of the
conservative Society of St. Pius X (which is not, of course, an LGBT organization!). It
has, however, direct relationship to some of the "validity" issues faced by
Dignity members.
- 25 Years: Highlights of Dignity/USA's History
- An introduction to Dignity/New York
- Dignity at 25: Fr. Jim Mallon Philadelphia Gay News
article on Dignity at 25, concentrating on the witness of Fr. Jim Mallon.
- History of Dignity/San Diego
- Information on the National Association of Diocesan Lesbian
and Gay Ministries
- Basic information on Ascent - New Zealand's lesbian, gay, and
bisexual catholic groups.
- LGB Catholic Group in South Africa
- A Catechism on Courage Courage is an
"official" Catholic organization in the US and Canada which seeks to persuade
gays to abstain from sexual relationships.
- White Robed Monks of St. Benedict Not a Gay
religious order - but one which does not discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation.
- Dignity Publications
Lesbian and Gay Catholic Clergy
Lesbian and Gay Catholic Spirituality
Lesbian and Gays in Catholic Countries Around the World
General Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual History
Really Miscellaneous
Being Gay and Lesbian
Gays and Lesbians - Studies
Resource Documents
- Dignity Linkline 212 620 0369 Information about the
telephone help and support line run for all LGBT Catholics and friends by Dignity/New
York.
- New York Area Referrals A listing of all the LGB welcoming
religous groups in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut areas, as well as a guide to other
support organizations. There is also information on NY City bars, bookstores, and
nighlife.
- National and Worldwide LGB Religious Resources Contacts
and addresses for all Dignity, Integrity [Episcopalians], Metropolitan Community Church,
Lutheran, Methodist, UCC, Unitarian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist groups in the US and Canada,
as well as a listing of groups in Europe, Asia and Australasia.
World Wide Web Links
Lesbian and Gay Catholic and Other Christian Sites
Dignity - the North American LGB Catholic Organization
AXIOS - Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic LGB Organization
International Catholic
Ecumenical LGB Christian Groups
Other Christian LGB Churches and Organizations
Non-Gay Catholic Sites
Non-Christian LGB Spirituality Sites
Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Sites
CATALAN
- Coordinadora Gai-Lesbiana Catalan
homepage of group in Barcelona.
DEUTSCH
- MCC Hamburg
- Homosexuelle und Kirche, a German ecumenical LGB group.
FRANCAIS
- Dignity Canada Dignité
- David et Jonathan
Rhône-Alpes The French LGB Catholic group - regional page.
ESPANOL
- Gay y cristiano? Homosexual y catolico?
SI!" ("Gay and Christian? Homosexual and Catholic? - Yes!")
An ecumenical outreach. One of the website maintaines has an evangelical and Metropolitan
Community Church background, and his co-worker on the project is an openly gay Roman
Catholic priest living in Mexico City.
- Coordinadora Gai-Lesbiana The
Coordinadora Gai-Lesbiana was founded in December of 1986, in Barcelona, Spain. It also
has an Catalan Homepage and a English Homepage. This contains links,
in all three languages to Associació Cristiana de Gais i Lesbianes pages.
ITALIANO
- Nuova Proposta - gay cristiani
These pages include some interesting materials on homosexuality and Catholic theology,
biological components, Protestantism, politics, psychology, proposals to the local Italian
churches, gay film fests, political actions, links to other Italian GLBT organizations,
etc. One page "The National Coordination of Italian Gay Christian Groups," an
organization founded in Bologna on 12 April 1994. This page lists the nearly dozen such
gay Christian groups in Italy, provides a synopsis of the Coordination's main goals, and
recounts the 13-14 May 1995 national conference at Rome, entitled "Conscience,
Liberty and Communion - Homosexuality and the Churches," at which spoke the
Waldensian pastor Teadora Tosatti, Catholic priest Fr. Franco Barbero, and ex-Jesuit and
psychotherapist John MacNeill, founder of Dignity. NUOVA PROPOSTA has an email address at
nuovapr@freenet.hut.fi SVENSKA
- Bibel och homosexualitet A site
by a Church of Sweden [Lutheran] priest on the Bible and Homosexuality. Includes Church of
Sweden documents on homosexuality.
Jump Back to INDEX
The author and maintainer of this site is Paul Halsall [a
picture!]. He can be contacted by email at halsall@fordham.edu
Please do not hesitate to mail comments or suggestions.