The Catholic University of America nixed a Wednesday screening of the film “Milk,” a biopic about the first openly gay official to be elected to public office, Catholic news website Crux reported.
The Washington, D.C. school’s College Democrats organized the event as part of LGBT Awareness Month. Students told Crux that the school approved the screening and a panel about the gay rights movement and Democratic politics last month.
“I was extremely disappointed that this was happening. I thought this was an incredibly asinine decision that the school made,” College Democrats member Jackson Tovar told Crux.
On Wednesday morning, school officials told students that they were concerned with the size of the rainbow flag on the flyer and had a problem with the description of the event as part of LGBT Awareness Month.
Catholic University does not permit events that advocate beliefs contrary to those of the Catholic Church. In 2012 the school did not allow students to form an LGBT student group.
In a statement, the College Democrats said they were “disappointed” that the event was cancelled, but said that they would try to reschedule it for a later date.
What “beliefs” is a movie screening advocating? And hasn’t the Pope himself indicated that the Church needed to be more open to LGBT individuals?
And really, they chose to nitpick about the size of the rainbow flag on the flyer??? That’s an excuse, it’s not a reason.
I lived here in San Francisco through those horrible days in November 1978 when not only Harvey Milk, the first gay politician in the country, was murdered but the mayor George Moscone was as well. They were murdered by a homophobe who later killed himself when he emerged from prison after being convicted of manslaughter because of the Twinkie defense. The film is not only a testament to Harvey and George’s lives but also a superb film. It’s very sad that the closed minds of the Catholic are using as a primary objection what is truly a false flag to deny students the chance to see an enlightened presentation of the origins of the LGBT movement.
Does Catholic University enjoy a tax exempt status?
Is eradicating LGBT discrimination a compelling government public policy?
Just curious.
Harvey wasn’t the first openly gay candidate/elected official in the country. In California yes, he was the first openly gay candidate elected but, not the first in the country. Elaine Noble was elected State Representative in Massachusetts in 1974, becoming the first openly gay candidate elected to office in the country and in Massachusetts.
The University has to respect 2000 years of the Church’s teaching on this subject. After prayerful consideration they have released the following statement to explain the religious underpinnings behind their decision to ban this movie based on the late civil rights leader:
“If you see gays, you’ll become one yourself, because Jesus.”