Would you send a gay child to a Catholic school?

[Anonymous]

It would really depend on the school and the circumstances.

In my town, the catholic school was where you went when you got in trouble. Jewish, Mormon, Catholic, didn't matter.

OP, not sure why you want to know this, but maybe you should check with your kid. I wouldn't force it if it were a traditional conservative sort of school and my kid was likely to struggle. On the other hand, there are gay Catholics and there are Catholic schools that are warm and nurturing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not send any child to a catholic school.

Lucky schools!

[Anonymous]

I went to Catholic school from elementary through college. I would be VERY hesitant unless I knew the school well. Even if individual teachers and students are accepting, the doctrine is not. I wouldn't want my kid going somewhere where they will told that they are "intrinsically disordered."

[Anonymous]

The Catholic Church has such a horrible record of enabling and protecting sexual abuse of youngsters by it’s clergy that you have to be totally ignoring the truth to believe children would be safe within a Catholic School. Not just gay kids; every kid. “Over the last six decades, the Catholic church in the U.S. has disbursed approximately $4 billion to cover costs related to the lingering clergy sex abuse crisis, according to various analysis, including an extensive investigation by the National Catholic Reporter.” That’s just the tip of the iceberg, as only 3-6% of people harmed every speak of it.

[Anonymous]

They believe that sodomy is a sin. Either it is or it isn't. The answer to the question involves the child's eternal destination. These are monumental decisions.

[Anonymous]

I was a deeply closeted kid st a Catholic school not too long ago. I wouldn’t send my gay kid to a Catholic school. In fact, since kids of teen are still discovering their sexuality, I wouldn’t send my presumptively straight kid there either. I got a great education but it came with a large helping of self-loathing and internalized homophobia.

People can say what they want about the church becoming more liberal, but it’s impossible to avoid internalizing the official anti-gay doctrine in that environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Catholic school from elementary through college. I would be VERY hesitant unless I knew the school well. Even if individual teachers and students are accepting, the doctrine is not. I wouldn't want my kid going somewhere where they will told that they are "intrinsically disordered."

Even if you know the school well, why take a chance with a religion that believes homosexuals are "intrinsically disordered." For instance, a well-loved closeted gay teacher could be outed and forced to leave. A church or dioceses rule could change to put gay kids more at risk. A new teacher could be subtly or outwardly hostile to your kid - and feel justified and not be officially reprimanded.

[Anonymous]

No.

I went to Catholic school.

I send my non-Catholic kid to Catholic school for the academics (which have been great).

I have another DD who is a lesbian and no she will never attend a Catholic school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They believe that sodomy is a sin. Either it is or it isn't. The answer to the question involves the child's eternal destination. These are monumental decisions.

OK but you can't assume all gay couples actually engage in that act. And what about lesbians? No sodomy there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No.

I went to Catholic school.

I send my non-Catholic kid to Catholic school for the academics (which have been great).

I have another DD who is a lesbian and no she will never attend a Catholic school.

Your not concerned about the non-homosexual kid learning negative things that apply to lesbian DD?

[Anonymous]

no frickin way

signed,
a secular Muslim Iranian American mom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No.

I went to Catholic school.

I send my non-Catholic kid to Catholic school for the academics (which have been great).

I have another DD who is a lesbian and no she will never attend a Catholic school.

Your not concerned about the non-homosexual kid learning negative things that apply to lesbian DD?

I'm another catholic school grad that basically feels like this although I don't know if I have a lesbian daughter since she is still very young.

To the point that a lot of other posters are making, in many catholic schools this is a non issue, it never comes up, everyone is tolerant etc. I went to Catholic school and gay and learned nothing negative, not even subconsciously, about gay people. And this was in the 90s so before gay people were super accepted.

There is a difference in existing in a framework that's very definition paints your lifestyle as less than regardless of whether the people there BELIEVE that. Like plenty of Catholics have zero problems with gay people and their lifestyle. But a Catholic school by definition at least passively endorses the view they are less than. I don't think that would bleed into a kid that wasn't gay, but I would be nervous about subjecting a kid who was questioning to that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was a deeply closeted kid st a Catholic school not too long ago. I wouldn’t send my gay kid to a Catholic school. In fact, since kids of teen are still discovering their sexuality, I wouldn’t send my presumptively straight kid there either. I got a great education but it came with a large helping of self-loathing and internalized homophobia.

People can say what they want about the church becoming more liberal, but it’s impossible to avoid internalizing the official anti-gay doctrine in that environment.

I agree with above. Supposedly a huge number of Catholic priests are actually closeted gay men. So these same men are the ones preaching this hatred from the pulpit. It's a problem, and I could never do that to my child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was a deeply closeted kid st a Catholic school not too long ago. I wouldn’t send my gay kid to a Catholic school. In fact, since kids of teen are still discovering their sexuality, I wouldn’t send my presumptively straight kid there either. I got a great education but it came with a large helping of self-loathing and internalized homophobia.

People can say what they want about the church becoming more liberal, but it’s impossible to avoid internalizing the official anti-gay doctrine in that environment.

I agree with above. Supposedly a huge number of Catholic priests are actually closeted gay men. So these same men are the ones preaching this hatred from the pulpit. It's a problem, and I could never do that to my child.

To be fair, many of them are NOT preaching anything about homosexuality at all. I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school through college, and I never heard a single sermon about homosexuality (or abortion or birth control, for that matter). It can really depend on the diocese and the parish. But that doesn't mean that a Catholic school is a healthy place for a gay child.

[Anonymous]

Rightly or wrongly, Catholic Schools today are pretty gay friendly. So yes, I would.