by Brandon Borges ‘15
Saint Ignatius High School prides itself on the diversity of its student body in race, financial background, and geographical origin. The campus culture celebrates an ethic of diversity – but this characteristic may be markedly changed in respect to acceptance of different sexual orientations. As our society moves towards the acceptance of gays, lesbians, and transgendered people, so too does this school. The question remains as to how accepting Saint Ignatius is of gay students right now.
“I would say that, in general, Saint Ignatius makes homosexuals feel accepted,” said one anonymous gay student, “mostly because the teachers and staff enforce it.”
However, what students do under the watchful eyes of teachers is not necessarily indicative of how they behave among themselves.
“This is a very macho-thinking school,” said Myles Lundberg ‘15, “but it should be noted that just because I am gay, I am not attracted to you.”
“Because the environment isn’t perfect, there are many students who do not feel comfortable identifying as gay or bisexual,” said Mr. McManamon, facilitator of Campus Life, which seeks to “build acceptance, provide information, and encourage communication.”
“It’s a huge leap for a young person in high school to first know that God loves them, that they are created in the image and likeness of God,” McManamon said.[pullquote]
It’s a huge leap for a young person in high school to first know that God loves them, that they are created in the image and likeness of God.” – Mr. McManamon
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“It is open to everyone Thursdays at 6th period,” said Lundberg, a member of Campus Life. “You can get passes from Mr. McManamon and Mrs. Reagan. You don’t have to be gay.”
When it comes to the Catholic aspect of homosexuality, an anonymous student said that sometimes students can warp or misinterpret what they hear in theology class.
“The teachers, before they talk about topics regarding homosexuality, they preface it by saying that being gay isn’t a sin, it’s just the actions. And that is good and all, but not every student learning it takes it that way. A few take it as a reason to justify hatred. I don’t really associate with those people, so I don’t care, but it’s just stupid,” he said.
Mr. McManamon said that he believes Catholicism does not exclude gay people.
“Catholic teaching around issues of homosexuality differentiates between orientation and activity. No one outside of marriage, straight or gay, is permitted to engage in sexual activity. So in a sense, there is no difference in that regard,” he said.
“The Church does still have some language that is somewhat hurtful in regard to homosexual beings, but for the most part, the rules apply equally to all. However, there are instances, even in the classroom, in which homosexual activity is discussed in a far sterner light than heterosexual activity,” McManamon said. “In our Campus Life group, we pray at the beginning of every meeting, we sometimes discuss the challenges students in the group face being gay and Catholic, and it is a healthy dynamic.”
The students quoted in this article said they were optimistic about what the future holds for attitudes toward different sexual orientations at Saint Ignatius. Lundberg said he believes that Saint Ignatius will “become more tolerant, just as the church will.”
“Well, you look in the past and you see all the hate on homosexuals and what the world thought of them at the time, and you look at today’s society, where you can say you are gay and people will be proud of you, like Jason Collins, it’s very obvious the school and world are becoming more accepting,” said an anonymous student.
“I believe we have to continually discuss the issue,” said Mr. McManamon. “I believe educational programming for faculty and staff, as well as for students, is critical, and the newly created Diversity Committee is looking to do just that. I would love to see a day when this is a non-issue, when anyone in the Saint Ignatius community could be fully who they are in terms of their sexuality, without worry of retribution, mocking, or job loss. We’re getting there, and we’re going to keep working on the issue.”
While Saint Ignatius can improve in terms of how it discusses homosexuality in and outside of the classroom, McManamon affirms that it is has become a much more tolerant school.
“We’re at a great school,” said Mr. McManamon, “and it’s amazing to me how few problems most gay or bisexual students face here.”
