Denver Archdiocese Decision to Expel Children “Deeply Hurtful” Say National Catholic Group

Media Release  


March 12, 2010                                             

Contact:        

Jeff Stone - 
Director of Media Relations
DignityUSA


212-662-9088 (office)


646-418-7039 (cell)

Denver Archdiocese Decision to Expel Children “Deeply Hurtful” Say National Catholic Groups

DignityUSA Leads Coalition in Expressing Grief, Concern Over Ejection of Children From Catholic School Because They Have Lesbian Parents

Boston, MA, March 12, 2010–In a full-page ad set to run in this Sunday’s Denver Post and Boulder Daily Camera, DignityUSA and three other national Catholic organizations committed to equality for gay and lesbian people in the church express concern and grief over a recent decision by the Denver Archdiocese to bar the children of a lesbian couple from reenrolling in the Sacred Heart of Jesus School, a prekindergarten-8 school in Boulder. Photo Nancy Pelosi

The ad reads in part, “It’s hurtful to see the Catholic Church rejecting gay people. But rejecting children because their parents are gay? That hurt can last a lifetime.” Call To Action, New Ways Ministry and Fortunate Families joined DigintyUSA’s efforts to send a message to Colorado’s Catholic leaders that actions like this do great harm to families and society. Photo 

“As Catholics, it is deeply hurtful to see the Archdiocese of Denver forcibly remove children from their educational programs to send a message of rejection and exclusion to those children’s parents,” the ad goes on to read.

“Lesbian and gay people are part of our families and part of the church.  To see their children hurt in this way fills our hearts with grief, and it tears at the very fabric of the community.” Photo Galileo

DignityUSA and other Catholic groups who welcome gay and lesbian people have been speaking out about this troubling situation since the story broke and continued to be covered in local and national media outlets throughout the week.

"The Archdiocese of Denver has the legal right to expel these young children, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the right thing to do,” said DignityUSA Executive Director Marianne Duddy-Burke. “We grieve at seeing these children hurt in this way, and we hope that the Archdiocese will listen to the voices of those who express their concerns about how these children are being treated.”

See the full ad at:  
www.ColoradoCatholicsConcerned.com

About DignityUSA: DignityUSA works for respect and justice for people of all sexual orientations, genders, and gender identities—especially gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons—in the Catholic Church and the world through education, advocacy, and support. For more information, please visit http://www.dignityusa.org/