It would seem wise if Catholic youth ministry would become more deliberate and inclusive toward LGBTQ youth. Since the U.S. Catholic Bishops have called for Catholic youth ministry to be comprehensive,[1] then Catholic youth ministries across the country are going to have to be a lot more systematic and intentional about ministering directly and becoming more open and affirming with LGBTQ youth.
In an unpublished investigation surveying one hundred Catholic youth ministers in April 2014, the following data was revealed:
- Many gifted youth ministers often feel helpless to truly advocate for LGBTQ youth.
- Many youth ministers are in fear of losing their job if they came out and supported LGBTQ youth openly.
- Some youth ministers feel that there would be repercussions for "not following" the letter of the law in the Catholic Catechism,
- Other youth ministers are fearful of being fired by a conservative bishop because they are misperceived as "pushing" a ministry agenda too far by advocating for LGBTQ equality in Catholic youth ministry.
- A few youth ministers simply do not feel comfortable approaching the issue due to a lack of understanding with regard to all the subtleties and nuances of LGBTQ youth.[2]
It is not uncommon for youth ministers to hear that Catholic parents say hurtful and emotionally damaging phrases to their homosexual teenage sons and daughters, such as, "No son or daughter of mine will be a queer," or, "You cannot live under my roof if you are gay," or something much worse. Exacerbating this are the horrifying stories about Catholic parents who disown their own daughter or son and "kicks them out of the house" when she or he discloses (reveals that they are LGBT) to their parents.[3] It is shameful that approximately 43 percent of LGBTQ adolescents are forced out of the house altogether by their parents, who are thus disowning their own children because they have a unique sexual orientation.[4] Another "black eye" for Catholic parents is that it is not uncommon for LGBTQ youth to find solace on the streets; approximately 46 percent of LGBTQ teenagers run away from home because of family rejection of sexual orientation.[5]
The reality of the situation is that LGBTQ youth need authentic advocacy by Catholic parishes, from parish youth ministries, and from parents. Authentic advocacy and genuine pastoral care cannot be in the form of (1) trying to change a young person's sexual orientation, (2) pressuring adolescents to conform to societal standards of "normal" sexuality, or (3) thinking that God does not love them or does not listen to them because of their sexual orientation. Fernando Arzola astutely points out, "If the church does not provide a safe, nonjudgmental environment to help them [LGBTQ youth] process issues and questions, they will undoubtedly go somewhere else for help.
- ↑ USCCB, RTV, 19–20.
- ↑ Arthur David Canales, "A Qualitative Study of the Attitudes of Catholic Youth Ministers toward LGBTQ Youth," (unpublished findings). The survey was sent out to over one hundred Catholic youth ministers, via email, on April 1, 2014 and was closed and compiled on May 27, 2014. The survey was titled "Questionnaire on LGBTQ Youth & Catholic Youth Ministry" and it asked fifteen questions. The final data and results of the study are to be published in the future.
- ↑ Ritch C. Savin-Williams, The New Gay Teenager (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2005), 35–37.
- ↑ Durso and Gates, "Serving Our Youth," 4.
- ↑ Durso and Gates, "Serving Our Youth," 5.
