By Elizabeth O’Brien
WATERLOO, June 26, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Since a complaint was first made in March, an investigation and two anonymous complaints have revealed that the Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) is allowing a surprising amount of pro-homosexual material within Catholic schools.
Jack Fonseca, Communications Director for Defend Traditional Marriage & Family (DTMF), wrote to the WCDSB Director of Education, Roger Lawler, and voiced the complaints of two concerned School Board staff who had contacted him.
The first complaint regarded a Waterloo School Board memo that described a workshop for Principals and Vice Principals that would take place in March. The event was entitled “Understanding and Supporting Transgender Children and Youth”.
DTMF first responded to the complaint by contacting COURAGE, a Vatican-approved apostolate that supports homosexuals and encourages those who are willing to receive reorientation therapy. COURAGE indicated that it did not support the label of the course because it misleadingly suggests that children are naturally trans-gendered.
“Christian anthropology teaches that we are created male and female—it does not teach that we are created gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered,” said COURAGE.
“Subjective feelings, thoughts and struggles, while real, do not translate into ‘identity’. Also, these particular labels are often associated with political causes which are incompatible with Catholic moral teaching.”
A second complaint referred to a memo dated April 2005, when the Board’s Family Life Committee approved a program that would be developed along with the Aids Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo & Area (ACCKWA), a pro-homosexual, AIDS-education group.
In his letter, Fonseca complained that ACCKWA’s main website displayed a sexually explicit picture that “depicts two men in the very act of homosexual sodomy.”
“ACCKWA’s main page also promotes a ‘Gay, Lesbian & By Youth Group’ (GLBYG),” and contains links to, “gay pride events, the gay bar in downtown Kitchener, GLOW (Gays & Lesbians of Waterloo), and other inappropriate content that opposes Catholic moral teaching.”
Since the complaint was first made, ACCKWA has removed the picture from its website. LifeSiteNews.com confirmed with the organization, however, that it still supports the homosexual youth group.
COURAGE also told DTMF that it would “never recommend that site (ACCKWA) as a resource for Catholic teens,” the reason being that, “Having young people who are struggling with gender issues join a ‘gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender’ group will only encourage a false and limiting type of self labeling.”
“It is understandable for young persons to desire a safe and confidential place to privately express their experiences in psychosexual and emotional development, but a secular group such as this will feel no need to encourage chastity, nor will it encourage a Christian self-identity.”
The issue blew open earlier in April when it was discovered that a pro-homosexual book, entitled “Open Minds”, was being offered as a teacher’s resource in a school library. Since then DTMF has learn that thirty more books that likely support the homosexual lifestyle have been discovered in Catholic school libraries.
Referring to the issue as an “entrenched problem”, Fonseca expressed his organization’s disappointment that it will take six months before discussion is opened with the school board’s Family Life Committee.
Fonseca told LifeSiteNews.com, “We don’t know why it’s taken so long for the discussion to be opened, other than that they’ve told us that the Family Life Committee’s agenda is full for the remainder of the year.” He continued, “But Mr. Lawler did not state what issues on the Committee’s agenda could be more important than something which undermines Catholic moral teaching.”
To respectfully voice concerns:
His Excellence Bishop Anthony Tonnos
700 King St. W.
Hamilton, ON L8P 1C7
Phone: (905) 528-7988
Fax: (905) 528-1088
Email: [email protected]
Auxiliary Bishop Gerard Bergie
Phone: (905) 528-7988
Fax: (905) 528-1088
Email: [email protected]
Catholic School Libraries Stock Gay Promoting Books and Videos https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/apr/07041005.html