Context: Bishop Brady High School is the private, Catholic school that I attended.
March 25, 2021
LGBTQIA Awareness, Education, and Support in the Bishop Brady Community
Is it fair that some students suffer mentally and educationally in exchange for avoiding a bit of discomfort for others? Should one set of beliefs determine the environment for an entire school? Bishop Brady is a school that prides itself on its sense of community all the while there is no sense of community for LGBTQ members. Allowing space for awareness, education, and support for the queer community will give Brady an abundance of benefits. LGBTQ at Brady is an issue of mixed beliefs within Catholicism but nonetheless, a support group and educating students through an inclusive curriculum are of the utmost importance.
LGBTQ possibilities are difficult to speak about in a Catholic school or community. A completely supportive and involved Catholic school is often dismissed by the thought of betrayal towards the religion. However, the Bible is interpreted differently by each person that reads it, meaning that every Catholic does not believe the exact same interpretations and values. To this I ask, why is a school community drawing the lines of what it means to be Catholic? Being Catholic to one person can be an entirely different concept to another person. Leviticus 18:22 reads “Thou shalt not lay with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination”. This verse is often used to justify that God did not intend for same-sex relations but according to Dr. Renato Lings, this verse was referring to the sin of male-on-male incest and not homosexuality. Predetermining the environment for students based on one set of interpretations of Catholicism creates unhealthy and unbalanced views that are acquired by the students within such an environment.
A support group at Bishop Brady for LBGTQ students and allies is a necessity that would greatly benefit the mental health of students and overall sense of community within the school. According to the CDC, queer students who went to schools with LGB support groups were less likely to receive violence, miss school due to fear of safety, and attempt suicide than those who went to schools without support groups. Supported by research done by The Trevor Project in 2019, LBGTQ students already experience increased depressive symptoms, increased seriously considering of suicide, and increased rate of attempted suicide. Those who have at least one accepting adult are 40% less likely to have a suicide attempt. This shows the severe need for a support group in favor of better mental health of the students at Brady. Some students feel forced to switch classes or avoid certain teachers in order to prevent being in a homophobic environment and deal with offensive remarks. By creating a support group and safe place for students, it is creating a healthier and more inclusive community for both students and staff to thrive in. A mere step of forming these groups quickly can escalate to erasing stereotypes and hate around the community.
Schools not having an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum is a problem within Bishop Brady, but also in other schools as well. 68.6% of students report not being taught an inclusive curriculum as of a recent study done by The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. This is the rate for public schools where LGBTQ inclusion is more taught than most Catholic schools. Because of the fact, it can be assumed that this number is increasingly higher in Catholic schools. As for Bishop Brady specifically as a private Catholic school, many parents send their children here for an opportunity to a better education and greater preparation for college. However, queer affiliates with a lack of community are more likely to have a negative educational outcome. By having an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum, students are not only able to feel more accepted, but students apart from the queer community are able to be in an environment where they can be educated on the different aspects of the community and struggles within it. In order to achieve this type of curriculum, it is important for teachers to have training on offensive language, how to deal with homophobic behavior, creating a safe place for students, and LGBTQ concepts relayed through some of their lessons. For example, including books that communicate a message about the community or are written by queer authors should be introduced into english and social studies classes. Diversifying content within a teaching plan so that it is more inclusive can show tremendous support for students who do not feel accepted. Furthermore, allowing a member of the community to come in and share their experience would be beneficial to offer a different perspective for both students and faculty at Brady. Learning and being educated on sexual identity should be a topic that is spoken about instead of silenced. A simple understanding can allow LGBTQ students to receive more support from their peers and more allies to form with the community. Ultimately, having a curriculum that is absolutely inclusive will bring unity into the Brady community and overall acceptance of students.
Students at Brady should be treated with equal respect, acceptance, and recognition as of who they are and who they grow to be through high school. Throughout teenage years, students receive stress and backlash from their peers and school should not be an additional stress where they have to work harder to be accepted. For many, school can be a safe place but if the school a teenager is going to restrict who they are, it diminishes the feeling of security. For that reason, the students of Bishop Brady deserve LGBTQ outlets of support and a curriculum that encourages that same education for their classmates.