Update on Sacred Heart Preschool Situation

Dear Concerned Community Members:

As you may know, as first reported by 9News in Denver and now covered by over 300 newspapers internationally, Sacred Heart of Jesus School in Boulder has refused to readmit a preschooler because the preschooler has two moms.  It is important to note that the media was tipped off by teachers at Sacred Heart School, who disagree with the Denver Catholic Dioceses decision.  We thank these teachers for their courage.

Last night, in conjunction with Wesley Chapel, Boulder Pride held a community forum about the situation, to provide people a space to talk about their feelings and plan action going forward. We have heard loud and clear from the LGBTQ community, as well as from Allies, that this situation has stirred feelings of anger, pain and frustration.

Based on our meeting last night, we wanted to share some Action Steps that you can take:

·        ---->Like the Sacred Heart teachers who called the media, we recognize that many Catholics are also struggling with the decision to not readmit the preschooler. Rather than further polarize communities or condemn individuals, we encourage LGBTQ people to offer patience, compassion and careful listening to Catholics who are struggling.

--->Show up in response to this situation in peaceful, open ways. For example, you may consider attending 10am Mass tomorrow  (Sunday, March 7) at Sacred Heart  Church (1317 Mapleton Ave in Boulder). If you do go, we encourage you to attend peacefully to listen, learn and to serve as a reminder to the church that “We are here and these policies and decisions have real impact.”   If you attend, be sure to introduce yourself as a visitor to others.

·         --->We recognize that many members of the LGBTQ have experienced what Soulforce calls spiritual violence at the hands of organized religions. No doubt this situation may be triggering feelings of pain and anger.  There is a Boulder Pride-affiliated group called “Reconciling Faith” who meets twice a month. Reconciling Faith provides a space for LGBTQ and Allied people to talk about spirituality and religion. You can join their Facebook group for more information: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=263614230188&ref=ts

·       --->We encourage you to write Letters to the Editor of the Daily Camera about the decision openforum@dailycamera.com.  Letters to the Editor remain one of the most widely read sections of the paper.

·       --->We encourage you to contact Sacred Heart School and Denver Archdiocese directly with your thoughts (see below for contact information).  If you are comfortable doing so, we encourage you to request an in-person meeting to discuss the matter.

·        --->We encourage you to volunteer with Boulder Pride’s program, “SpeakingOUT.”  SpeakingOUT provides panels of ‘out’ LGBTQ and Allied people who share their experiences and stories with audiences that include middle and high school classes, college classes and businesses.  As a result of the Sacred Heart decision, Boulder Pride/SpeakingOUT will begin actively reaching out and offering our SpeakingOUT panels to spiritual/religious organizations in Boulder County.  The next free SpeakingOUT training is on March 16 from 5:30 to 8pm. Sandwiches will be provided. For more information (including location) and to RSVP, please email cathy@boulderpride.org.  We welcome straight allies as SpeakingOUT members – you have a coming out story, as well, on why you advocate for LGBTQ rights.

·        --->Consider Coming Out. This suggestion perhaps sounds passé, but it really is the single most important act you can do. When people know LGBTQ people, it makes real polarized political and religious discussions. The simple act of coming out transforms hearts and minds. Even if you are super-out, think about sending a coming out email to a person who may not know…or someone in your past (perhaps the church you grew up in or your preschool teacher J  )

-->Please consider forwarding this to five other people.  The more people we reach, the more powerfully mobilized we are as a community. Please encourage your contacts to join Boulder Pride's email list. 

·    ---> Finally, please consider donating to Boulder Pride. As a grassroots non-profit, Boulder Pride relies on community donations to do this vital work. During the next month, every dollar up to $2,000 we raise will generously be matched by the Gill Foundation. To make a donation: http://boulderpride.org/bp/support/donate.html

We welcome your ideas and suggestions, as well.  Please feel free to contact us.

While this situation has been incredibly difficult and reminded us all of vital work that remains to be done, it also has highlighted our strengths as a community. We are grateful to live in Boulder County with engaged, passionate community members like you.  Thank you.

In Solidarity,

Dave Ensign, Board President         (dave@boulderpride.org)

Aicila Lewis, Executive Director         (alewis@boulderpride.org)

Cathy Busha, Program Director         (cathy@boulderpride.org)

Boulder Pride

Contac t Information

Sacred Heart of Jesus School:
1318 Mapleton Ave
Boulder, CO   80304
(303) 443-0684 bartschm@shjboulder.org

Archdiocese of Denver:
1300 South Steele Street
Denver, CO   80210
303-722-4687 info@archden.org

Put your dancing shoes on!

This is the week to be queer in Boulder!

Tonight is our monthly Happy Hour at the Bside Lounge

Tomorrow (June 18) we are cosponsoring a small sampler of LGBT groups, A Fair to Remember, with PFLAG.

Saturday, June 20, start your evening off with a Bent Lens Summer Salute to Pride and then head over to the PWord Party, an all womyn's event in the heart of downtown Boulder!

(You can get discounted tickets in advance to Bent Lens and the PWord Party!)

Worst Logo. Evah!

Designed for the Catholic Church in 1973. Nuff said.

Read more here.

Anecdotes and Facts.

I think we all know it's hard to grow up. (I am going to leave off the "these days" because I really think it's just plain hard to grow up.) And, for those of us who grew up queer, we have anecdotal evidence that growing up queer might add a bit of burden to the process of self-discovery. But anecdotes can be argued against -- with other anecdotes, if nothing else.

Thankfully, we now have proof that being a gay teen carries with it extra burden. GLSEN recently released several reports documenting the struggles faced by the younger generation.

Growing Up Gay?

So, nowadays kids are coming out in elementary school. I admire them, I couldn't even identify who I had a crush on (maybe because I had this whole queer thing going on) and ended up dating a guy for a few weeks in 6th grade because my friends thought I should. Turns out, that's a bad reason to date someone. (Or, as I learned later in life, to stay with someone. Don't avoid divorce just because your friends like your relationship-- they aren't living it!)

Recently I received a link to this blog. I haven't read much of it, but I really like the idea of someone working to understand this new phenomena of children developing in a healthy way that allows them to express their feelings without (as much) fear.

Stand up and be counted? Not by the census.

So the US Census is on the horizon and, once again, they are going to find a way to keep out the married same-sex couples.

"The Census Bureau will be operating under the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, which 'instructs all federal agencies only to recognize opposite-sex marriages for the purposes of enacting any agency programs.'"

The Census Bureau will alter the entries of same-sex, married couples, to reflect the version of reality the government would prefer to see. Why should this matter to me, you might ask? Because the US Census is the standard used for much of the data collection performed by states, counties, and cities. And that standard is going to systematically work to exclude accurate information on same sex couples and families. Because without accurate information about our community, we cannot begin to properly serve the needs of our people. And because, once again, we are being ignored, changed, isolated, and made invisible, by the very organizations ostensibly working to reveal the landscape of our country.