Catholic School System Directs Students to Use Pronouns Assigned at Birth
nytimes.comA Catholic school system in Massachusetts has issued a new policy that orders students to use their names and pronouns assigned at birth and to conduct themselves in a manner “consistent with their biological sex,” drawing criticism in the latest clash between religious leaders and proponents of gender and sexual fluidity.
The policy will affect 21 Catholic schools and more than 5,000 students in Worcester, a city about 45 miles west of Boston, beginning in the fall semester, according to an Aug.
15 statement approved by Bishop Robert J. McManus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester. Some Catholic schools in the diocese already had such policies in place, David Perda, the superintendent of Catholic schools for the diocese, said in the statement.
But “individual situations” had “underscored a need for a single policy,” he said. ImageBishop Robert J. McManus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester in Massachusetts.Credit...Michael Dwyer/Associated Press The diocese noted that bullying, harassment or other types of threats against students based on their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity “will not be tolerated.” But the policy also said that “students may not advocate, celebrate or express same-sex attraction in such a way as to cause confusion or distraction in the context of Catholic school classes, activities or events.” “We do not serve anyone’s greater good by falsifying the truth, for it is only the truth that frees us for the full life that God offers to each of us,” the diocese said.
