One poorly worded phrase in a 29-page brochure has created a headache for the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board.
Ann Tesluk, a Bowmanville woman in a same-sex relationship, said one particular phrase in the board’s equity guide is homophobic and flies in the face of the board’s anti-bullying message.
The pamphlet is meant as a teaching aid of sorts. It is distributed to all board schools and defines the board’s values and beliefs.
For the most part the pamphlet relays a strong message of respect, compassion and inclusion, Tesluk agreed. She has two children who attend St. Joseph’s School in Bowmanville.
For the most part, she said, the board did a good job on the guide.
“To me, it’s clearly negative, and is going to do more harm than good.”Ann Tesluk
“But there’s one part, it’s a page referring to sexual orientation,” Tesluk said. “It’s written in very poor judgment.”
The passage reads, “The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial.”
The passage, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, goes on to state that members of the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgendered community should be treated with respect, compassion and sensitivity.
It’s the word, “disordered,” that has Tesluk frustrated, and she didn’t mince words as she reacted to it.
“It’s archaic, incorrect, and was medically refuted years ago.”
Being gay isn’t a disorder, she said.
“To me, it’s clearly negative, and is going to do more harm than good,”
Greg Reeves, education director for the Catholic school board, is aware of the issue.
He told The Examiner that he would send the guide back to the board’s equity committee and make sure the committee was aware of the concern.
The phrase was never intended to be homophobic or offensive, he said, but it has been misinterpreted.
The Catholic Church defines an “ordered” relationship as one that is pro-creative, resulting in conception, and “unitive,” he said. A relationship that is missing one of those two elements is therefore “disordered,” he said.
“This is not suggesting that a person, an individual, is disordered,” he said.
The point of the guide is to encourage people to speak out against homophobia, racism, inequality and disrespect, he said.
“Any person who comes through our doors, we see as the face of God,” Reeves said, “and we want to honour their humanism.”
Reeves said the phrasing can be misinterpreted by those unfamiliar with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Tesluk was glad to hear that the board is reconsidering the phrase. She still plans to speak to board members later this month.
The wording needs to change, she said, and reflect the spirit of the people who make up the church and community.
“We are the voice,” she said. “It’s the people who make up the church. The church doesn’t make up the people.”
This is the first time Tesluk has spoken out and pushed back on gay issues, she said.
There has been a rash of suicides among young gay teens, she said, and for some, homophobia is a life or death issue.
“Homophobia harms kids and families.”
Tesluk said she and her partner, Connie, tried to address the issue at their local school council meeting Tuesday.
Tesluk said she was only allowed to speak once during the meeting while others were allowed to speak twice.
A call to the school for comment was directed to Reeves.
Reeves wasn’t at the meeting and said he couldn’t comment on what might have gone on.
The school council voted to keep the contentious phrasing, he said, but the board was overriding that decision and will take steps to address the issue.