June 2022 isn’t the Pride Month we’ve been wanting, tbh, especially in the Philippines. Coming out stories have been ridiculed, LGBTQIA+ still being treated like ***t (as always), etc. But the one that takes the icing off the cake in the numerous problems faced by this beloved community is the controversy about the University of Asia & the Pacific’s “Ask Father” session topic for this month.
And quite frankly, you wouldn’t be surprised at all. Just pure disappointment and anger, maybe.
According to UA&P, “Ask Father” sessions are an “opportunity for faculty and staff to gather and deepen their understanding of specific moral or doctrinal teachings of the Catholic Church.” While this doesn’t really seem harmless at all, considering that the university and the majority of its staff and faculty are of the Catholic faith and that there’s nothing wrong with learning more about the teachings of one’s religion, it’s the perspective of the talk that is the big problem.
The UA&P’s ”Ask Father” session for June will be about “Homosexuality and the Catholic Church”, and is said to be a “video-reaction discussion on giving hope to homosexual persons and those suffering same-sex attraction.”
The session will also seek to answer the following questions, which are obviously a big red flag: If the Church can “cure” homosexuality, if the Catholic Church are bigots, if there is room for the LGBTQIA+ community in the Church, how Christians should understand the LGBTQIA+ community, if Jesus can love a homosexual person, and what they can do to people who are allies of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Uh, if this doesn’t make you angry, then honestly you belong in the 1940s where this was the norm. And okay, this logic is one of the reasons why so many people identifying as members of the LGBTQIA+ community come from Catholic schools. Yes, I said it. Sorry not sorry po sa mga na-offend, bato bato na lang sa langit. (Sorry not sorry to those who were offended, if what I said offends you, don’t be mad.)
And this talk had to be in June, the month of the LGBTQIA+ community. Terrible.
When the controversy blew up on social media, the University of Asia and the Pacific released a statement where they promptly apologized “for the language” of the announcement and for “having offended members of the LGBTQIA+ community.” Although the statement was appreciated, a true apology would’ve been to cancel the event or change the entirety of it.
Once again, which sadly has to be repeated since not everyone can’t understand it: homosexuality is NOT and will NEVER be a disease. It is not something that medicine or being devoted to a religion can “cure.” Heck, it does not even need a cure, it’s a normal and human thing to feel.
There’s nothing wrong with having feelings or being attracted to the same sex. It doesn’t make one feel less of a person, nor does it make anyone feel like an animal. An LGBTQIA+ person does not “suffer” from being attracted to someone from the same gender, nor should anyone think that way.
It’s quite angering, to say the least, that majority of those believing in the Catholic faith still think that homosexuality is dirty, a sin, and a disgrace in the eyes of God. Since the teachings in the Bible are mostly about how Jesus defended those in need from their persecutors, and how His followers, should do the same.
But, that’s obviously not what is happening at present.
Think of it this way: if during the times of Jesus and when the Bible was being written, He would be with the sick, needy, discriminated against, and belittled when they were being rejected by society, wouldn’t he be siding with the LGBTQIA+ community as well in the present?
Honestly, Jesus Christ would be a fervent ally of the LGBTQIA+ community, as they aren’t any different than straight people. These gays, lesbians, trans, bisexuals, and queer people just want to be respected by everyone and to be treated like normal people without any discrimination. Thinking of them as some kind of evil is not something Jesus would do. You know what Jesus would do? Respect, love, and accept them like the normal human being they are.
Oh and by the way, being tolerant doesn’t mean you’re being respectful.
Other POP! stories you might like:
Coming out is something personal, and should never be forced by anyone
Keep your passive-aggressive ‘coming out’ comments to yourselves
Why the ‘BTSBiot’ hashtag on Twitter reveals homophobia among Filipinos