by Summer Derwald
The Catholic University of Dayton “recently renovated and rededicated” its “LGBTQ+ Lounge” in honor of a male donor’s “husband.”
But a Catholic higher education group said the Ohio university errs by promoting behavior at odds with Catholic Church teaching.
“Today, we were honored to be joined by those who helped make this space a reality, including Bill Baird, husband of the late John Kennedy ‘67, and Matt McNamara ‘09,” the university wrote on its Instagram recently.
However, the Catholic Church teaches that two men cannot actually be married, since marriage is only between one man and one woman.
The university told The College Fix that the lounge is aligned with Catholicism.
“As the Catechism of the Catholic Church suggests, the lounge provides a space where students are accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity and unjust discrimination in their regard is avoided,” Executive Director of News and Communications Cara Zinski-Neace told The Fix via email.
“Guided by our Catholic and Marianist values, the University of Dayton is committed to honoring the intrinsic value and dignity of all people,” she also said. “We strive to foster a campus community where all members are welcomed, respected, safe and valued.”
Zinski-Neace used similar language as the university used in its Instagram post, referring to a donor’s “spouse.”
“The lounge provides students a place to build community, study and grow,” Zinski-Neace also said. “It was recently renovated and rededicated thanks to a generous gift from an alumni donor and his spouse,” the communications director said. It has been open since 2021.
The Fix asked specifically about the new lounge and possible conflict with the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage and sex. The Catholic Church teaches that there are only two sexes.
Sawyer Federinko, the assistant director for LGBT services, did not respond to multiple emailed requests for comment in the past several weeks, asking similar questions.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that acting on homosexual inclination is “intrinsically disordered” and “contrary to the natural law.” It also states that “every sign of unjust discrimination” toward people who experience homosexuality is unacceptable. Individuals with homosexual inclinations are called to a life of chastity, the Catholic Church teaches.
The Newman Society, which advocates for authentic Catholic education, said it has guidelines when it comes to universities addressing sexuality topics.
“Many Catholic dioceses have adopted our Policy Standards on Human Sexuality in Catholic Education,” President Patrick Reilly told The Fix via email.
These require that “Catholic educators stay faithful to Catholic teaching on sexuality and to affirm the biological sex of each person, male and female,” Reilly said.
A Catholic university “cannot” disagree with these teachings on sexuality, Reilly said, “without betraying its mission.”
“[A] faithful Catholic university would not create a space on campus that is ‘safe’ from Catholic morality and keeps out students who uphold Catholic beliefs,” the Catholic leader said.
Instead, Catholic universities should “celebrate the good of sexuality reserved for marriage between a man and a woman, and it would view this as the most compassionate way of guiding its students.”
He said that the University of Dayton should look to Franciscan University of Steubenville and the University of St. Thomas in Houston, both endorsed by the Newman Society.
Both colleges “are modeling true Catholic education.”
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College Fix reporter Summer Derwald is a student at Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she studies education and English and works at the writing center. She also participates in Abortion Clinic Ministries through which she is a trained sidewalk advocate with Sidewalk Counselors of America.
Photo “University of Dayton” by Nheyob CC BY-SA 4.0.
