| To: Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop Chicago February 15, 2004 The Archbishop Residence 1555 North State Parkwa Chicago, IL As a boy growing up in suburban Cleveland, I learned from my neighbors and from their children, that their church taught that because I wasn't a Catholic, I was destined for hell and for that reason, the Catholic parents instructed their children to exclude me from their play. Now 65, I find myself in the same position – I’m gay, therefore, I’m considered by some as defective. I’m denied the benefits, the happiness and the right to love - rights afforded to everyone else by this society. No one, not even the Archbishop of Chicago, can appreciate the hell that I’ve lived at the hands of people who judge others, proud people like those who hide behind their God to practice intolerance and bigotry and to hate. It’s so easy to hate. Tolerance requires personal integrity and the hard work of understanding. This morning I read again about the frustration of thousands of gay and lesbian people trying to be heard, forced to picket state buildings and churches around our country because ignorant people refuse to put love and compassion above hate and obstruction. The article I was reading included a quotation by you on this issue. Do you understand what you are saying when you say: |
| “The Catholic Church opposes anyone who would attack, punish, or demean anyone because of his or her homosexual orientation. However, it is a very great leap to move from respect for and acceptance of homosexual individuals to a demand that sexual relations of the same sex be treated as the equivalent of marriage, morally and legally.” |
| From your words I realize that you equate “Homosexuality” with immorality and “Sexual Relations.” As a boy, I was made to understand that homosexuals were sick and perverted deviants. I survived those ugly years and although that misconception has long since been abandoned by educated men, the ‘Church’ (and not only the Catholic church) still sees us still as sick and a people that society needs to be protected from. Their most recent cry that allowing gay and lesbian people to marry would undermine heterosexual families is simply absurd. Families in this country do not need any help from us to do what they are already doing to themselves. Shouldn’t the focus be on repairing existing family problems and not on the Gay and Lesbians who can only hope to do better. By the way, Archbishop, you’re use of the word ‘Homosexual’ is just as demeaning to me as society’s word ‘Nigger’ is to the black community. I am a Gay man – far, far more than a textbook homosexual; far more complex than you can ever imagine. I am Gay and loving, respectful and intelligent, educated and artistic. I’m an inventor, a scientist and engineer, a father and husband, and now the partner of a wonderful man – one who is just like I am – among many, many things, also GAY and deserving of respect, acceptance; deserving of exactly the same benefits afforded to any other productive, moral citizen of this country. Oh yes, I’m also as God made me – a sexual being. Your equation of Homosexual equals Sexual, your blindness of our morality, our ability to love and your denial of our legal rights as productive citizens of this country, proves to me that you use the word ‘acceptance’ without understanding it’s meaning. You do not accept us, Archbishop, hence you can not respect us. Please don’t think of me a Homosexual. I’m much more than that. We’re much more than that! I believe that those hurtful attitudes from my past have passed. Apparently, the Catholic church grew up a little (again) and softened it’s teachings on intolerance. In my years, I’ve found that intolerance is the foster-child of ignorance and that the only cure for ignorance is enlightenment. Archbishop, because you are a teacher and a Shepard of your people, you have the moral responsibility to teach tolerance, love and teach what is true. Have you personally attempted to discover who Gay and Lesbian people really are? You need to. You’d be amazed. I’m still amazed! Finally, please understand my frustration and the anger that spills out here and there in my letter. Until you’ve been forced to live your life in fear, until you’ve been forced to live most of your life hating what you are, until you have to live in an environment of hatred born of ignorance, not until then do you have the right to judge me as a Gay man or to judge my family-by-choice as Gay people. Most sincerely, |