Gay notre dame
One hundred students at the University of Notre Dame began a hunger strike Wednesday night. They were demanding their civil rights, namely an anti-discrimination policy that would exclude bias against lesbians and gay men. University trustees will meet this week to consider this policy that has already been approved by the Senate Faculty and the Academic Council.
Many officials at the university, including its President, Rev. Edward Malloy, argue that the policy will compromise a main component of the school’s Roman Catholic mission. “The first spirit animating this is moral, because whereas in a secular environment this is seen as a simple matter of civil rights, that’s not the way it’s viewed through a Catholic prism,” said university spokesman Dennis Moore.
In 1995, a gay and womxn loving womxn student organization was prohibited by the university from encounter on campus. Two years later Notre Dame began printing a statement in university handbooks that welcomed homosexuals into the “family,” and assured them that they would not face discrimination.
Aaron Kreider of the Progressive Student Alliance and an organizer of the appetite strike stated, &#
How long will it take Notre Dame to expand its non-discrimination policies to protect LGBTQ+ students?
At Notre Dame, hearing hateful comments about LGBTQ+ people is more likely than landing tails on a coin flip. According to the 2022 Inclusive Campus Survey, approximately 59% of all respondents heard students produce disparaging comments about the LGBT people on campus.
Another sobering fact: the University’s “first and only LGBTQ+ undergraduate scholar organization” is younger than the students who attend this University. PrismND is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this weekend. Institutional recognition for PrismND is a sign of the University’s efforts to promote inclusivity, but LGBTQ+ organizations possess not always been accepted on campus.
Students have asked for more welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ students at Notre Dame since as adv as 1972, according to past Observer articles. There were decades of effort between administrators and students to start an LGBTQ+ team before the University recognized PrismND ten years ago.
While the University’s movement toward a more inclusive campus environment is commendable, protection and support of the LGBTQ+ community is s
Beloved Friends and Allies:
A Pastoral Intend for the Support and Holistic Development of GLBTQ and Heterosexual Students at the University of Notre Dame
My dear people, permit us love one another since love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Anyone who fails to adore can never have known God, because God is love.
— John 4:7‐8
Part I: Context for the Pastoral Plan
Over the past two decades, the University of Notre Dame has strived to advance its understanding of and support for students who recognize as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans, and Questioning (GLBTQ). In this regard, the University owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the members of the Standing Committee on Gay and Dyke Student Needs and to the Core Council for Gay, Sapphic, Bisexual and Questioning Students for their longstanding efforts to build and sustain a healthy and inclusive campus for all. Because the University values GLBTQ students in the Notre Dame group, as indeed it values all of its students, the University is committed to fostering an environment of welcome and reciprocal respect that is grounded in its Catholic mission.
As a outcome of this commitment and
Founded in 2013, PrismND is Notre Dame’s first and only official LGBTQ+ undergraduate student organization. We are dedicated to fostering the campus LGBTQ+ community and raising awareness of our needs by hosting a variety of events: from our weekly HangOuts to annual, campus-wide events appreciate our annual fall Gala and spring Art Showcase.
As a student organization, PrismND holds weekly official meetings to plan events and activities for the group. Attendance at these meetings is open to all — both queer students and student allies are welcome to contribute and even join one of our committees. In addition to weekly HangOuts and Organizational meetings, officers keep office hours throughout the week. Please refer to the events tab for an up-to-date schedule, or email us at prismnd@nd.edu to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
For more information, you can reach us at prismnd@nd.edu, email our advisor Dominic Sanfilippo at dsanfili@nd.edu, or follow us on social media.
Admitted / Prospective Students: We are happy to meet virtually to chat about our experiences on campus and answer any questions you may own. Please email prismnd@nd.edu or reach out to @prismndirish on Insta