An outright ban on the modification of school policies for transgender pupils has been issued by a Catholic bishop in Massachusetts.
They will be required to wear the proper attire, use pronouns that were given to them at birth, use the proper restrooms, and participate in sports that correspond to their biological sex.
The policy, which prohibits students from expressing, celebrating, or promoting same-sex attractions in such a way as to cause misunderstanding or distraction, was adopted by Worcester Bishop Robert McManus in June.
It impacts 21 schools serving more than 5,260 kids in the Worcester Roman Catholic Diocese. The following academic year will see its implementation.
The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts has hailed the August 15th policy, which has received criticism from a number of state legislators.
Students must now conduct themselves at school in a manner appropriate with their biological sex, according to new regulations.
According to the Catholic Education and the Human Person policy, pupils must act at school in a way that is compatible with their biological sex.
They must use the names and pronouns given to them at birth, as well as the restrooms, showers, and changing areas according to their biological sex, which will be noted on all school paperwork.
This will apply to athletics, school-sponsored dances, and dress code regulations as well. If the new policy is not followed, it remains not clear if and how the schools would be penalized.
But Bishop McManus has in the past punished individuals who disagree with his strategy.
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Mass and the sacraments were also prohibited from being observed in the school.
There were specific instances that made it evident that we needed a single policy that spelled out Church teaching in unambiguous terms and provided uniform application of that teaching throughout all of our schools.
Former Catholic school student and Massachusetts state legislator Robyn Kennedy expressed her disappointment with the approach.
Jason Lewis, a fellow state senator, criticized the policy on social media and pointed up how, in a report published earlier this year, the diocese omitted the identities of priests who had been accused of sexual assault.
The same diocese, he claimed, that earlier this year safeguarded the names of known child abusers and ordered a school to stop calling itself Catholic after flying the Pride and BLM flags the previous year, is still harming children with its exclusive and demeaning student policies.
He is hoping the diocese will recognise the serious harm they are doing as soon as possible and propose new rules that uphold the inclusivity and love that the Catholic Church teaches. The Catholic Action League, however, praised the policy.
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Source: Daily Mail
