Without Exception Newsletter

October 2023

RECORDS & REPORTS

Newsletters will now arrive monthly during the school year. I am using (and learning!) Smore as the newsletter platform, so messages will be delivered from withoutexception@users.smore.com. To avoid deliverability issues, Please add that address and info@withoutexception.net to your contacts. If you ever want to change your email address for any reason, then just send me your new address. No explanation needed.

Diocesan gender policies continue to emerge across the country. The most recent releases are in Worcester (MA), Cleveland, and Boston. This folder catalogs the policies I’ve been able to find. If you hear about or discover additional policies, then please let me know.

The Catholic Schools Matter podcast just released the first episode in a series on conflicts in Catholic school leadership. This is important listening, especially for school leaders.

Mark Yarhouse and Julia Sadusky will be running a one-day online training on October 27 for adults who work with trans* youth. These are two of the leading experts on the intersection of faith, gender, and sexuality. This workshop will discuss emerging gender identities, as well as controversies in care for youth today. It will also discuss considerations for counseling conventionally religious youth and their families as we strive for what is best practice when working with youth navigating potential conflicts related to gender identity and religious faith.

To coincide with the total solar eclipse in April, Saint Christopher Journeys and Still Point Theatre Collective are hosting a conference from April 6–8 on Science, Art, and Faith Aligning. There will be a breakout session on Supporting Transgender Youth. The conference will take place at Saint Mary of the Woods College in Indiana.

I would love your prayers over the next two months, as I will be traveling and presenting to a number of important audiences. People in Catholic schools are struggling with how to make sense of these times and what to do in ministry to LGBTQ+ students. It’s important to know there are far more allies in Catholic education than there are opponents. Please remain hopeful and resist the urge to wield a sledgehammer in conflict with school and Church leaders. Guided by our Catholic values, the model of Jesus Christ, and our love for one another, small steps will lead us forward.

READINGS & RESOURCES

(ongoing bibliography)

Abrams, Zara. Kids’ mental health is in crisis. Here’s what psychologists are doing to help. American Psychological Association, January 1, 2023.

American Defamation League. “Year in Review: Anti-LGBTQ+ Hate & Extremism Incidents, 2022 – 2023.” American Defamation League, 2023.

Damian, Chris. “'Dear Alana,' hit No. 1 on Apple Podcasts. Are church leaders listening?” National Catholic Reporter, September 14, 2023.

Dodge, Ashby. Culturally Competent Care for LGBTQ Youth [short video]. Suicide Prevention Resource Center, 2015.

Draper, John. Person-Centered Care [short video]. Suicide Prevention Resource Center, 2014.

Ellis, Will. “Dear Catholic high schools: Don’t make theology an afterthought.” America, September 25, 2023.

Ettinghoff, Evan. “Outed at School: Student Privacy Rights and Preventing Unwanted Disclosures of Sexual Orientation.” Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, Vol. 47, Art. 10, 2014.

Farrell, Jennifer. “How Catholic campus ministry programs can create havens for LGBTQ students.” Outreach, September 14, 2023.

Johnson, Brandon, Ellen Harwell, Chris Miller, and Laurie Rosenblum. “Hope: A Guide for Faith Leaders to Help Prevent Youth Suicide.” National Alliance for Suicide Prevention, 2023.

Keels, Micere. A Role for Every Staff Member in Promoting Student Mental Health. ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), 2023.

Navasky, Miri and Karen O’Connor. Growing Up Trans. PBS Frontline, 2015.

Palmieri, David. The Sea We Must Wade: Exploring the Need for Catholic Ministry to Families with LGBTQ+ Children. The International Journal of Evangelization and Catechetics, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2023.

Rohr, Richard. “The Edge of the Inside.” Center for Action and Contemplation, September 12, 2017.

Rohr, Richard. “Inside/Outside People.” Center for Action and Contemplation, September 11, 2023.

Spadaro, Antonio. “Pope Francis’ new doctrine head: Heresy spreads when the church simply condemns.” America, September 14, 2023.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center: Accurate data, up-to-date research, and knowledge of effective strategies and interventions are all essential to our ability to prevent suicide. Sign up for the Weekly Spark newsletter.

Uhl, Tim. “Leadership in Catholic Schools, Part 1.” Wordpress, October 2, 2023.

Zuber, George, director. Just Gender. Alive Mind, 2013.

REPLAYS & REMINDERS

The 2023 Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice happens this year during the weekend of October 28 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. There will be breakout sessions on Sunday addressing “Joys and Hopes, Grief and Anxieties: Sharing Our Stories of being LGBTQ+ High School Students” (11:00–11:45 AM) and “Accompanying LGBTQ+ Students in Catholic High Schools” (1:45–2:30 PM).

Bradley A. Leger Consulting is holding a weekend retreat named “Widen the Space of Your Tent” from Friday, November 3 to Sunday, November 5, 2023 in Norwood, LA. This interfaith experience is for LGBTQ+ persons, their families, and allies. More information is available here, or by contacting Brad Leger directly at brad@balconsulting.org. In addition to being a great friend and ally to our network, Brad is deeply involved with both the Fortunate Families Transgender Accompaniment Ministry and the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative LGBTQ+ Initiative Team.

New Ways Ministry is sponsoring a three-day retreat with Fr. James Alison in Racine, Wisconsin from Friday, February 16 to Sunday, February 18, 2024. The retreat is for LGBTQ+ people, family, friends, and pastoral ministers. More information is available here.

The LGBTQ+ Initiative of the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative will host a summer conference from Thursday June 27 to Sunday, June 30, 2024 at the Bergamo Center in Dayton, OH. “Imago Dei: Embracing the Dignity of LGBTQ+ Persons” aims to celebrate the 50th anniversary of a 1974 groundbreaking conference centered on LGBTQ+ inclusion and ministry which was held in Dayton at the Bergamo Center. The conference hopes to honor those who foresaw the importance of developing pastoral care and outreach, and to envision how we can continue to respond to the needs of the LGBTQ+ community within our Church and world. More information is available here.

See previous newsletters and additional resources here, including our School Guide, Family Guide, and Prayer Guide.

Privacy & Confidentiality

Without Exception continues to be a no-cost ministry network for people in Catholic secondary education and related fields of ministry. The goal is simply to continue offering helpful resources to accompany our LGBTQ+ students and colleagues with the love of Jesus Christ and his church. Please respect privacy and confidentiality concerning the persons and schools connected to our network. The strength of this work is sustained by the trust among members.