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Nutsy Stuff, Crazy Stuff

How Tolerant Is Bishop O'Dowd High School?

By Christopher Zehnder

Support and opposition met the announcement, this past September, that the drama department at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland would perform Moisés Kaufman's play, The Laramie Project. The play deals with the brutal 1998 murder of homosexual college student Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming -- a murder that has become a rallying point for gay rights groups, who have made of Shepard a martyr to intolerance.

Support for the play, both from the school and the community, seemed overwhelming. According to the November 14 Oakland Tribune, tickets for opening night, November 15, were sold out -- many of them to church groups. The Bishop O'Dowd website announced in the third week of November that tickets for the remaining performances (November 22-24) were no longer available. The play garnered the support of Bishop O'Dowd student groups, including the associated student body and the Gay-Straight Alliance. It also sparked discussions on sexuality at the school, run by the Basilian fathers. Associated student body treasurer (and Laramie Project cast member) Joseph Steiner told the Tribune that student government representatives and members of the school administration have addressed issues of homosexuality and discrimination with students.

In part, the October 2002 murder of a "transgender" Newark High School student, Eddie "Gwen" Araujo, inspired some of the support for Bishop O'Dowd's production of The Laramie Project. But a particularly virulent opposition to the play seems to have sparked much of the interest in it. Threats of a protest by the 72-year-old minister, Pastor Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, moved many to rally around the Bishop O'Dowd students and their play. Strict Calvinists, Pastor Phelps and his family travel the country with red, white and blue signs that read, "God Hates Fags" and "God Hates America." They were present in Laramie protesting the funeral of Matthew Shepard -- an event portrayed in The Laramie Project. Westboro Baptist's web page spells out its rather stern "gospel," saying the church is "dedicated to preaching the Gospel truth about the soul-damning, nation-destroying notion that 'It is OK to be gay.' 'GOD HATES FAGS' -- though elliptical -- is a profound theological statement, which the world needs to hear more than it needs oxygen, water and bread." The words GOD HATES FAG, says the website, when "fully expounded show the absolute sovereignty of 'GOD' in all matters whatsoever. the doctrine of reprobation or God's 'HATE' involving eternal retribution or the everlasting punishment of most of mankind in Hell forever," and "the certainty that all impenitent sodomites (under the elegant metaphor of 'FAGS' as the contraction of faggots, fueling the fires of God's wrath) will inevitably go to Hell."

Though Fred Phelps himself made a no show in California, eight members of his family (sons, daughters and grandchildren) performed for angry onlookers in the Bay Area. Oakland was not their only stop; they were in Berkeley on November 15 protesting at the Cal-Arizona football gang. While the Phelps gang held red, white and blue signs proclaiming, "God Hates Fags" and "God Hates America," an angry Marxist, sporting a beard, in true Berkeley style bellowed at them through a megaphone: "Racist, sexist, anti-gay! Born-again bigots, go away!" A "mostly male crowd," said the Oakland Tribune, shouted, "Psychos -- Retards!" while Phelps' daughter retorted, "insults, is that the best you girls can do?" After shouting, "nine, 10, 11, 12 and you are going straight to Hell!" another of Phelps' daughters, said the Tribune, turned to a reporter and "sweetly" apologized. "So if we didn't get this reception," said Becky Phelps-Davis, "we would know we weren't speaking the truth. Because the Bible says the true messengers would be reviled. We don't want to convert anyone. Our job is just to cause them to know their transgressions."

The next evening, Saturday, November 17, the Phelpses were at Bishop O'Dowd to protest the school's performance of The Laramie Project. About two dozen counter-protesters from gay-straight alliances and church groups met the Phelps family at the school gates. According to the website of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), Bishop O'Dowd's drama group had been preparing for the Phelps protest. Quoting Bishop O'Dowd's website, PFLAG said, "'despite a promise by a group of homophobic fanatics to picket the school's production of 'The Laramie Project', the Bishop O'Dowd Drama Department, with the full and unqualified support of the Principal, is proceeding with plans to mount the play.... As a precautionary measure, the school administration and security staff are working with the Oakland Police Department to ensure that the production run is uneventful.'" According to the Oakland Tribune, Bishop O'Dowd's Gay-Straight Alliance sponsored a "protest-a-thon" to gather money for every minute Pastor Phelps spoke, the proceeds of which would go to gay rights organizations. Bishop O'Dowd students also wore pink triangles to show their solidarity with homosexual fellow-students.

Press accounts, however, did not mention another group of protesters who were present at Bishop O'Dowd the night of the performance. When members of the lay Catholic St. Joseph's Men's Society arrived at Bishop O'Dowd at about 6:30 p.m., they saw a group of "militant gay protestors" standing on one side of the driveway leading into the school. On the other side of the driveway were the Phelps contingent of protestors, holding their signature "God Hates." signs along with others that screamed, "The Snipers Were Inspired," and "9/11, Thank God" -- "or something like that," said Anthony Gonzalez, a member of St. Joseph's Men's Society. "You know, nutsy stuff, crazy stuff!"

Gonzalez said that, to distinguish themselves from the Phelps group, the St. Joseph's protestors placed themselves so that the pro-homosexual protestors were between them and the eight or so Westboro Baptist demonstrators. There Gonzalez and the others pulled out their signs, which read: "Homosexuality Isn't a Right, It's a Sin;" "Tolerance of Evil?" "St. Joseph's Men's Society, Promoting the Reign of Christ the King;" "Homosexuality, Keep Out of the Reach of Children" (with skull and crossbones, describing AIDS and hepatitis and other diseases to which homosexuals are prone); "Homosexuality and Hope, www. Cathmed.org -- A Curable Choice -- Genuine Pastorality -- Sound Science -- Authentic Magisterium;" and "Don't Confuse Bishop O'Dowd with a Catholic High School."

The exchange between the pro-homosexual protestors and the St. Joseph's group was lively. When the former shouted, "heigh heigh, ho ho, homophobia's gotta go," the lattter responded with, "heigh heigh, ho ho, pedophilia's gotta go." But unlike the Phelps group, who were content, merely, to tell homosexuals their transgressions, the St. Joseph's group, said Gonzalez, tried to talk with the homosexual protestors. "We didn't try to attack the gays who were standing next to us," he said. "We tried to engage them in conversation and in debate. There was a group of high school students from the gay/lesbian-straight alliance at one of the secular high schools. They really wanted to know what we had to say; as we defended our position, they engaged us in conversation, and it was not in any way unfriendly but a very good and healthy conversation. They were willing to hear our point of view and argue their own point of view. They would say, 'why is this wrong?' and that kind of stuff. I went into the idea that homosexuality is unnatural. I became very specific: I said the egg is there, the sperm is there, the guy gets hard, and the woman has the vagina, all for a purpose. There's a reason for this. God created it for this, not to put it into a different context, because it's unnatural outside of that context. After I explained it as bluntly as I did, they couldn't argue with the truth of that statement. We had a really good discussion with them. And it evolved into other subjects as well. They shook our hands and said they really enjoyed the conversations, and thanked us."

Channel 2 news was present for the protest and interviewed Gonzalez. Gonzalez said the interviewer, a woman, asked if his group were associated with the Phelps group. "I said, 'no, we're not,'" said Gonzalez. "'We're Roman Catholic and we're here to protest that they're having this [play] in a Roman Catholic school. It shouldn't be here.'"

The interviewer asked, "what are you protesting against? Tolerance?"

"No, we're protesting against the promotion of homosexuality in a Roman Catholic school," Gonzalez replied.

"The play isn't about homosexuality," the interviewer countered. "It's about tolerance and how someone died because of intolerance." But Gonzalez denied her description of The Laramie Project. "I said, 'no, the play is about how they've made this homosexual a saint and martyr of their cause. It has nothing to do with tolerance. Tolerance of what? Tolerance of evil?'"

The television news reporters, said Gonzalez, filmed the St. Joseph's protestors with their signs, but did not air the footage.

Few besides the members of the St. Joseph's Men's Society, it seems, have publicly questioned why Bishop O'Dowd high school would sponsor a play that is associated with the gay rights movement. Perhaps this is because too many know Bishop O'Dowd all too well -- that it tolerates not only the persons of homosexuals, but the sin of homosexuality. The presence of a Gay-Straight Alliance on campus is, to say the least, queer. According to the PFLAG website, Bishop O'Dowd High School "has been a vigorous supporter of its gay and lesbian students, and was one of the first in the San Francisco bay area to sponsor a student-run gay/straight alliance."

According to its mission statement, the Gay-Straight Alliance seeks to "create safe environments in schools for students to support each other and learn about homophobia and other oppressions; educate the school community about homophobia, gender identity, and sexual orientation issues; and fight discrimination, harassment, and violence in schools." The language sounds neutral, but what does the Gay-Straight Alliance say about the character of the homosexual orientation itself? The testimony of a Bishop O' Dowd student in the fall issue of the Gay-Straight Alliance newsletter, Outright, might give one some indication. "High school," wrote the student, "is probably one of the most confusing and difficult times in a person's life, and I've always considered myself lucky to not have to deal with questioning and accepting my sexuality on top of that."

Surfing through the Gay-Straight Alliance website, I got an even clearer idea of what the group promotes -- namely, the naturalness or normalcy of being a homosexual. For instance, the website's section, "Fun Things to Do With Your GSA," suggests groups have a "Movie Night." "Attend a screening of an lgbt [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] themed film at a local theatre," it says, "or if you have a big enough group, consider arranging a special showing." Or, it encourages the group to "plan a pride dance or go to the Gay Prom in Hayward."

The Gay-Straight Alliance promotes the notion that one's male or female character is merely accidental. The website's "Transgender Issues" section suggests the following activity: "give everyone a chance to chose [sic] pictures of people out of magazines or books. (DON'T LET ANYONE SEE.) Ask everyone to describe the person without referring to the persons 'privates' or using pronouns that we associate with a specific gender. Have each person read aloud their description and then have everyone 'guess' the gender." Then follows a list of questions to ask when the guessing is done: "why did you associate some adjectives with men or women? Is something wrong with a person who's [sic] attributes are not considered normal for their gender? Why or why not? Can someone be both masculine and feminine, does that change their gender?"

The Transgender Issues section also suggests students stir up a "campaign to create a unisex bathroom" at their schools. "Write a proposal to the principal and the staff," it continues. "Tell them you think that there should be one bathroom (that is not used very much, such as in the nurses office) which is open to anyone. Let them understand that you want a safe space where a student of any sex, gender, or gender identity can change for a sport or use the bathroom and feel safe."

The Gay-Straight Alliance also helps sponsor a photo exhibit, called "High Contrast, Shades of Our Identities," which can be viewed on the alliance web site. One black and white photograph shows the naked torso of a young man from the neck to the waist. Across the picture are scrawled the words: "My Belly is not ruled by society it will be smothered by whomever I want close. Genitalia will not limit my physical affection."

How does all this square with the mission of a Catholic school to inculcate the teachings of the Church in students? To get a sense of the character of Bishop O'Dowd's Gay-Straight Alliance, I sent the school's principal, Father Don McCleod, an inquiry by e-mail. While, in my message, I noted that the Gay-Straight Alliance rightly fights violence against homosexuals and promotes the understanding that they, as human beings, should be accorded the same respect and rights accorded anyone else, I also pointed out the organization's promotion of homosexuality (both as an orientation and an act) as natural and worthy of society's respect. I referenced, in contrast to this, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which teaches that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered," that even the homosexual "inclination" is "objectively disordered," and that homosexuals are called to chastity. How, I asked Father McCleod, does Bishop O'Dowd High School square the teachings of the Church with an association with the Gay-Straight Alliance?

I received no response from Father McCleod, but I did receive a rather curious e-mail message on November 20, presumably, from Father John Malo, a Basilian priest on staff at Bishop O'Dowd. In the past, at least, Father Malo has directed the school's Gay-Straight Alliance and has taught the school's "Human Sexuality" course. (An item for November 2, 2000, in the Bishop O'Dowd's "Parents Prevue" newsletter reads: "'Human Sexuality'"/Fr. John Malo, CSB. During the evening we will be exploring the freshman course on Christian Sexuality. Experience it as it unfolds for your sons' and daughters' eyes and ears!") Though he referred to my e-mail query, Father John' s e-mail message did not address me, but "Duke," who, I assume, is Father McCleod. "...Anything you say can and will be used against you..." said the message. "They will twist your words no matter how carefuuly [sic] you craft a response. So my advice is say nothing to them at all! Peace. Nails."

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