More thoughts on embracing the 'gay' in Catholic.

"This sexual identity crisis has breached the church where labels such as "gay Christian" and "gay celibate Christian" are becoming more commonly used and accepted." - Jeff Buchanan

I'm still trying to make sense of that whole thing.

Seems to me that in acknowledging or 'professing' gay as a sexual identity will inevitably be a game-changer for so many other realities in life.  The short list:  Catholic Church teaching on homosexuality, politics, morality, the traditional definition of family, 'gay' marriage, gay adoption of children, and so on.  There is so much written on the subject these days, it gets to be very confusing.

The New Sexual Identity Crisis - Jeff Buchanan

We live in a culture addicted to identity labels. We seek to summarize everything essential about an individual in a word, phrase, or 140 characters. With every label and category there comes another level of segregated identity, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the realm of sexual identity.

One can look at the gay community and see the level of identity fragmentation represented in the use of acronyms such as LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex, Ally). The sexual identity label has become a method of reducing individuals to a micro narrative of sexual orientation. In man's created need to transcend himself, this self-referencing label creates a personal crisis of identity and purpose.

Culturally Dictated ConfusionSome would argue that language is always evolving and the use of a "gay celibate Christian" identity would be acceptable based upon dictates of today's culture. While it is true that definitions are subject to change, this reasoning doesn't translate in the realm of gay sexual identity. The term "gay" can have vast socio-political and cultural connotations, and it raises such question as whether the person holds to a traditional orthodoxy on the issue of homosexuality. Are they choosing abstinence to remain chaste as a single person with same-sex attractions, or are they waiting until they can enter into a same-sex marriage? The use of this label to conveniently communicate one's experience actually promotes confusion and misunderstanding. - Full article here.

Gay fusion...
I'm probably the Michele Bachmann of Catholic bloggers on the subject of gay-Catholic identity, in so far as I see it as a sort of movement or trend which poses the threat of blurring the lines - so to speak, towards a new gay inclusiveness within Catholic teaching/anthropology, establishing a special spirituality for the unique, rare and gifted, 'homosexual' person.  I can't help but view the trend as part of the 'coming-out' - 'we're here and we're queer' campaign to normalize homosexuality.

I've asked a locally well known progressive-Catholic and gay-activist-educator, Michael Bayly of Wild Reed*, for his comments as to how such thinking can compliment or benefit his efforts in advancing a greater inclusiveness in the Catholic Church.  I'm hoping he will address this latest development amongst SSA Catholics, either on his blog or here in the com box. 

*Never mind.

h/t to Letters to Christopher for the Identity article.