Julian Punch Coming Out Proud MR
Archbishop Adrian Doyle’s pedantic statement saying Pope Benedict had been misquoted as well the Mercury’s refusal to print any Letters to the Editor from the gay community in response to the Popes statement, presents a reactive view undermining the values and protection offered sexual and gender diverse people in the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act 1998. Mr Punch stated that he had just returned from Sydney and having conducted the funeral service of his gay Catholic nephew Joel who had suicided on Christmas Day 2008.
Press Statement Catholic Church Response to Pope Benedict’s Condemnation of Homosexual Life Style 8/1/09
The Coming Out Proud (State Coordinator, Mr Julian Punch) said that gay and lesbian organisations need to coordinate a response to the Catholic Archbishop of Hobart Adrian Doyle challenging his statement on Pope Benedict’s pre Christmas condemnation of ‘homosexual behaviour’. Mr Punch stated that this is important given the Popes ‘call to arms’ to’ save the world from homosexual behaviour’ will have a doctrinal and dogmatic importance in Catholic educational, health and social institutions and their information, instruction and counselling to vulnerable gay & lesbian students and clients. We need some assurance that state and federal funding to these organisations will not be used to impose the Popes damaging view of sexuality in Catholic institutions and give false courage to those elements in society willing to pursue vilification and violence against gays, Mr Punch said.
Archbishop Adrian Doyle’s pedantic statement saying Pope Benedict had been misquoted as well the Mercury’s refusal to print any Letters to the Editor from the gay community in response to the Popes statement, presents a reactive view undermining the values and protection offered sexual and gender diverse people in the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Act 1998.
Mr Punch stated that he had just returned from Sydney and having conducted the funeral service of his gay Catholic nephew Joel who had suicided on Christmas Day 2008. He commented that the gay community had supported his family and over 300 people had attended the service to celebrate Joel’s life. He commented that at the wake two concerns dominated the conversation. Gay community concerns of the instance of suicide in their community was very prominent and without resolution. Amongst Joel’s Catholic teachers the comment was ‘why is this happening to so many of our young male students’, Mr Punch said.
This question is the basis of the ecumenical dialogue that the gay and lesbian Community needs to have with the Catholic Archbishop of Hobart, Adrian Doyle as well as other leaders of the main denominations. The dialogue needs to be informed by the statistical base of information that indicates 94% amongst 16-26 year old Tasmanian gay and bisexual men (Menzies Centre for Population and Rural Health, 1998) percentage of GLBTI people who have experienced assault based on sexual orientation. As well as the related statistics that indicate the results of this harassment in 55 per cent of gay men and lesbians had contemplated self- harm as a direct result of bullying (Rivers, The Bullying of Sexual Minorities At School: Its Nature and Long Term Correlates. Educational and Child Psychology. 2001 Vol 18. p39).
The Coming Out Proud Program is pleased to invest in this dialogue and is interested to hear a compassionate and informed response from Church leaders as a practical response to the Report of the State Suicide Prevention Council Consultation.
Julian Punch AM
www.comingoutproud
