Legion of Mary banned for gay slur
An NUI Galway society has been suspended after it caused uproar among students by encouraging “an interior life of chastity” among gay people.
A notice from the Legion of Mary was posted around campus urging gay people to get in touch with Roman Catholic organisation the Courage Apostolate, to fight the “homosexual label” and refrain from any sexual urges.
“Courage [Apostolate ]ministers to persons with same-sex attractions and their loved ones. By developing an interior life of chastity, which is the universal call to all Christians, one can move beyond the confines of the homosexual label to a more complete identity in Christ,” said the notice, which was pinned to notice boards around campus.
The notice, which advertises a ‘Purity Matters Initiative’ in conjunction with the NUI Galway Legion of Mary Society, caused uproar among students on the campus with many calls for action.
“No society should perpetuate the concept of gay-shaming. Furthermore the idea of repression and chastity has been shown to cause psychological difficulties in those who engage in it,” said Sean Kearns, President of NUI Galway Students’ Union.
“We are college students and hence leaders for the future. We should be leading with equality and tolerance,” he added.
NUI Galway has said that it is “committed to protecting the liberty and equality of all students” and reviewed the actions of the society in the context of the University’s code of conduct.
The review, initiated by NUI Galway’s Vice President for the Student Experience Dr Pat Morgan, led to the immediate suspension of the society which had only a handful of members.
NUI Galway’s Gay in Galway Society (GiG Soc LGBTQA Society) met on Monday to discuss the flyer and how it affected LGBTQA students at the college.
The society released a statement to this newspaper: “We believe that everyone has the right to express themselves and their beliefs however they want, as long as it doesn’t impede on others.
“As a society, we promote this and are here to help and to support any person who is having difficulty with their identity.”
A statement from NUI Galway on the matter said that the university has a “pluralist ethos” and would not condone the production and dissemination of any material by students which discriminated against other students.
For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.