A
A SHORT
A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME THE ST. THOMAS CAMPUS RALLIED AROUND HER
AND HER FAMILY. BUT IT DIDN'T
STOP THERE. DR. KELLY WILSON IS
A BIBLICAL SCHOLAR AND HAS
TAUGHT IN THE THEOLOGY
DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF ST. THOMAS FOR YEARS. SHE IS
ALSO GAY. AND UNTIL LAST MONTH
THOSE THREE TRUTHS WERE NEVER
CHALLENGED OR GROUPED TOGETHER,
SHE SAYS. ON CAMPUS SEVEN
>> YEARS AFTER COMING OUT, THIS
IS THE FIRST TIME IT'S COME
UP EVEN.
UP EVEN.
UP EVEN. >> IT CAME UP WHEN A MAN CAME
TO SCHOOL AND HANDED OUT FLIERS
CALLING FOR HER TO BE FIRED.
HE INCLUDED HER PICTURE AND A
PICTURE OF HER FAMILY, INCLUDING
HER YOUNG KIDS
>>. THIS ISN'T NEW TO ME THAT I
WOULD GET SOME PUSHBACK FROM
SOME PEOPLE. I JUST NEVER KNEW
THAT IT WOULD INCLUDE A PICTURE
OF MY KIDS. AS EVIDENCE OF WHY
I SHOULD BE FIRED, SHE SAID
>> AS IT WAS HAPPENING. SHE GOT
A CALL FROM CAMPUS POLICE.
I THINK PUBLIC SAFETY'S CONCERN
WAS THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME
HE WAS TARGETING AN INDIVIDUAL
AND USE PICTURES OF THEIR FAMILY
>>. KELLY SAID ALMOST
IMMEDIATELY SHE WAS SUPPORTED
FROM HER STUDENTS, SOME FACULTY.
SHE EVEN GOT A CALL SHE SAID,
FROM THE DEAN. BUT IN THE HOURS
AFTER SHE SAID SHE FELT THE NEED
TO DO SOMETHING.
>> JUST THOUGHT THE BEST WAY
TO RESPOND TO SOMEBODY LIKE THIS
IS TO SUPPORT THOSE SYSTEMS
THAT HE'S TRYING TO BREAK DOWN.
SHE STARTED
SHE STARTED >> A FUND RAISER FOR DIGNITY
TWIN CITIES, AN ORGANIZATION
THAT ADVOCATES FOR GAY CATHOLICS
OF WHICH SHE IS A PROUD
>>. FOR ME, I FIND DEKE
AND GRROVE FOUND BEAUTY IN THE
CHURCH AND FOR ME THERE'S ENOUGH
THERE'S ENOUGH THERE THAT GIVES
ME HOPE THAT THE CHURCH,
ALTHOUGH IT MOVES SLOWLY, IT
MOVES TOWARDS JUSTICE. I BELIEVE
IN A GOD THAT MOVES TOWARDS
INCLUSIVITY AND AND LOVE
>>. SHE RAISED A FEW THOUSAND
DOLLARS AND THEN A COLLEAGUE
THOUGHT WHAT IF THEY ASKED
ONE OF THE MOST OUTSPOKEN
CATHOLIC PRIESTS IN THE NATION
TO GIVE A TALK ABOUT INCLUSION
FOR GAY CATHOLICS TO THE ST.
THOMAS COMMUNITY
THOMAS COMMUNITY >>? HE SAID YES, HE IS FATHER
JAMES MARTIN OF THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH TEACHES THAT LGBT
PEOPLE ARE TO BE TREATED
WITH RESPECT, COMPASSION
AND SENSITIVITY. FATHER MARTIN'S
FOLLWOING IS WORLDWIDE AND IN
THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IF NOT
MORE, HE HOLDS A RELATIONSHIP
WITH POPE FRANCIS AND HIS REBUKE
OF WHAT THAT MAN WITH THOSE
FLIERS AT ST. THOMAS DID IS NOT
VAGUE. THE IDEA
>> THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE
PROTESTING AND AS I UNDERSTAND
IT, PASSING OUT PICTURES OF HER
CHILDREN IS IS LET'S USE A WORD
THAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT BACK
INTO THE DISCUSSION, WHICH IS
CRUEL AND THAT IS CERTAINLY
SOMETHING THAT IS NOT PART
OF CATHOLIC TEACHING SAULK PART
OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD IS NOT
PART OF WHAT JESUS ASKS TO DO.
SO AS I LIKE TO SAY THAT THESE
PEOPLE ARE SO CATHOLIC, YOU
KNOW, THESE PROTESTERS THAT THEY
FORGET ABOUT BEING CHRISTIAN
>>. FATHER MARTIN'S DAILY HOMILY
IS CLEAR. TREAT GAY CATHOLICS
WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT. BUT HE
IS NOT SAYING IMMEDIATELY CHANGE
CHURCH TEACHING. WILL THE CHURCH
EVER CHANGE ITS STANCE ON
MARRIAGE? WELL , I'M GOT
>> TO CHALLENGE THE CHURCH'S
TEACHING ON SAME SEX MARRIAGE.
I DO HOPE THAT THE CHURCH SEES
IS THE IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING
TO THE EXPERIANCE OF LGBTQ
PEOPLE , YOU KNOW, IN WHOM GOD
IS ALIVE AND ACTIVE AND NOT
SEEING THEM AS THE OTHER.
>> AS FOR KELLY NOT EVER
RESIGNED TO BEING AN OTHER
IN THE PEW, SHE SAYS IN HER VIEW
IT'S NOT BEING GAY OR BEING
CATHOLIC. IT IS BEING GAY
AND BEING CATHOLIC
>>. YOU DON'T HAVE TO PICK BEING
GAY OR BEING CATHOLIC. THESE
ARE NOT EITHER OR MOMENTS OR
DECISIONS. WHAT IT IS AS IS.
I BELIEVE THAT I AM BEING MY
AUTHENTIC SELF . I BELIEVE THAT
IS WHAT MY CHURCH ASKED ME
TO DO. I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT MY
SCRIPTURE THE SCRIPTURES ASKED
ME TO DO AND WHAT GOD EXPECTS
OF ME. AND THIS IS WHERE I FIND
MY HOME IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
>>.
>>.
>>. >>
>>. >> UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS
RELEASED A STATEMENT ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED. IT READS IN PART WHEN
WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS LATEST
INCIDENT, WE REACHED OUT
TO OFFER OUR FULL SUPPORT TO DR.
WILSON. WE ALSO SENT
A UNIVERSITY WIDE COMMUNICATION
REJECTING THIS MAN'S HATEFUL
MESSAGE AND REAFFIRM
OUR COMMITMENT TO AN INCLUSIVE
ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR LGBT. Q
A COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THIS IS
CONSISTENT WITH CATHOLIC
TEACHING WHICH CALLS ON US
TO LOVE AND CARE FOR EVERY
PERSON. AS POPE FRANCIS REMINDS
US, QUOTE GOD HAS CREATED ALL
HUMAN BEINGS EQUAL IN RIGHTS,
DUTIES AND DIGNITY. SO WHY ARE
WE TALKING ABOUT THIS NOW ?
FATHER JAMES MARTIN, THE PRIEST
YOU HEARD FROM IN THE STORY,
WILL BE GIVING A TALK TOMORROW
NIGHT. AS I MENTIONED, IT IS
HOSTED BY ST. THOMAS AND IT'S
ABOUT INCLUDING LGBTQ CATHOLICS
MORE FULLY ON CATHOLIC COLLEGE
CAMPUSES. IT'S FREE AND IT'S
ONLINE. IF YOU WANT TO CHECK