By Matt Simonette

Staff writer

A GLBT-themed conference at DePaul University last week drew criticism from Cardinal Francis George in a column for the Catholic New World newspaper.

George commented on “Out There: The Second National Conference of Scholars and Student Affairs Personnel Involved in LGBTQ Issues on Catholic Campuses,” held Oct. 19-20 on the DePaul Lincoln Park campus, in the column.

George expressed concern that some talks at the conference “seem to press the case that the Church should change the moral law or that people should ignore Church teaching and form into groups that reject the magisterium of the Catholic Church.”

He added, “My concern as pastor of this Archdiocese is that some speakers at this conference intend to justify behavior that brings people’s salvation into jeopardy.”

Gary Cestaro, an associate professor in the Department of Modern Languages and director of DePaul’s LGBTQ Studies program, co-organized the conference along with Beth Kelly, a professor in the Women’s and Gender Studies program. He said “Out There” focused on GLBT issues that needed to be addressed by scholars, administration officials and students at Catholic universities.

“LGBTQs are like people everywhere,” Cestaro said. “Many are invested in the spiritual and many are, in fact, invested in Catholicism.”

The conference included panels on “What Educators in Catholic Schools Might Expect When Addressing Gay and Lesbian Issues: A Study of Needs and Barriers,” “Building Independent Faith Communities: Our Campuses and Beyond,” “The Ins and Outs of Teaching LGBTQ” and “Queering Services and Benefits at Catholic Institutions,” among others.

Cestaro said the university’s president, Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, had spoken with George about the conference and that George had been invited to attend.

The first conference addressing GLBT issues on Catholic campuses was held two years ago at Santa Clara University in California. Cestaro said DePaul was a natural location for the second conference because of its size, central location and commitment to social justice issues.

“The university has been very supportive of both LGBT professors and students. (But) It doesn’t mean the university endorses what’s said here today, or even endorses homosexuality,” Cestaro said.

“It’s one of the most exciting disciplines going these days,” he said, adding that the university continues to demonstrate a commitment to academic freedom.

DePaul, according to Cestaro, “recognizes that these are important conversations and this is a great place to have them.”