Friday, May 17, 2013

Alma Mater

Sometimes, most of the time, timing is everything.  Like yesterday when I received a fund raising appeal from my Alma Mater St. Pius X High School.  I graduated from there in 1963.  I liked the school and still have lifelong friends from my days there.  I was into the whole Catholicism thing back then, but I was never a fundamentalist.  And I moved on to my current status as a non believer.

But, I understand that is not the norm and I don't criticize those who still believe.  Except when it promotes discrimination and bigotry.  Which is exactly what the school administrators and the Archbishop are doing now when they wont let a transgender student graduate in the appropriately colored gown.  What is more astonishing is that they would even pick this fight in this day and age.  I can't imagine what the student body and faculty get out of this in a positive way.  It certainly makes the school look like a out of touch and isolated institution.  Or an ally of the official homophobes government of Russia.  Yes, the Russia they wanted us to hate as the center of global communism back in the 60's.

I won't be sending Pius any money or respect.  They just need to move on in to modern day society.

And if the Archbishop can dress like this why can't this student wear a certain colored gown.


7 comments:

janecraft said...

More to the point, why must graduates wear a gown color based upon sex? How is their sex relevant to their achievement? My vote -- one color of gowns. Why is this hard?

Anonymous said...

That was a great zinger with the pic of the archbishop in his regalia! Right on!
Jan Unna

Anonymous said...

I'm in the mood for a buttered bolillo roll toasted on the grill.

Anonymous said...

Pope Francis refuses to wear the ridiculous outfits. He sticks to the regular frock.

Delora Dennis said...

The perfect blog post. Short, sweet and punctuated with a fabulous picture for poetic emphasis.

Well done, Jim.

Dan said...

One of your best posts. When will we give up on "tradition" in favor of equality for all?

Anonymous said...

Gender equity is far from a reality. We have a Hispanic Female Governor in name only. I have yet to see her go toe to toe against anyone. She sends her lawyers and engages in backroom deals. instead. At least this young person is willing to take a stand.