(RNS) Five key Catholic bishops are opposing the newly authorized Violence Against Women Act for fear it will subvert traditional views of marriage and gender, and compromise the religious freedom of groups that aid victims of human trafficking.
The act, which was signed into law by President Obama on Thursday (March 7), is intended to protect women from domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking, and allows the federal government to spend money to treat victims and prosecute offenders.
But for the first time since the original act became law in 1994, it spells out that no person may be excluded from the law’s protections because of “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” — specifically covering lesbian, transgender and bisexual women.
That language disturbs several bishops who head key committees within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that deal with, among other issues, marriage, the laity, youth and religious liberty.
“These two classifications are unnecessary to establish the just protections due to all persons. They undermine the meaning and importance of sexual difference,” the bishops said in a statement released by the USCCB on Wednesday.
“They are unjustly exploited for purposes of marriage redefinition, and marriage is the only institution that unites a man and a woman with each other and with any children born from their union,” the statement continued.
The bishops also take issue with the lack of “conscience protection” for faith-based groups that help victims of human trafficking, an addition they sought after the Obama administration decided in 2011 to discontinue funding for a Catholic group that works with trafficking victims, many of whom were forced to work as prostitutes.
The administration instead funded other groups that, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, could provide a full range of women’s health services, including referrals for contraception or abortion, both of which the Catholic Church opposes.
“Conscience protections are needed in this legislation to ensure that these service providers are not required to violate their bona fide religious beliefs as a condition for serving the needy,” reads the statement of the bishops, who have supported previous versions of the act.
The statement was signed by:
– Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development
– Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage
– Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth
– Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty
– Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the Committee on Migration
The bill passed the Senate 78 to 22 on Feb. 12, and the House passed it on Feb. 28 on a vote of 286 to 138, with no Democrats in opposition. Some Republicans objected to the bill for reasons similar to the bishops’.
KRE/AMB END MARKOE
wrdickson | Mar 8, 2013 | 3:52pm
In related news, all Bishops are now required to dress like Snidely Whiplash, twirl their handlebar mustaches with a finger, and cackle in a sinister manner whenever in public.
Kris Katarian | Mar 10, 2013 | 4:14pm
It is entirely appropriate that sexual orientation and gender identity have specific mention in the VAWA. Persons in either of these two groups are especially vulnerable to attacks due to discrimination and cultural norms of homophobia. A 2011 study showed that lesbian and bisexual women are 3 times as likely as heterosexual women to suffer a sexual assault. In January, the CDC reported that the domestic violence rate for lesbians mirrors the rate for heterosexual women, but is not often taken seriously. Clearly, the victimization is increased for the two subgroups of women.
The VAWA does not guarantee any “special” protections for LGBTQ persons. It does, however, assure them that reports of violence and assault are required to be taken seriously just as for heterosexual women. The 1999 Oscar-winning film “Boys Don’t Cry”, based on the rape, beating, and murder of a young female-to-male transgender person, depicts the incredulous,ineffective response of law enforcement to her reports of violence. There is also a documentary of her life, “The Brandon Teena Story.”
As for the Catholic church’s objections to the newest version of the VAWA, it strikes me as disgusting that the very organization invested in the concealment of decades-long child sex abuse by priests feels they are entitled to object to anything that empowers victims of sexual assault, no matter who they are.
Add Your Comment