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How long will it take Notre Dame to expand its non-discrimination policies to protect LGBTQ+ students?

Observer Editorial Board | Friday, September 29, 2023

At Notre Dame, hearing hateful comments about LGBTQ+ people is more likely than landing tails on a coin flip. According to the 2022 Inclusive Campus Survey, approximately 59% of all respondents heard students make disparaging comments about the LGBT community on campus. Another sobering fact: the University’s “first and only LGBTQ+ undergraduate student organization” is

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Who is part of our family?

lettertotheeditor | Wednesday, December 7, 2022

The University of Notre Dame has always been my dream school. I chose to attend this university over others because as soon as I set foot on campus, it felt like home. Notre Dame encourages us to do soul-searching and become who we want to be. In this, I finally came out and accepted myself

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Say no to the Equality Act

Letter to the Editor and Nelisha Silva | Tuesday, March 9, 2021

On Feb. 24, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5, the Equality Act. Supported by President Biden, the bill seeks to amend current civil rights law to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. If passed, the Equality Act would be the most systematic attack on the proper application of sexual

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The hypocrisy of inclusion at Notre Dame

Clark Bowden | Thursday, March 4, 2021

One of my favorite things to do when returning to campus after a long break from school is to walk or drive directly up Notre Dame Avenue. Along this route you are greeted by Mother Mary standing atop the Golden Dome, arms open at her sides. Closer down God Quad, you are welcomed by the

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Expect more from thee, Notre Dame

Letter to the Editor and Nelisha Silva | Thursday, August 20, 2020

On Aug. 13, Notre Dame took a long overdue but necessary step toward protecting LGBTQ+ students, staff and faculty. By including “gender identity” in its policies on sexual and discriminatory harassment, the University now prohibits harassment, whether verbal abuse or threatening behavior, toward members of the Notre Dame community based on a person’s gender identity.

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If God is a woman, who am I?

Letter to the Editor and Nelisha Silva | Tuesday, February 25, 2020

It doesn’t take long in Genesis for the authors to refer to God as “He.” In responding to Moses’ inquiry about what to call God, God does not assert masculinity, instead highlighting the transcendent nature of the divine: “I am who I am.” Yet still, God is consistently portrayed as a father figure throughout both

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Students discuss intersectionality between race, gender, sexuality

Serena Zacharias | Friday, November 15, 2019

With the aim of creating a space for vulnerable dialogue regarding questions of gender, race and sexual orientation, a number of groups on campus came together Thursday night to sponsor the second “Let’s Talk About Race” discussion in Geddes coffee house. In order to facilitate small group discussion, organizers prepared a set of questions to

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LGBT discrimination is legal even if it’s wrong

Vince Mallett | Thursday, October 10, 2019

This past Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in two sessions for a total of three cases concerning the applicability of Title VII’s employment discrimination prohibition as it applies to LGBTQ employees. If the employees win in this case, federal discrimination law will cover all cases of discrimination against LGBTQ

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Notre Dame alumna addresses Catholic response to gender revolution

Nicole Simon | Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Notre Dame alumna Mary Rice Hasson ’82 presented a lecture in Stapleton Lounge on Monday, offering what she considers to be a Catholic perspective in response to the gender revolution. Hasson is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. and serves as director of the Catholic Women’s Forum. Gender ideology affects

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Mother discusses transgender son, Catholicism

Jordan Cockrum | Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Members of the Saint Mary’s community gathered Monday night to listen to alumna Emily Garvey speak about her experience with her transgender son, entitled “A Theological Journey with My Transgender Son.” “She does what we want to prepare all our Saint Mary’s students to do: to take risks that matter,” Megan Zwart, professor of philosophy,