Story at a glance
- A new policy adopted this month by the Diocese of Green Bay requires all staff and students within the diocese to use pronouns and facilities consistent with their sex assigned at birth.
- The policy took effect at 54 Catholic schools within the diocese on July 1.
- Failure to comply with the diocese’s new policy may result in “corrective action,” as well as expulsion or termination of employment.
Under a new policy implemented this month by the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, school staff and students in the diocese are prohibited from using pronouns, clothing or gender-segregated facilities that do not align with their sex assigned at birth.
The change made to the diocese’s education policy manual for the upcoming school year will affect more than 50 Catholic schools in the diocese and an estimated 9,000 students, as well as 12,000 children who attend religious education classes, the Green Bay Press Gazette reports.
According to the new policy, which took effect July 1, all parishes, schools or school systems within the diocese “shall respect the biological sex with which a person is born.”
The update is meant to keep the education of students in line with Catholic teachings and beliefs, according to the diocese.
America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.
“The Church teaches that our identities as male and female are part of God’s good design in Creation, that our bodies and sexual identities are gifts from God, and that we should accept and care for our bodies as they were created,” the new policy reads.
In practice, all staff and students within the diocese under the policy will be addressed using pronouns consistent with their sex assigned at birth. Facilities like restrooms or locker rooms on diocesan or parish property will also be designated by sex assigned at birth, rather than gender identity.
According to the policy, a student diagnosed with gender dysphoria may still be granted admission to one of the Catholic schools within the diocese as long as they and their parents agree to comply with the conditions of the new guidelines, meaning all of the student’s records and school assignments will reflect their sex assigned at birth.
Failure to comply with the diocese’s new policy may result in “corrective action,” the diocese said.
“A student of any Catholic school who insists, or whose parents insist, on open hostility toward, or defiance of, Church teaching, or who otherwise intentionally violate this policy, may be expelled from the school pursuant to this policy,” the policy reads.
In a statement, Todd Blahnik, the Diocese of Green Bay superintendent of Catholic Schools, said young people experiencing conflict between their sex assigned at birth and gender identity should seek assistance from their pastor or other “trained Christian professionals” who can assist them in clarifying “God’s plan” for them.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Changing america
