Former Truth Wins Out Communications Director John Becker wrote an interesting piece yesterday at back2stonewall:
Just days after Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia shockingly equated homosexuality with murder in an appearance at Prin
ceton University, another troubling revelation has emerged: Scalia’s son Paul, a Roman Catholic priest, has served as chaplain for the Arlington, Virginia chapter of Courage, an official Catholic apostolate that ministers to people with so-called “same-sex attractions” — or what the rest of the world refers to as lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.
Courage, the “ministry” that Paul Scalia was affiliated with, uses a 12-step program similar to Alcoholics Anonymous to encourage Catholics struggling with “same-sex attractions” to suppress their sexuality and live totally celibate lives. It’s essentially a Catholic version of the widely-discredited “ex-gay” programs, just wrapped in a more subtly-colored bow.
Antonin Scalia is such a shill for the extreme conservative movement. He is about the most biased judge I have ever seen and sullies the name of the court. He should recuse himself from marriage equality cases — for he is not fair and impartial.
Good work on Becker’s part for tracking this down.
Well, doesn’t he have the cutest set of dimples around!
You know, why doesn’t it surprise me that Scalia’s son is so interested in “helping” gay guys out. After decades of observation, I’m convinced that an enormous proportion of male roman religious are closeted or repressed homosexuals themselves (I won’t dignify them with the term gay). But just like his fundagelical protestant counterparts in Exodus, Scalia just has to scratch the itch. Just has to find some way to be in connection with gay men, even if it is trying to deconstruct their personalities to conform to his own self-loathing. Somehow Paul Scalia has to work through his own issues, with gay men as his collateral damage.
I suspect at the end of the day we will find that the roman christianist sect is the most dangerous to LGBT freedom in this country. Our Supreme Court is reflecting that.
I wonder if Father Scalia himself “deals with” SSA. Interesting gossip for me, but I can’t imagine the kind of pressure this poor guy is under if he is gay.
Paul, you are right on.
Shortly after coming out in the late seventies in Minnesota, I went to many gay parties. One constant attendee was a Seventh Day Adventist minister, though never invited. He always made a point to inform us all he had just had dinner with his wife! The ex-gay movement was just starting. He bragged incessantly about “helping” guys to change and THEN proceeded to aggressively put the make on every young guy at the party he could. What a sleeze.
I wonder if Paul S. is ‘totally celibate’? He sure has ‘the look’ of someone with ‘the gay’. Maybe daddy is aware of this and it just fuels his homophobic rage. And relating to Jerry’s comment, when I was in college the RC chaplain allowed the fledgling college lgbt group to meet in his home (this was in about 1976) and was notorious for hitting on and scoring with all the guys in the group. Yes he tried it with me, but I pushed him off and went home. I thought he was a troll and way too old for me. I was about 22 and he was in his early 40s. At 22 I thought anyone over 30 was ‘old’.
I am not for reparative therapy or attempts to change anyone; however I will say if someone wants to be a priest, whether he’s gay or straight celibacy is part of the deal.
Craig,
Yes celibacy is part of the deal. But people who choose their “pastoral” career are making that choice. I find it repugnant that they should require anyone else to make the same choice, to go through their life without sex.
It’s long been SOP among Catholics to have “that son” join the priesthood. Whether Paul is an example of this longstanding and tragic tradition is his business. I hope not, for his sake, because I can’t begin to imagine what a horrific existence it would be.
Regardless, the idea that the church thinks it’s appropriate ask someone to live an entire life without intimacy is appalling and ridiculous. Why *anyone* continues to adhere to RC doctrine is really quite beyond comprehension. The Dark Ages ended 800 years ago. How can there still be so many people that haven’t gotten the memo?
Paul Scalia’s history and work bear the 10 classic signs of a severely repressed homosexual in extreme denial:
• Paul’s father insists that lesbian, gay, and bisexual people are equal to criminals.
• He doesn’t want his father to treat him as a criminal.
• Paul chose a career where celibacy is both a qualification and a job duty.
• His celibacy allows him to avoid facing his own sexual orientation.
• Although celibate for life, he says he knows the “full truth of human sexuality.”
• He teaches that ethics in sex is possible only when procreation is the focus.
• Paul surrounds himself with gay men (Catholic priests and Courage ministry customers).
• He excuses all gay men from guilt by labeling them “confused.”
• He claims that homosexuals are just heterosexuals with “same-gender attractions/inclinations.”
• He says LGBT students are caused by “heterosexual unchastity.”
These are the classic, religious superstitions in which the fiction of reparative therapy is rooted. They are the disproved lies that repressed homosexuals recite to prop up their denial.
Exactly how long Paul Scalia will continue posing as a celibate cleric isn’t clear, but the days of quack therapists selling “ex-gay” therapy are clearly numbered.
Extreme denial. Even when things are caught on tape. Even when there is abuse clearly shown. People will do and say anything to attack others when they are their loved ones are caught on tape abusing other people.