Georgetown University’s student paper along with pro-gay marriage students are trying to defund a conservative student group because the group advocates traditional marriage and agrees with Catholic teachings on sexuality.
Love Saxa, the conservative group, “exists to promote healthy relationships on campus through cultivating a proper understanding of sex, gender, marriage, and family among Georgetown students,” according to its website.
The Hoya, one of the oldest publications on campus, first reported Friday that a formal petition had been submitted to the Student Activities Commission to strip Love Saxa of the privileges (and funding) typical student organizations enjoy. That same day, the paper ran an editorial advocating defunding Love Saxa because the group opposes pornography and hookup culture and advocates for traditional marriage.
Hunter Estes, president of Georgetown’s Knights of Columbus, responded with an op-ed in the conservative Georgetown Review, rejecting accusations that Love Saxa is homophobic for advocating for traditional marriage. Estes, in turn, accused the Hoya of advocating censorship.
“I fear the day, which is actively coming into fruition, where I am unable to practice my Catholic faith on a Catholic campus, without being called hateful, because my opinion defies the orthodoxy of the student body,” Estes wrote.
Scott Lowder, an outspoken opponent of Love Saxa, voiced concerns over defunding the club. In a private Facebook post, which Lowder gave us permission to quote (with his grammar revised), the Georgetown graduate wrote that he wished clubs like Love Saxa would stop advocating against homosexual marriage. Rather he advocated that instead of creating a “martyr” out of Love Saxa, gay rights advocates can “confidently beat them on the battlefield of ideas.”
Lowder highlighted the impact defunding would have on LGBTQ advocates, writing, “I doubt that taking away $250 from them is worth the condemnation and vitriol that will reign down as a result from outside the Hoya community, probably involving the same kind of speech and rhetoric the petitions want to stop?”
While students will continue debating same-sex marriage, the Roman Catholic Church has a clear doctrine regarding marriage, and Love Saxa is advocating for that view on the campus of a Catholic university. Meanwhile, Georgetown is also a strong advocate for LGBTQ students, and even supports “OUTober” on campus.
Georgetown, then, carries a dual identity — both Catholic and gay-rights advocate – although those are not necessarily mutually exclusive. The Catholic perspective on homosexual attraction is complex and nuanced. Additionally, Georgetown has a duty to uphold free speech for all parties involved.
Punishing a student group which is in line with the Church’s values despite being in opposition to the general consensus of students, would violate the delicate balance Georgetown must strike. It would interfere with the process and dialogue occurring between student groups.
Gabriella Muñoz is a commentary desk intern with the Washington Examiner and a student at Georgetown University.
