Openly gay teen scientist honored by Vatican as positive role model

[babylonsister]

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2013/11/openly-gay-teen-scientist-honored-by-vatican-as-positive-role-model/

Openly gay teen scientist honored by Vatican as positive role model
Staff Reports
Sunday, November 17, 2013


CROWNSVILLE, Md. — An openly gay teen scientist has been honored by the Vatican for his work to develop a cost-effective method to detect pancreatic cancer.


Jack Andraka, speaking at the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference earlier this year.


Jack Andraka, a high school junior from Crownsville, Md., was awarded the International Giuseppe Sciacca Award for his work Saturday. The Vatican awards the prize to recognize youth who are positive role models and outstanding in their fields.

Andraka was hoping to meet Pope Francis while he is in Rome.

He told WBAL Radio he felt is was amazing to be recognized by the Vatican even though he is gay. He says it shows how much the world has grown to accept gay people.

Andraka developed the cancer test when he was 15 after the death of a family friend from pancreatic cancer.

He is talking with two biotech firms to manufacture the test.

[el_bryanto]

1. That's nice - and it sounds like his work is really valuable.

SO nice that the Vatican can recognize his basic humanity. He may be the exception rather than the rule though.

Bryant

[SidDithers]

2. Teen scientist honored by Vatican despite being gay...

There, fixed the headline for you.

Sid

[cali]

3. what bullshit. Dick Cheney supports gay marriage. YOU must LUV him, sid

It's interesting to me that the most conservative dems, like you, and the ones who came late to marriage equality and LGBT rights, are now piously decrying the most liberal Pope in over 50 years.

[rug]

7. +1

[SidDithers]

10. -2...nt

Sid

[adirondacker]

38. Pretty ironic you're sporting the only Catholic president as your avatar Sid. nt

[sabrina 1]

28. Obama came very late, at the age of over 50, to equal rights for gays. I don't recall how you

addressed that issue. I know how most of us felt about his stated belief that marriage was between a man a woman and made our views clear with phone calls, emails, petitions etc until he finally evolved from the regressive viewpoint. How did you feel about that backwards view of Gay Marriage from the president? I don't recall if you supported and attempted to make excuses for him, as some here did amazingly

I'm also wondering how you feel about Dems who go to Right Wing hate sites and post vile shit about Gays, the most vile and hateful, false garbage to rouse up the hatred of bigots posting here on DU while they held those views and, until they were exposed and had to admit their life long 'misunderstandings' of the issue, had the hypocritic gall to lecture life-long defenders of those rights here on DU, and the gall to lecture this pope who has moved that centuries old institution several centuries FORWARD on the issue in just a few months?

While most DUers were disgusted to find they had such a person in their midst, airc, you were one of the few defenders of that person.

So I'm puzzled that when the issue arose here re the president and regarding having people with those admitted viewpoints here, you defended them and why you are so vocal now. Is it the issue itself, or just your own bias using the issue to attack a large group of people you apparently despise?

I see a huge inconsistency here, but I could be wrong.

[SidDithers]

29. Do you really think I read your responses to me?...

Sid

[sabrina 1]

37. Yes. But it's clear you would rather not answer the question.

So I will assume my recollections are correct.

[BuddhaGirl]

17. some people can't appreciate baby steps

and refuse to see any *progress*...it ain't gonna happen overnight for goodness sake, but even I, a long-fallen-away-Catholic can appreciate a little forward movement.

[sabrina 1]

23. The hypocrisy that has been exposed here is amazing. I remember not so long ago when Obama

had stated his opposition to Gay Marriage and the DOJ was trying to overturn court rulings on Gays in the Military that declared refusal to allow gays as unconstitutional, getting into arguments as to why our Dem leadership would not just DO IT with an Exec Order if necessary, hearing all the excuses from the very same people who are now attack the pope for the incredible strides he is making to have treated the way he believes Jesus would treat them.

What is really sickening here is to see someone who is known to have been so anti gay rights they posted the vile shit that gays should be kept away from children on a RIGHT WING hate site, actually having the GALL lecture this pope who has never treated any human that way. Sometimes I am not sure I can take the hypocrisy anymore.

Pope Francis is a good man who has moved the centuries old Church and its backwards views forward in just a few months, by a couple of centuries, and has given a black eye to the Right Wingers right here in the US who use these issues to slam Catholic Candidates like Kerry with them in order to win elections. They can't do that anymore

[Vashta Nerada]

24. Who are you talking about in paragraph two?

You do realize that pope francis has said that gay marriage is the work of the devil and a destructive attack on god's plan, don't you?

This will refresh your mind: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/13/pope-francis-gay-marriage-anti_n_2869221.html

[SidDithers]

25. She's referring to MineralMan...

but won't come out and explicitly say it.

Sid

[sabrina 1]

30. I said all I had to say about it right here on DU along with hundreds of other DUers.

I'm sure it's available for anyone to read and would prefer to forget about it, and most of us would if he didn't keep reminding people himself.

What I do not recall is YOU having any problem with it, in fact quite the opposite. Is it because at one time you too held those views and have now evolved? have you now changed your mind? I am asking because I have a memory of how shocked most DUers were by those revelations, but seem to recall you as either being silent or a supporter.

I think it's progress when someone like that learns how bigoted their views were and apologizes for them and tries to evolve after an admitted lifetime of holding them. I would not expect them to be lecturing anyone else though, not for a very, very long time but rather try to learn from those who've been fighting the battle for a lifetime, if the evolution is sincere.

[SidDithers]

32. What you "recall" has often been shown to be completely inaccurate...

'Course, from what I can recall, you never apologize for your mistaken accusations.

Sid

[sabrina 1]

35. True, that is why I asked you the question. Rather than do a search, which I am way too

lazy to bother with, to check my recollection, I asked you a simple question.

If you don't want to answer, just say so and I'll stick with my recollection. Anytime you want to correct it, I will read what you have to say.

[morningfog]

31. So you only read their responses to others?

LOL.

[SidDithers]

33. I sometimes scan parts of her responses...

but they're usually just the same voluminous response recycled over and over.

Sid

[Vashta Nerada]

34. MineralMan was sticking up for gay rights today.

Why is that a problem?

[sabrina 1]

36. I don't think Sid wants to answer that question. n/t

[Vashta Nerada]

18. +1

[WinkyDink]

4. Gay. Science. Pope Francis better watch his back when he's at home.

[hollysmom]

5. I saw him on TV, he was adorable.

Not polished, but enthused for what can be and happy to do it.

[dlwickham]

27. I guess for an older guy the Pope is cute

but adorable?

I wouldn't go that far

[90-percent]

6. Jack Andraka

didn't 60 Minutes do a feature on him recently? Somebody did, as I remember watching it. He is remarkable and has the full support of his loving family. They didn't mention his sexual orientation at all with what I saw.

Pretty courageous of a young person only half way done with HS to be so open about this. And good for him. Shouldn't be any big deal anymore, anyway.

The sad part is perhaps other equally brilliant young people are going off to Harvard Business School to become Stockbrokers or CEO's because that's where the big Romney style money is. What a tragic loss for all humanity!

-90% Jimmy

[Cha]

8. Wow and Wow, babylonsistah! Jack Andraka's invention

for a cost effective way to detect pancreatic cancer And that the Vatican is rightfully acknowledging him as a positive role model!

So glad Times they are a Changin.. in this area of life for sure!

Mahalo babylonsistah~

[Hekate]

47. +1 Cha

Can't handle the spew from the usual suspects, tho. Pope Francis has "evolved" if you will, eons beyond his colleagues, and I join those who hope he's got a bulletproof cassock and a special guardian angel.

Congrats and all best wishes to the young scientist, too!

[Nye Bevan]

11. Pope Francis reminds me of a pre-May-2012 Barack Obama.

Officially opposed to gay marriage, and on the record as being opposed to gay marriage ("Marriage is between a man and a woman....God is in the mix" - Barack Obama, August 2008), but more and more, by what he says and does, and the hints he drops, it's not hard to guess what he believes in his heart.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

12. Finally!! This guy is actually acting like----

A buddha!

Finally!! The spirit is about human connections and honoring them.....seems this Pope lives that.

I can respect that.


I see this kid in SO many of the kids I work with. Geeeeee......I'm taking a moment to notice--the good feeling. Very appreciative that I get to see those kids OFTEN! Really fun.

[Katashi_itto]

13. k&R

[BlancheSplanchnik]

19. :)

[Historic NY]

14. Pope Francis, we may need to send you a bullet proof cassock.

This Pope has moved the church far in such a short period. They may be kicking and screaming but they are moving.

[Vashta Nerada]

15. Was the Vatican aware the kid was gay?

It doesn't say anywhere in the article the Vatican changed their stance on homosexuals because of this.

[FreeState]

43. Because they haven't

They have had masterpieces of art created by LGBT individuals all over the Vatican for years too - didn't seem to make them any less anti-gay either.

[rpannier]

16. And more bile builds up in Pat Buchanan's throat

I'm sure Pat will be glad to tell us how honoring an openly gay scholar is bringing down god's wrath and costing us in the culture war that they seem to be losing

Good on the Pope for recognizing Jack Andraka

[BlancheSplanchnik]

20. +++ n/t

[BlancheSplanchnik]

21. this makes me soooooo happy!

How many centuries have built up---> leading to this moment?

[Vashta Nerada]

22. What?

Does the Vatican allow gay marriages now? Do they allow openly gay priests to serve in the church?

What, exactly, has changed?

[sabrina 1]

39. When did a US president, and this is a democracy not a religious institution that has never had

a religious requirement not to do so, finally admit that he was wrong about marriage only being between a man a woman?

I remember petitions and phone calls and emails to the WH to tell him how wrong he was about that basic right being denied to Gays. Eventually he was persuaded to support equal rights for all Americans but it took a lot of time which was hard to understand since he is over 50 years old AND a Democrat. A Religious leader, unlike a US President, has more constraints to make changes.

What this pope has done is to tell tell right wing fundies to stop attacking gays and women and focus on issues that are important to ordinary people such as poverty eg.

He has basically taken the weapon Right Wingers use against Catholics voting for Dems, out of their hands.

He has finally done what no other pope ever did, asked, as Jesus did, that only those who 'are without sin cast the first stone'. This has outraged the fundy right wing and if they are outraged that shows what a blow it is to them, as intended by the pope since they are who he was talking to.



If you don't see the significance of what he is doing then no one here can help you.

[Vashta Nerada]

40. Pope Francis himself has said gay marriage is the work of the devil.

Everything he has done, helping the poor and downtrodden, is something he's supposed to be doing.

His views on homosexuality are on par with Pope Benedict's. Like I said, he hasn't done anything new.

[skepticscott]

46. Amazing that so many here don't see

that they have been gulled by a very well-crafted PR campaign. Every episode (this, the disfigured man, etc) and every statement that they get all weepy over has been very carefully contrived and staged for effect, that effect being to stop the bleeding of liberal Catholics (or, more accurately, their money) from the ranks. The Vatican knows that "liberal" Catholics who are tired of being ashamed to support a fundamentally sexist, bigoted, homophobic organization, will grab onto any reason, any excuse to stick around or come back, like a life preserver. And so they've provided that life preserver, and duped millions and millions of Catholics into thinking that something important has changed, when nothing has. This "role model" that they've dangled like a puppet before the fawning masses is still an abomination in their eyes, and will never be able to marry another man as a Catholic.

[eqfan592]

48. This.

They have yet to do anything truly substantive to in regards to their open prejudice against the LGBT community. It's almost like its enough for some people that they do outreach to that community, even while thinking that community is effectively a 2nd class one.

If the pope were to come out tomorrow and announce that the church no longer believes gay marriage to be the work of the devil, or that gay adoption is akin to child abuse, I would be one of the first to stand up and applaud.

Of course, there would then still be the issue of reproductive rights and contraception.

Basically, the Pope doesn't go around kicking small children and sick men in the gut to get them out of his way, therefore we should all bask in his glory and just shut up about the rest of it.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

41. + one zillion! n/t

[JimboBillyBubbaBob]

26. Cool,

very cool!

[snooper2]

42. Since this turned into a pope thread, I have to give it to the guy he's smart...

You can tell he is at least more intelligent than half the republicans out there-

Look at Liz Cheney, catering to the almost dead 23.4% of the population that are racists ignorant fundie nuts. Why would you cater to a segment of the population that dying off? The pope sees that for the church to last another 100 years, they better do some outreach to other segments of society or they will too go the way of the dodo bird. Got to keep that money coming in!

[man4allcats]

44. Good for him!

We can't have too many bright minds helping us to live longer and better.

[sibelian]

45. How nice.