Seattle Catholic school's firing of gay official pits state law against religion

[rug]

'The rules are made, and we abide by those rules,' says school's attorney as firing of legally married vice-principal raises questions about the place of gay rights in today's Catholic church



Seattle mayor-elect Ed Murray speaks at a protest against the firing of vice-principal Mark Zmuda. Photograph: Alex Garland/Demotix/Corbis

Kristen Millares Young in Seattle
theguardian.com, Saturday 21 December 2013 10.17 EST

The students held signs of protest and love in the bitter cold, hoping to change the future of one man and with him, the Catholic church.

Friday was Eastside Catholic high school vice-principal Mark Zmuda’s last day on the job, but no one was at school. Instead, about 80 students demonstrated near the Archdiocese of Seattle to protest his departure, which came soon after the archbishop and school administrators learned that Zmuda had a husband.

Their school closed early for winter break after hundreds of students walked out of class to call for his reinstatement, joined by their peers at Catholic schools in neighboring cities.

Last July, seven months after Washington state legalized same-sex marriage, Zmuda married his longtime partner Dana Jergens in a civil ceremony officiated by Reverend Jan Carter.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/21/seattle-catholic-schools-firing-gay-vice-principal

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

1. I'm pleased to see that the students are not accepting the homophobic decision by the archdiocese

It shows that, despite the best efforts of the hierarchy, at least some students have managed to show Christian ideals.

[rug]

2. Students at Holy Names Academy also protested what happened at Eastside Catholic

It's not just a "Mr. Chips" protest. The principle here is emerging from the personalities.