Worcester Diocese Copied Arkansas Gender, Sexuality Policy From 2016

WORCESTER, MA — A controversial new Diocese of Worcester policy on gender and sexuality is a word-for-word reproduction of a policy created in 2016 by Catholic Church leaders in Arkansas, according to a comparison of the two policies.

A Diocese of Worcester spokesperson said the Diocese of Little Rock granted permission to use the policy. Worcester church officials did make one addition to the Little Rock policy, but it is otherwise the same — even down to a misspelling of Pope Francis' name in one section.

"It was chosen for its clarity in presenting authentic Catholic teaching on the issue of gender identity and appropriate school issues while still being succinct," Diocese of Worcester spokesman Ray Delisle said when asked about the identical policies.

Delisle did not answer a question about why Diocese of Worcester Bishop Robert McManus adopted the Little Rock policy seven years after it was first put in place.

McManus in June sent the new policy to all schools in the diocese for implementation starting this fall. Two privately sponsored schools in the diocese — Notre Dame Academy in Worcester and Saint John's in Shrewsbury — have declined to adopt the policy. Delisle said Worcester's St. Paul Diocesan school has been using the policy since the beginning of the 2022-23 school year.

In a June letter introducing the policy, Bishop Robert McManus did not mention the new policy's Arkansas origin.

"The purpose of this [policy] is to provide clarity regarding the position of the Roman Catholic Church with respect to sexuality and sexual identity. This includes gender dysphoria or transgenderism. As the confusion about gender identity continues to proliferate, it is extremely important that we have a consistent position, as well as aligned practices, across all Catholic schools in the Diocese," McManus' letter said.

The letter concludes with a request for "all instances of gender dysphoria" to be reported to diocese Superintendent David Perda. The Diocese of Worcester changed the Little Rock policy slightly by expanding a section on bullying and harassment with language defending the policy as an act of religious expression under the U.S. Constitution.

A theology teacher at Westwood's Xaverian Brothers High School noticed the similarities between while researching gender policies in U.S. Catholic schools.

The policy bans students from gender expression beyond the sex they were assigned at birth, prohibits engaging in or supporting same-sex relationships and prevents schools from recognizing the names and genders of graduates who transition later in life.

The policy has angered Worcester's LGBTQ+ community and local students. The Little Rock policy sparked a similar response from Catholic students and parents when it was rolled out in 2016.

Arkansas has been on the cutting edge of bans on gender expression. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in March signed a new law preventing transgender people from using public school bathrooms that match their gender identity. In 2021, Arkansas became the first state to ban gender-affirming care for people under 18. A federal judge struck down that law in June, ruling that it violated several parts of the U.S. Constitution.

On Wednesday, the LGBTQ+ youth nonprofit Love Your Labels held a protest outside the Diocese of Worcester chancery along Elm Street over the policy. Love Your Labels reported more than 100 people at the protest, including state Sen. Robyn Kennedy and Worcester Human Rights Commission member and mayoral candidate Guillermo Creamer, both graduates of local Catholic schools. The LGBTQ+ group MassEquality and the YWCA Central Massachusetts also backed the protest.

Love Your Labels is also gathering signatures from local elected officials and community leaders urging the diocese to rescind a policy that "perpetuates harm to LGBTQ+ individuals."

A former St. Paul's student spoke at Wednesday’s protest, saying the school refused to use his name and pronouns during an 8th-grade graduation ceremony. The student, Finn, has since left the school.

"I would never change myself at all. Being transgender makes me the strong and confident person I am," Finn said.

Here are the Worcester and Little Rock policies: