Notre Dame recognizes a Student LGBTQ and Allies Organization!

This is amazing news. The 4 to 5 Movement (a project of the Progressive Student Alliance) did a great job and I think they mobilized more support than ever before.

Two articles:
A big step

President Jenkins interview

Not a club, but a student organization. It'll probably work well as long as the Student Affairs advisor, who will be hired in July, is supportive. They get an appointed advisor whereas most clubs get to choose their own advisor, and this person is going to play a larger role in the organization's programming.

There is a risk that the University will restrict the organization's ability to advocate for equal rights and for a more loving interpretation of Catholicism (and one that goes against the church hierarchy). For instance, the organization is likely going to advocate for including sexual orientation in the university's non-discrimination clause and there is NOTHING about this issue in the agreement that came out. However, as the previous two university-created bodies (standing committee on gay and lesbian student needs, and then the CORE council) were in favor of this - I'm hopeful that there won't be too many restrictions on the organization's activities. And if the University does restrict the organization's activities, then the Progressive Student Alliance can launch the campaign.

It is also a bit creepy that the set of policy changes is being called the Pastoral Plan as the Catholic Church hierarchy (and the Notre Dame Catholic Church hierarchy) has been standing in the way of justice on this issue. A Student/Faculty/Staff Plan would be more likely to seek justice.

The Pastoral Plan

On the other hand, I just read the Pastoral Plan and it doesn't look good.

The goal of the administration is to support Notre Dame students while keeping the institutional discrimination in place. If you wanted to stop discrimination you would not have a pastoral plan. If you were to have a Student Plan, a Staff Plan, or a Faculty Plan they would all be more progressive choices.

The pastoral plan ignores the rampant discrimination faced by LGBT students, faculty and staff.