CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — It’s been nearly one month since the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland released their new policy that bars LGBTQ expression, use of preferred pronouns, pride flags or same sex couples at school dances.
Under this ruling, the diocese says more than 80 schools around Northeast Ohio will have to follow what they call ‘God’s Intentional Design.’
Cleveland Heights Mayor Khalil Seren says he’s been making efforts since then to make sure LGBTQ students at their city’s Catholic schools are protected.
“I realized that our fair practices ordinance has some holes in it. One in particular is that there is, for some reason, an exemption for private and religious schools, exempting them from our fair practices ordinance,” Seren said.
Seren said he and the city’s law director are reviewing their fair practices ordinance to see if they can correct this oversight from 2014.
“One of the things that we’re going to be doing is paying attention to the institutions and the people that are in Cleveland Heights, and as they bring concerns and questions to us, we will respond appropriately,” said Seren.
Cleveland Heights has two Catholic schools within city limits.
Beaumont School is an ordered school sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland. This means they don’t have to follow the diocesan’s policy.
But Communion of Saints Catholic School is under the diocese.
Advocates at the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland tell News 5 they’re happy there are people like Seren who are fighting with them.
“It matters that we have allies. It matters that people believe in inclusion and social justice and the civil and basic rights and protections of folks,” said LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland Executive Director Phyllis Harris.
Meanwhile, Representative Adam Bird (R-New Richmond), who is also Chair of the Primary and Secondary Education Committee and a supporter of the diocese’s ruling, said he understands why the diocese chose to set these policy standards.
One of which, he said, is because of one of the diocese's provisions where each individual must use the bathroom or "facilities" that corresponds with their sex assigned at birth.
“I think it's because they want to protect students. I think that our students, especially young ladies, they feel vulnerable in a private place like a bathroom or a restroom, and it's important that we provide them protection in such an intimate setting,” Bird said.
Seren said there is still a lot of work that needs to be done before anything is set in place.
“I think that we have the ability to protect the kids that live in our community, that go to school in our community, but I want to make sure we’re doing it the right way,” said Seren.
