The American theologian, lay minister, and assistant teaching professor at St. Joseph’s University in New York, Jason Steidl Jack, has recently published his first book on the history of LGBTQ ministry in the United States. This insightful research not only provides a historical account of these crucial Catholic support systems, but also brings to light certain challenges within this field and its study. One of these challenges revolves around the involvement, or rather the lack thereof, of women within these movements and groups. This brief article expands upon Steidl Jack’s discoveries by drawing parallels to similar research conducted in Flanders, encouraging readers to contemplate potential explanations for this underrepresentation and emphasizing the necessity of further research in this area.
Jason Steidl Jack’s LGBTQ Ministry
In his book LGBTQ Catholic Ministry: Past and Present, Jason Steidl Jack offers an in-depth exploration of the historical roots and contemporary practices of organized support for LGBTQ believers – LGBTQ Catholic ministry – within the context of the United States. In his work, he covers well-established pillars with significant international influence such as the Eucharistic Catholic Church (ECC), DignityUSA, New Ways Ministry (NWM), and Fortune Families (FF) as well as smaller and more recent initiatives such as Out at St. Paul’s, Affirmed, Vine & Fig, and LGBTQ Catholics and Friends. It is noteworthy that the author is actively involved in both FF and Out at St. Paul’s (Steidl Jack, 2023).
His book is a worthwhile addition to the emerging fields of LGBTQ Catholicism. First, it provides not just an exceptional overview, but also serves as a valuable introductory resource for those looking to acquaint themselves with this developing discipline. While it does not necessarily unveil groundbreaking insights, its strength lies in its adept summary and systematic representation of existing knowledge, making it accessible to both seasoned academics and newcomers alike. Second, this book stands out for the attention it devotes to the unsung pioneers who paved the way for contemporary key players in the field. Third, this book distinguishes itself through its detailed account of the movements’ founders and inner workings. In his attempt to ask novel questions Steidl Jack transcends mere historical reporting.
The Notable Absence of Women
One of the novel questions raised by Steidl Jack pertains to the noticeable absence of women. In his introductory chapter, the author recognizes the book’s relatively limited focus on women compared to men. However, the question remains as to whether the author should be held accountable for this disparity or if it is a characteristic of LGBTQ Catholic ministry to have a more male-centered focus.
Steidl Jack attempts to address and analyze this issue on several occasions. He delves into the role of women in this type of ministry while examining two significant organizations of the latter half of the previous century, DignityUSA and NWM. Even though these movements emerged not long after one another, in 1969 and 1977 respectively, their treatment of women in the early years varied significantly.
Regarding DignityUSA, it is clear that they struggled with the position of women within their movement. As Steidl Jack notes, they shared this problem with smaller ministry groups during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Steidl Jack describes how, from the 1970s onward, DignityUSA presented itself as a community welcoming both men and women, but upon closer examination of those actively engaged during that era, women were conspicuously absent. The author provides empirical evidence to support this claim: in 1975, out of 180 official members, only a handful were women. The author goes on to describe how, during the 1980s, DignityUSA addressed this issue by establishing women’s groups within the larger organization to foster a growing feminist consciousness that gradually permeated the entire group. In stark contrast, NWM proactively sought to address this gap. They focused on lesbian and bisexual women from their early days. This proactive approach was rooted in their recognition that women had been overlooked within the existing support systems, which were predominantly male-dominated. Jeannine Gramick, a key figure in the movement alongside Robert Nugent, made it a personal mission to rectify this gender imbalance within the Catholic LGBTQ support systems.
Steidl Jack’s analysis does not delve into the underlying explanations for this issue. He briefly alludes to the possibility that the separate women’s groups in DignityUSA might have been effective due to women feeling uncomfortable within the male-dominated environment that defined DignityUSA during its early years. However, no specific hypothesis is presented. This is understandable, as formulating a hypothesis in this context is challenging. The conspicuous underrepresentation of women in this form of ministry aligns with a broader lack of research on this matter. Women’s experiences not only seem to have been overlooked within the ministry itself but also in research related to this ministry.
A Local or Global Issue?
The current head of DignityUSA, Marianne Duddy-Burke, concurs with Steidl Jack’s observation. In an interview between the author and Duddy-Burke, she acknowledged that “there is and has been a rampant sexism within Dignity that has had to be confronted” (Steidl Jack, 2023). However, the question arises of whether this pattern was unique to the US context or if it was a more widespread phenomenon.
In Tussen twee stoelen (English: Between Two Chairs), I examined the history of Catholic support for lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals in Flanders. For this research, an interview-based approach was employed. The study’s timeframe primarily focused on the 1970s to the early 2000s. This choice was influenced in part by practical considerations. Unlike the situation in the United States, where organized support systems were relatively well-preserved, the systems in Flanders experienced a gradual decline since the early 2000s, with a resurgence occurring only in 2022 with the establishment of Homosexuality and Faith by the bishops. The historical aspect of the research aligns with Steidl Jack’s study, revealing that support in Flanders was organized into groups falling under the umbrella of Homo en Geloof (English: Homo and Faith). These groups were smaller and somewhat more informal than their US counterparts; still, they exhibited characteristics of organized bodies, including regular meetings, newsletters, and an elected steering committee.
One significant finding from this historical analysis was the marked absence of women. According to the interviewees, these groups predominantly focused on homosexual men, with virtually no women participating in leadership positions or as active members, thus aligning with the findings of Steidl Jack. How can this underrepresentation of women in both contexts be explained? Much like Steidl Jack’s study, the Flemish research did not provide a definitive explanation, as it was not the main focus of the research. Furthermore, the lack of research on this topic makes formulating hypotheses challenging. Nevertheless, it is essential to consider potential explanations that might serve as starting points for further research.
One possible explanation is that women might have been engaged in ministry, but remained in the background, and therefore their narratives may not have been captured through interview-based approaches that primarily focus on men in leadership positions. However, this seems unlikely as the interviewees in both studies were well-informed and actively engaged in their organizations. If women were involved, the interviewees should have been aware of their participation. A second possible explanation is that women were absent from ministry because they were involved in separate groups that focused more on women and their concerns. Steidl Jack’s research suggests this possibility, as he explains that women were more involved in NWM because of DignitityUSA’s perceived male dominance. In the Flemish context, however, this hypothesis is less plausible for similar reasons as the one mentioned earlier. It is unlikely that separate groups for lesbian and bisexual women existed, but that the interviewees were unaware of them. A third explanation pertains to the Flemish context. During the period under investigation, the Flemish Church hosted several pastoral groups catering to diverse audiences, including various women’s groups. It is possible that women were not actively involved in LGBTQ ministry, as they were already involved in feminist groups and thus did not see the necessity to participate in LGBTQ groups. Lesbian and bisexual women might have been involved in Vrouw en Geloof (still in existence), KAV (now known as Femma), and KVLV (now known as Ferm), even if LGBTQ themes were not explicitly addressed there. In contrast, homosexual men may have felt this need to establish LGBTQ groups because they lacked an existing support group. Family groups existed, but these men did not typically have families. While youth groups were available, individuals eventually aged out of them. A final explanation concerns the founders of the Catholic LGBTQ groups. Homo en Geloof and DignityUSA were established through the initiative of priests. Since these priests were exclusively men, it follows that these groups centered on serving the needs of men who, like them, identified as homosexual, even though, in theory, they could have founded mixed-gender groups. It is not surprising that priests, or at the very least, men, were the driving force behind such movements in Flanders. While laywomen became more active within the church and occasionally held leadership roles, this phenomenon only began in Flanders in the mid-80s and initially to a limited extent.
In conclusion, Jason Steidl Jack’s research brings to light a crucial aspect of LGBTQ Catholic ministry and sparks a discussion on women’s participation in these movements. Comparing these findings with research from Flanders, it becomes apparent that a more thorough exploration is necessary to fully understand the underrepresentation of women in these contexts. This underscores the importance of delving into this frequently overlooked aspect of Catholic history.
Text by Jade Willaert
References
- Decoene, Anneleen & Lambelin, Joke. “Feminisme à-Dieu? De transformatieve kracht van feministische theologieën in België.” Christenen voor het Socialisme, 2010.
- Steidl Jack, Jason. LGBTQ Catholic Ministry. Past and Present. New York: Paulist Press, 2023.
- Van den Brandt, Nella. “Christian Women’s Movements in Secularizing and Diversifying Contexts: A Case Study from Belgium.” In Women and Religion: Contemporary and Future Challenges in the Global Era, edited by Elisabetta Ruspini et al., 117-133. Bristol: Policy Press, 2018.
- Willaert, Jade. “Tussen twee stoelen. Kwalitatief-empirisch en historisch onderzoek in Vlaanderen naar de katholieke ondersteuning van holebi’s”. Unpublished paper Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, KU Leuven, Louvain, 2022.
