USCCB Committee Chairmen Applaud the Repeal of “Dear Colleague Letter on Transgender Students”

WASHINGTON– The chairmenof the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Laity,Marriage, Family Life and Youth and the Committee on Catholic Education, expressedgratitude for the Trump Administration's repeal of the "deeply disturbing" May2016 guidance issued by the U.S. Department

WASHINGTON– The chairmenof the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Laity,Marriage, Family Life and Youth and the Committee on Catholic Education, expressedgratitude for the Trump Administration's repeal of the "deeply disturbing" May2016 guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Departmentof Education entitled "Dear Colleague Letter on Transgender Students."

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M.Cap., of Philadelphia, chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, FamilyLife and Youth, and Bishop George V. Murry, S.J., of Youngstown, Ohio, chairmanof the Committee on Catholic Education, together issued the followingstatement:

We are grateful that the Trump Administration has withdrawnthe guidance which had indicated that public pre-K through 12 schools, as wellas all colleges and universities, should treat "a student's gender identity asthe student's sex." The Dear Colleague Letter sought to impose aone-size-fits-all approach to dealing with sensitive issues involvingindividual students. Such issues arebest handled with care and compassion at the local level, respecting theprivacy and safety concerns of all students. 

Pope Francis has taught that "biological sex and the socio-culturalrole of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated" (Amoris Laetitia, no. 56). The Catholic Church consistently affirms theinherent dignity of each and every human person and advocates for the wellbeingof all people, particularly the most vulnerable. Children, youth, and parents in thesedifficult situations deserve compassion, sensitivity, and respect. All of these can be expressed withoutinfringing on legitimate concerns about privacy and security on the part of allyoung students and parents.

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Keywords:Archbishop Charles Chaput, Bishop George Murry, U.S. Conference of CatholicBishops, USCCB, Title IX, Dear Colleague Letter on Transgender Students, repeal

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