500 words on Catholic Charities and Marriage Equality

My unique approach to my faith and relationship with the Catholic Church is confusing. What aren’t confusing are the dangerous measures the Church and its organizations will employ to dominate public policy. Most recently, the stage has been set in Washington, DC for a stand-off between the District’s city council and its chapter of Catholic Charities. Next month, the council will vote on whether to recognize same-sex marriage in the District and whether organizations and vendors receiving city contracts must honor the law and extend benefits to same-sex couples married in the District.

Conservatives have a problem in Washington, DC. Unlike in many of the states, there is no mechanism for referendum on the law or public prohibition on the move. Even if there was, there is a good chance that the District would finally give the forces against marriage equality their first defeat. The only tool available is Congressional oversight impacting the city council’s decision, which isn’t likely in Nancy Pelosi’s House of Representatives.

Staring equality in the face, opponents are resorting to blackmail and Catholic Charities, which serves more than 60,000 poor men, women, and children in the District, is threatening to abandon all of its city contracts and programs if forced to comply with the new marriage law. Terrified of having to treat poor gay people the same as poor straight people, preferring children to remain parentless rather than find a loving gay-headed home, the Church is willing to say f-you to millions of dollars supporting important programs to demonstrate its power over municipal authorities.

"Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." It might be a controversial quote, but in this case, the Church should respect the authority and sovereignty of its host government, and back down. In 2006, Catholic Charities of Boston made similar threats after same-sex marriage was legalized throughout the commonwealth. Rather than continue a 100-year legacy of adoption services while respecting the laws of Massachusetts, Catholic Charities just stopped providing adoption services. Meanwhile, many other organizations stepped up to help Boston families and families-to-be and the glut of family-less children never materialized.

If the Church insists on taking this position, then the people of the District might end up being better served. I’ve worked in community-based services for a while, and the biggest is rarely the best. From a business approach alone, the Church’s position to remain same-sex couples free would put them at a competitive disadvantage losing some of the best talent in the sector. Denying health benefits to the partners of its employees means the best queer employees will go elsewhere. Ostracizing queer employees and providing inferior compensation compared to straight employees means they will go elsewhere. The city council, which has given Church charities more than $8 million in the last 3 years, has an obligation to make sure that money is going to the best, most effective organizations. Catholic Charities of the District would be behind from the start.