Catholic university bars gay group
A gay and lesbian student group at the University of Notre Dame in the US state of Indiana has been told by administrators that it can no longer meet at the school.
University officials confirmed that Gays and Lesbians of Notre Dame and St Mary's College was told last month that the group could no longer use the room in the university counselling centre where it has met for nine years.
The decision came just before Andrew Sullivan, editor of the New Republic magazine, was scheduled to speak at the university. Sullivan, who is Catholic and openly gay, has written several articles on the issue of Catholicism and homosexuality.
"The Catholic Church is incoherent now on the subject", Sullivan said. "They are inviting me to speak and yet tossing out the organisation that invited me to speak. It only highlights that this issue is important in the church, and we have to start a dialogue about it."
The controversy began in September when the student group placed an advertisement in the Observer, a college newspaper, promoting its first gathering for the semester, said John Blandford, co-chair of the group.