Notre Dame Kills an LGBT Festival

by Michael Jones · 2009-02-16 11:31:00 UTC
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Notre DameThree years ago, University of Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins had this to say about free speech on university grounds:

I am very determined that we not suppress speech on this campus.

What a difference a few years make.  Check out this great step-by-step profile from LA Times blogger Tom O'Neill on how the University of Notre Dame has quietly killed one of the biggest LGBT events on campus, the Queer Film Festival, which has previously drawn attendees including John Cameron Mitchell (Shortbus) and Terrence McNally (Love! Valor! Compassion!), and hosted the Indiana premiere of "Brokeback Mountain."  Per O'Neill, University of Notre Dame officials have waged a subtle and incremental campaign over the past few years to pull any institutional support from the film festival.

It started in 2007, according to O'Neill, when University of Notre Dame officials refused to allow the Queer Film Festival to use the word "Festival" in its title.  Then, in 2008, the University of Notre Dame refused to allow them to use the words "gay," "lesbian," or "queer" in its title.  In 2009, University of Notre Dame officials didn't have to do anything - the festival was essentially killed, since it was no longer allowed to identify as (1) a festival, or (2) gay/lesbian/queer.

All of this makes us wonder...how is that pledge to support free speech working out for Notre Dame President Fr. John Jenkins?

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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