Officials at Georgetown University, a Catholic Jesuit institution, have directed Protestant campus ministers to be “welcoming” to the university’s newly established LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Questioning) Resource Center by holding at least one joint activity, according to The Washington Times religion editor Julia Duin.

Duin’s report is posted at http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/08/college-decrees-welcome-for-gays/.

“Four evangelical Protestant chaplains, all of whom are from ministries that believe homosexual activity is sinful, confirmed they got this mandate from the Rev. Constance C. Wheeler, the lead Protestant chaplain, who was passing along instructions from the president of Georgetown University, John J. DeGioia,” Duin reports.

Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society, lamented yet another blow to Georgetown’s Catholic identity. “If Georgetown officials would once and for all stand up for the Catholic identity with which they are entrusted, rather than bowing to every politically correct mantra, they would be more concerned about The Vagina Monologues and pro-abortion activity on campus than bullying Protestant ministers.”

According to Duin, “Six of these ministries -- all evangelical -- are the same groups that were kicked off campus two years ago after being told all Protestant ministries were being ‘restructured.’ After much bad publicity, Georgetown eventually readmitted them.”

"We've been asked to do one joint activity," said one Christian leader on campus. "We've got a lot of latitude to shape what that event will be."

Muslim and Jewish chaplains told Duin that they received no similar direction to hold joint activities with the LGBTQ Resource Center.

"We were never asked to do this," said Imam Yahya Hendi, the Muslim chaplain, in an interview with Duin. He added that homosexual activity is forbidden among Muslims. "We were not asked to be 'welcoming' in any shape or form but to speak out against anti-gay incidents."

Last May Sivagami Subbaraman was hired as the full-time director of the Georgetown LGBTQ Resource Center. Subbaraman came from the Office of LGBT Equity at the University of Maryland, which trains “diversity educators” and sponsors an annual “lavender graduation,” National Coming Out Day activities and a three-week “Pride Days” celebration. The University of Maryland office refers Catholic students to the Dignity/USA organization, which opposes Catholic teaching on homosexual activity.

The launching of the LGBTQ center was heralded in the Georgetown alumni magazine by university president DeGioia, who reassured alumni in the article, “As a Catholic and Jesuit university, a university administrator or center cannot advocate for policies or practices that are counter to Catholic teaching.”

However, given the extent of homosexual activism and myriad scandals at Georgetown, including annual performances of The Vagina Monologues and funding of student internships with pro-abortion advocacy groups, serious concerns remain.