WASHINGTON — Students at Catholic University held a protest rally Monday after they say the administration pulled the plug on a LGBT event it had previously approved.
The administration says the event, put on by the College Democrats, was supposed to be a discussion of LGBT history in the Democratic Party followed by a screening of the movie “Milk.” It was approved by the Office of Campus Activities, but then, the administration says, it was marketed as a kickoff to LGBT Awareness Month.
Victor Nakas, associate vice president for public affairs with Catholic University, says the event has been postponed until they can get more clarity.
“We do permit events that are educational in nature, but not ones that may advocate positions that are contrary to our religious beliefs,” he says.
Kevin Walling, a Catholic alumnus and chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Party, was asked to speak at the event. He says he’s been contacted by hundreds of current students and alumni from his time at Catholic expressing their disappointment.
“I think the university is backtracking and acting out of fear when they cancel an event the day of,” he says. “
