SEXUALITY:

Whats it all about?

A Presentation to 9th Graders

by Kathleen Baker
Saint Agnes Academy
Who I am
and
Why Im here

Catholic school, Catholic mission

Dean of Students

B.A. in Theology; Master of Divinity;

M.Ed. in Administration
 MOVIES & TELEVISION

How are sexual relationships and attitudes portrayed?

How much is consistent with Catholic values?

 Catholic teaching is often

C O U N T E R C U L T U R A L:

Goes against society or cultures values

 CATHOLIC

FOUNDATIONAL

BELIEF
 HUMAN DIGNITY
All people are made in Gods image.

All people are by nature GOOD, by Gods

design, no matter who they are or what they
do.

This goodness cannot be earned or lost.

Human dignitythe freedom to choose.

Our choice:
Be who we areGOOD.
Or
Act against our good nature,
choose against who we are,
do evil.
To learn what it means to be good,

Catholics turn to

Sacred Scripture

Church Tradition
Whats it all about???
SEX

something you do;

an activity you choose

SEXUALITY

part of your identity;

who you are
The Goal:

for your actions to match

or be appropriate to

who you are

 SEXUALITY

GENDER

GENDER ROLE

ORIENTATION
 GENDER

Male or female

NOT chosen
 GENDER ROLE IDENTITY
Learned
Refers to how you are supposed to live out
your gender: what actions and attitudes are
appropriate
Taught by family, the society, ethnic group,
religion
Can vary from time period to time period
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Not chosendiscovered.
Refers to ones predominant emotional
and sexual attraction
3 kinds:
Heterosexualto opposite gender
Homosexualto same gender
Bisexualto both
Heterosexual Homosexual
 SEXUAL ORIENTATION . . .
Not fundamentally or primarily a
tendency toward acts
Psychosexual attraction toward
particular persons
A dimension of ones personality
 HETEROSEXUAL
A person who sustains a
PREDOMINANT,
PERSISTENT, psychosexual,
physical, and emotional attraction
to the opposite sex.
 HOMOSEXUAL
A person who sustains a
PREDOMINANT,
PERSISTENT, psychosexual,
physical, and emotional attraction
to the same sex.
 ALWAYS OUR CHILDREN
by the U.S. bishops
Every person has an inherent dignity
because he or she is created in Gods image.
Ones total personhood is not reducible to
sexual orientation or behavior.
To gay and lesbian children: You are a
child of God, gifted and called for a purpose
in Gods design.
 STEREOTYPES
Homosexual persons are attracted to
ALL same-sex personsnot true!

Homosexual persons are sexually

promiscuous or pedophilesnot true!
Sexuality
is about who you are.

Sexual Activity
is about what you
CHOOSE to do.
SEXUAL INTEGRATION

= Integrating sexuality into

the total of who we are
Sexuality + Choices

+ GOD
Possibility of
chastity
 CATHOLIC

FOUNDATIONAL

BELIEF
 CHASTITY
= the virtue of living out ones
sexuality according to Gods will

is lived out differently according to

vocational lifestyle and sexual
orientation

all are called to be chaste

Sex symbolizes:

* Gods covenant love

* Gods creative nature

 CATHOLIC

FOUNDATIONAL

BELIEF
 Sex in Marriage
has 2 inseparable
purposes:
UNITIVE

PROCREATIVE
 UNITIVE PURPOSE

expresses their mutual love

expresses their permanent
commitment
expresses their faithfulness
mirrors Gods faithful love
 PROCREATIVE PURPOSE
The sex act is open to co-creating new life
with God, the Creator of all life

The couple is open to the gift of children.

The couple will try to be responsible

parents if blessed with children.
 What kinds of behaviors
would violate the unitive
purpose of marriage?

What kinds of behaviors

would violate the procreative
purpose of marriage?
Fertility Cycle:

designed by God
with periods of fertility
and periods of infertility
Church teaching:
You can take advantage of the
fertility cycle
to try to delay having a child
for responsible reasons

Natural family
planning
NFP is about choices

when to abstain from sex,

when to engage in sex:

periodic abstinence.
 Contraceptives
Not accepted by the Church
used to block or alter the
fertility cycles natural rhythms
can also have dangerous side
effects
 CATHOLIC

FOUNDATIONAL

BELIEF
Human life
begins
at conception.
4 week
fetus
8 week
fetus
6 month
fetus
 Abortion

Direct abortion is an action

taken to intentionally destroy an
embryo/fetus.

It is always immoral.
 Rape, Sexual Assault,
Manipulation
Forced sexual activity is
always wrong.
It is rape if someone takes
advantage of someone who is
drunk: the intoxicated person is
not free to consent.
 Drinking lessens ones ability
to think and to choose: dont do
it.
Women tend to be more
susceptible to alcohol.
Be alert for date rape drugs.
 Rape After-Care

Do not take a shower.

Go to the hospital and have a
rape kit done.
We can try to prevent
pregnancy in this circumstance.
 Certain drugs can be given to
prevent pregnancy.
A Catholic Hospital will try to
determine ovulation, will give
drugs to prevent pregnancy and
infection; but will not give
morning after pill.
Its not okay to cause abortion.
 Chastity
for
Heterosexual Persons
 Heterosexual Orientation
Only one dimension of ones
sexuality and personhood
Not chosen
Inclines one toward acts that
can be unitive and procreative
if choices for chastity are made.
 Heterosexual Activity

Must respect both purposes of

sex in order to be chaste
To intentionally sexually arouse
someone, if unmarried, is
contrary to the purpose of
sexual activity and is therefore
disordered.
 Premarital Sex??????

NO ! ! !

(So how far can we go?)

Not that far ! ! !

Would you be okay with parents

seeing what youre doing?
Sr. Jane?

Are you expressing affection

or lust?
Do your actions make chastity
harder for either of you?

Dont lead him on !

Women are cyclical

Men are not.
 What are some behaviors
that might make chastity
harder for people your age?
 Chastity
for
Homosexual Persons
 Homosexual Orientation

Only one dimension of ones

sexuality and total personhood

Not chosen
Inclines one toward activity that
cannot be procreative & is in that sense
against Gods order or disordered
Homosexual orientation
cannot be sinful.
Sin must be chosen:
freely
with knowledge
deliberately.

Orientation is not chosen.

 Homosexual Activity
Cannot be chaste because it
cannot be open to procreation
Homosexual persons can still
have close friendships.

Homosexuals deserve compassion

because chastity is so difficult.
The Catholic Church reminds
us that
ANY MALICIOUS ACTS
toward homosexuals or
anyone else
are always immoral.
 What might be some
difficulties that homosexual
teens might encounter?
Difficulties homosexual teens
might encounter...

Fear that others might find out

meanness or ugliness by others:
homophobia
silence about the subject:
homosexuality as taboo
 no one to talk to: isolation
hard to connect with others like
oneself
the silence makes good role
models hard to find
hard to develop good self-
concept
Homosexual teens
show an
increased rate of
depression,
suicide,
alcohol abuse,
and drugs.
Gays and lesbians

are more likely to be

verbally or physically attacked,

or even killed.
 MATTHEW SHEPARD

What is it in our society that

perpetuates the attitudes that makes
this violence okay?

Do you believe that the young men

who committed this crime could have
viewed Matthew Shepard as a fellow
human being?
Two women, girlfriends of the
perpetrators, stood and watched.

Have you ever stood by and watched

someone be harassed or insulted or hurt?

Why didnt they get involved?

 SAA Policies/Catholic Teaching

Respect all people. Help your

friends do the same.

Its okay to disclose homosexual

orientation in an appropriate
manner. Seek guidance first.
 Its okay to claim symbols
related to homosexual
orientation because the
orientation is not sinful.
Its not okay to use symbols or
slogans to promote immoral
behavior or to act contrary to
Church teaching.
Final Thoughts for Students

Its hard to figure out sexual

identitya homosexual
encounter may not mean the
person is gay or lesbian.
Seek support from a safe
adult if you have questions.
 Keep your own house clean:
dont judge others.

Be supportive and help each

other LIVE CHASTITY &
RESPECT FOR ALL.