THE CATHOLIC Church has been accused of putting pressure on a public school to cover up a mural featuring several LGBTQ components.
Speaking to NJ.com, students from the Bergen County Arts & Science Charter School in Hackensack, New Jersey claim they were forced to tone-down the mural, which originally featured a rainbow heart as well as several interlocking male symbols.
Inspired by the work of artist Keith Haring, the male symbols of the mural reportedly drew protests from Hackensack’s Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, which owns the building the school rents.
However, the rainbow heart that featured at the centre of the mural has since been filled in along with the symbols.
A statement issued to the news provider by the Archdiocese of Newark has since moved to clarify their stance, insisting the story has been “grossly misrepresented”.
“The Holy Trinity Church simply raised two concerns,” they explained.
“First, that the school refrain from consistently painting on the building surfaces.
“Secondly, that the school remove some content in a new painting, which included some symbols of sexuality that were inappropriate for the building, as the building is utilised by parishioners of the Church, as well as the School.”
Garden State Equality Condemns Erasure of Student’s #LGBTQ Pride Mural in Hackensack Public School Over Church Objectionshttps://t.co/UKc2QHxJF5
— Garden State Equality (@GSEquality) May 23, 2019
The archdiocese refuted any suggestion that the illustration of the heart was of concern to the church.
"Clearly the school or teachers decided to amend that part of the mural in response on their own,” they added.
“Holy Trinity simply has asked the tenants to be cognisant of this when displaying information and materials,” the Diocese continued.
“The mural violated that understanding in its permanent nature – directly painted on the surface – and in some of the content.”
Despite this explanation, the move has been condemned by New Jersey advocacy and education group Garden State Equality who branded it “offensive, unconscionable, and flatly unconstitutional.”
"This type of hate-fueled bigotry is precisely why New Jersey needs LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum to promote acceptance and understanding,” said Garden State Equality executive director Christian Fuscarino.
Bergen Arts & Science Charter School has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the matter.
The full report from NJ.com can be accessed here.
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