On October 19, 2020, at 9:01AM, Assumption sent out an email to all current students containing a PDF from www.usccb.org the official website for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The email was intended to inform students on the Catholic church's interpretation and stances on issues pertaining to voting and the upcoming presidential election between Trump and Biden.

Link to the PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19sd2uZtOElJN4jeOwXFKo11YYxGDRKtl/view?usp=sharing 

On the second page in the first paragraph, it reads: "Racism and other unjust discrimination, the use of the death penalty, resorting to unjust war, environmental degradation, the use of torture, war crimes, the failure to respond to those who are suffering from hunger or a lack of health care or housing, pornography, human trafficking, redefining civil marriage, compromising religious liberty, or unjust immigration policies are all serious moral issues that challenge our consciences and require us to act."

On the third paragraph, the undertones are noticed as marriage is mentioned again: "Similarly, human cloning, destructive research on human embryos, and other acts that directly violate the sanctity and dignity of human life including genocide, torture, and the targeting of noncombatants in acts of terror or war, can never be justified. Nor can violations of human dignity, such as acts of racism, treating workers as mere means to an end, deliberately subjecting workers to subhuman living conditions, treating the poor as disposable, or redefining marriage to deny its essential meaning, ever be justified."

"Redefining civil marriage" is an obvious jab at non-heterosexual individuals. It is in the same sentence as some other very pressing harmful issues in society, as if it is being compared as something just as damaging to society as those other issues. The anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments are shocking. "Redefining marriage to deny its essential meaning, ever be justified" is quite the backwards statement to make in 2020. Reminder that these are all still on the website United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. At a time when LGBTQ+ Americans are living in fear, this is the worst possible timing for Assumption to send out an information sheet that displays such horrendous language. This is a stab in the back to the LGBTQ+ community that is very present on Assumption's campus, including its club, AU Allies. We demand a formal apology from the school acknowledging the emotional harm or trauma this may have caused for students in the LGBTQA+ community.

The president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop José Gómez, went after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, along with other cases regarding LGBTQ+ employment discrimination. The ruling read Civil Rights Act of 1964 as prohibiting discrimination on sexual orientation. Gómez said, "This is an injustice that will have implications in many areas of life." It is clear that Assumption has showed its stance on the LGBTQA+ community and failed to be an ally. Let's make sure the university recognizes how damaging this was.