Steven Scales is gay. He is also Catholic – really Catholic.
He has served as a Eucharistic minister, lector, hospitality server – he even played one of the apostles in Christ the King’s production of the Passion Play.
And according to a new poll released by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Scales, a mass communication senior, is in the minority.
The poll, which shows opposition to same-sex marriage is more prevalent among persons of Christian faith, was released just in time for a Massachusetts Supreme Court decision supporting same-sex marriage.
The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled Nov. 18 that a state ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, leaving the residents of that state to amend the constitution or the Legislature to eliminate the ban on same-sex marriage.
Chief Justice Margaret Marshall called marriage a “civil right” that should be open to all individuals.
According to the recently released Pew Forum poll, Evangelicals are likely to oppose the court’s decision by an overwhelming majority – 80 percent of those polled oppose same-sex marriage, and only 13 percent support it.
The contrast isn’t as severe in Scales’ church. Fifty-five percent of Catholics polled oppose same-sex marriage and 35 percent support it.
Scales sees the numbers on campus as even more slanted in favor of his right to marry.
“I think Catholic students are for the most part in favor of same-sex marriage,” he said.
Scales said many students do not come into contact with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community until they attend college. Once they meet LGBT students, it is easier to identify and support their right to marry, he said.
Raised Catholic and educated in Catholic schools, Scales said he truly practices his religion – regularly attending Sunday Mass and receiving communion. Scales even goes to confession.
But he does have a problem with the Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality.
The Church teaches that chastity is a call to all persons, heterosexual and homosexual, said Rebecca East, director of the adult education for Christ the King Catholic Church.
“We are all called to respect our body, to respect each other and remain chaste until marriage,” she said. “Because homosexuals cannot be married in the Church, they are called on to practice chastity always.”
For Scales, this teaching is the problem.
“If I were allowed to be married in the Church, I would observe the call to chastity,” Scales said. “Honestly I wouldn’t mind waiting until marriage. But how am I supposed to take the call to chastity seriously when I can never be married in the Church?”
East said situations like Scales’ are complicated.
“This is something very new the Church is dealing with,” she said. “We are still coming to terms with the biology and psychology of homosexuality.”
East also said the task of the Church is to recognize the sacrament of marriage, which is understood as a union between a man and woman.
“I don’t see the Church changing the definition of marriage anytime soon,” she said. “But the issue is complicated. It is not black and white. Above all, we need to respect every individual.”
The recent Massachusetts court decision does not affect Church recognition of marriage but prohibits the state from legislating a ban on same-sex marriage.
And some students of the University’s LGBT community say the issue has “nothing to do with religion.”
“Atheists are allowed to be married,” said Rachell All, a biological sciences junior. “It just doesn’t make sense to say same-sex marriage has to be in line with religion.”
For All, the decision was exciting – so exciting that she text messaged every person in her phone book when she found out.
When Marisa Frye, a women and gender studies sophomore, woke up the morning of Nov. 18, she had at least eight missed calls, she said.
“This decision is the first outward step for the queer community toward equality,” she said.
But there still exists a majority of persons who disagree with the step, the Pew poll reports.
Some of the persons are affiliated with mainline Protestant churches, including churches such as Methodist and Presbyterian churches.
Fifty-four percent of mainline Protestants polled oppose same-sex marriage and 37 percent support it.
Georgianna Forrest, a international studies senior and a fundamentalist, said she believes “whatever the Bible says.”
“I think it’s a sin,” she said. “I definitely believe it is not the will of God, but that’s not going to stop me from having gay friends.”
Steve Masters, director of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, said the BCM supports the Southern Baptist Churches of America position on same-sex marriage.
“Southern Baptist Churches of America believe marriage is ordained and sanctioned by God and intended to be between a man and a woman,” he said.
The position of the Presbyterian Church is not as clear-cut.
“The official position is not to endorse homosexual marriage, but the issue is very controversial in the Presbyterian Church right now,” said Clint Mitchell, associate pastor of University Presbyterian Church.
Some Presbyterian churches performed “Holy Unions” for same-sex couples, Mitchell said.
“It’s a way for the local church to embrace the couple,” he said. “But I would say it happens at a minority of churches.” Mitchell said the University Presbyterian tries to be an inclusive community. The church has several same-sex couples who are active in the church, he said.
According to the poll, 55 percent of those polled oppose same-sex marriage, and that number is higher among persons of Christian faith.
But Scales’ faith is one of the reasons he is gay. He said he believes he was created by God as a homosexual.
“When I first started to think I was gay, I prayed for God to take it away. I really did,” he said. “But in the end, I really think it was God who helped me come out of the closet. You just can’t tell me what I’m doing is wrong. This is who I am, and this is who I’ve always been.”