And about performances of “The Vagina Monologues” too. Rev. John Jenkins has decided to rename the school’s queer film festival (formerly named, you’ll never guess, Queer Film Festival) Gay & Lesbian Film: Filmmakers, Narratives, Spectatorships (the event will be limited to topics related to film – not homosexuality) and move performances of “The Vagina Monologues” to a smaller hall, where they will be performed as free academic presentations, instead of performances which would have raised money for organizations like the YMCA and Sexual Offense Services, while he decides what the future holds for the two events.

In an address, Jenkins acknowledged the “sacred” value of academic freedom but also said that value should not trump all other considerations at the Catholic school.

“In some situations, given the distinctive character and aspirations of Notre Dame, it may be necessary to establish certain boundaries, while defending the appropriate exercise of academic freedom,” he told students in the second of a series of speeches this week about potential conflicts between academic freedom and Catholic values.

He argued that events should not be sponsored by the university, or one of its academic departments, when they are “contrary to or inconsistent with the fundamental values of a Catholic university.” He said that by doing so, it appears that the university endorses the content of the events, which are sponsored by academic departments so they can be held on campus.


Read “Notre Dame reins in gay, women’s events” (registration may be required)