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LGBT Catholics Concerned about Crux moving to Knights of Columbus

March 16, 2016. Boston, MA. DignityUSA, the nation’s foremost organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Catholics, is expressing grave concern over the announcement that the Catholic news service “Crux,” currently sponsored by The Boston Globe, will be underwritten by the Knights of Columbus as of April 1, 2016.

“In the year and a half since its launch, Crux has become one of the go-to centers for information and analysis about news and trends in Catholicism,” said Marianne Duddy-Burke, DignityUSA’s Executive Director. “When it was sponsored by a major news organization, I think its audience came to expect high quality, independent journalism. In shifting to Knights of Columbus sponsorship, I fear that independence could be compromised. The Knights are deeply invested in advancing a particular brand of Catholicism, and I am concerned that Crux’s coverage of the diversity and breadth of our Church will be diminished.”

Duddy-Burke noted the Knights’ significant funding for campaigns opposing same-sex marriage as an example of its support for conservative Catholic causes. She pointed to a 2012 report by the Equally Blessed coalition, of which DignityUSA is a founding member, which documented that over $6.25 million was directed to anti-marriage equality measures by the Knights of Columbus.

 “How can we trust that the full range of Catholic perspectives on key issues facing our Church will continue to be covered by Crux?” asked Duddy-Burke. “I am deeply concerned that the Knights may try to use the trust Crux has built as an authority on ‘all things Catholic’ to silence voices that have important perspectives on key issues facing our Church and our world.”

Duddy-Burke said she hoped to be able to speak directly with John Allen and Inés San Martín, who will head the new venture, in the days ahead. “I want to understand what the conversation about editorial independence has been, and how they plan to ensure that Crux continues to be a credible resource for the whole Church,” she said.