Georgetown’s recent push to promote greater acceptance of the LGBTQ community on campus have come under fire from some Catholic organizations that say the endeavors run contrary to Catholic teachings. But some Jesuits argue that Georgetown’s support of the LGBTQ community is not mutually exclusive with its Catholic identity.

Articles published on the Internet in the past two weeks by several Catholic news organizations — Catholic World News, Catholic.org and LifeSiteNews.com — have condemned the university’s recent support for boosting LGBTQ education and resources.

“The pro-homosexual nature of the [proposed LGBTQ resource] center is [a] rejection of what is considered a serious Catholic moral teaching,” wrote Hilary White of LifeSiteNews.

The article said that the decision was one of several in recent years by the university — including the Law Center’s decision earlier this semester to fund internships at organizations that promote abortion rights and the university’s naming of a chair last fall at the Law Center for Fr. Robert Drinan, S.J., who the article called a “notorious abortion crusader” because he supported abortion rights while a Massachusetts Congressman in the 1970s.

“The incident follows years of criticism from faithful Catholics that Georgetown has lost its Catholic nature,” the article said.

Patrick Reilly, the founder of the Catholic university watchdog group the Cardinal Newman Society, expressed many similar sentiments during a speech at Georgetown in 2006, saying that Georgetown has veered from its Catholic mission. He specifically cited the university’s support for GU Pride, as well as its 2005 decision to offer health care benefits to same-sex partners of university faculty, as opposed to the university’s Catholic identity.

The Catholic News Agency published an article on Oct. 31 entitled “Georgetown University bows to homosexual activists’ demands” calling the university’s support of the working groups “controversial.” Catholic.org republished this article under the headline “Georgetown University to Fund Homosexual Center?” the next day.

The attacks come after University President John J. DeGioia announced at a town hall meeting on Oct. 24 the creation of three working groups focusing on LGBTQ resources, education and reporting and a resource center for LGBTQ students. …