Dismissed with Prejudice

After years of studying theology and serving as a lay minister, Mark Guevarra decided to form an LGBTQ+ prayer and support group. Although many in the community welcomed the group, the local archdiocese did not. Mark was summoned for a meeting, told he was the subject of an ongoing investigation, and interrogated about the most personal aspects of his life. Instead of being thanked for his bridge-building ministry, Mark was subjected to a modern-day Inquisition, an experience shared in common with many LGBTQ employees in faith-based institutions.   As Mark’s story unfolds, Matt and Mark touch upon many themes central to contemporary Catholicism, including how to hold being gay and Catholic together, the reasons for the mass Exodus out of the Church, the fragility of those currently holding religious and administrative power, the unique spiritual gifts of LGBTQ+ folks, and the critical distinction between what Richard Rohr has dubbed “Churchianity” and authentic Christianity.   Mark demonstrates what integrity and faithfulness look like in the face of betrayal, exclusion, and ignorance, and points toward a spirituality that is rich, integrated, Jesus-centered, and authentically Catholic. To listen to Mark is a spiritual treat that challenges us all to ask hard questions about the religion we are actually practicing, questions that the inquisitors would do well to ask of themselves…   Learn more   Mark’s story as covered by the Edmonton Journal   Cornerstones: Sacred Stories of LGBTQ+ Employees in Catholic Institutions (A collection of LGBTQ experiences in Catholic workplaces co-edited by Mark and Ish Ruiz)   Mark Guevarra on LinkedIn   Catholic Church Reform International   Richard Rohr’s page with the Center for Action and Contemplation

Matthew LaBanca is a triple-threat Broadway actor who was fired from his music jobs at a Catholic church and school after an informant notified the Diocese of Brooklyn that he had married his husband. In a rollicking yet utterly serious interview that spans childhood magic shows to a retreat for gay priests, Matthew and Matt discuss hypocrisy, the need to speak out, the miracle of shifting one’s mentality, and how art can respond to trauma. Reflecting on the truthful storytelling that defines his current one-man show “Communion,” Matthew emerges as someone with a unique and truly authentic theatrical ministry, responding to a call that transcends workplace trauma or any particular religious tradition. After hearing Matthew, you’ll be glad he “saved it for the stage” to welcome you into a new, inclusive, and genuine Communion. Won’t you join him?   Learn more   Communion the play   Matthew’s 2021 YouTube video   The New York Times article about Matthew’s termination   Matthew’s professional website   Severance the TV show   German Catholic LGBT employees publicly come out  

Learn what Dismissed with Prejudice is all about from your host Matt Tedeschi.