“We all have our own gifts, our colors, and to make a bright Vinta sail, we may need all those colors. So, everyone is welcome here in Ateneo,” stated Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) President Fr. Guillrey Anthony “Ernald” for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer/Questioning, Asexual, and more (LGBTQIA+) Atenean members.
The BEACON Publications conducted an interview with AdZU University President Fr. Andal, SJ, last June 18, 2024, to listen to his insights about the LGBTQIA+ community within the student body.
In celebration of Pride Month 2024, AdZU has been active in campaigns, celebrations, seminars, and even school-based surveys to cater for the needs of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and more (LGBTQIA+) community and its allies.
When asked about AdZU’s stance in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community, he emphasized that AdZU, being a Filipino-Jesuit university, upholds the inherent dignity of human beings, that the stances a person has is based on their values, as well as the responsibility to include everyone as persons with gifts.
“I think we need to pay greater attention to those members in our community who might have suffered or might have been isolated because of one reason and another. We recognize that the members of the LGBTQIA+ could be part of that marginalized/isolated community, and so, we give special attention to them,” he said.
Building on this idea of inclusion, Fr. Andal also shared on AdZU can best have a safe and inclusive environment for the members of the community, saying, “It’s important for us that if we’re talking about an inclusive community or a safe community, we show respect regardless of our orientation, regardless of how we identify ourselves or our gender, that respect has to be in nature.”
AdZU, Fr. Andal believes, aims to instill this sense of dignity and respect through its educational formation, from grade school to the College of Law, as he explained that this formation emphasizes the inherent goodness of individuals, which nurtures self-respect and respect for others.
He also stated that the principle of cura personalis, or care for the whole person, is central to AdZU’s approach that makes it easier to establish that environmental status, “When we talk about cura personalis, the care for the whole person, we take care of ourselves, recognizing our dignity, but we also extend that to others.”
Expanding on the university’s commitment to inclusivity, Fr. Andal addressed the potential establishment of an organization catering specifically to LGBTQIA+ Ateneans, “If the needs can be addressed within the university setting and align with our values of compassion and inclusivity, then yes, definitely,” stressing the need for the university to be aware of any harassment faced by LGBTQIA+ members and to ensure existing policies are effectively protecting all students.
“I would like to thank them [LGBTQIA+ community] for allowing themselves to be part of this community and to live out who they are without fear,” he remarked.
Fr. Andal closes the discussion by saying, “We all have our own gifts, our colors, and to make a bright Vinta sail, we may need all those colors. So, everyone is welcome here in Ateneo.”
In a gesture of reconciliation and acknowledgment of past injustices, he tendered an apology for the LGBTQIA+ individuals within the AdZU community. “If there have been any occasions, whether it is from their fellow students, or some faculty, or maybe even from the clergy, the church, the Jesuits, even, when they have felt, or they might have been offended or isolated, I’d like to apologize, that’s not [reflective of] who we are.”
As AdZU continues to march forward in its mission for inclusivity, it anchors itself in the bedrock values of compassion, understanding, and respect. These redoubles the efforts to cultivate a community where everyone feels valued, accepted, and empowered.
Written by: Shannen Abasa and Khwynn Geollainne Mitra
Photo by: Christia Labinghisa
Layout by: Liezel Go
