Award for gay Catholic school student causes controversy

A U.S. diocese will allow scholarship to be awarded by school representative not by sponsor

Student Keaton Fuller of Clinton, Iowa has been awarded a scholarship from Eychaner Foundation. The award is in memory of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old tortured and murdered in Wyoming in 1998 because he was gay. Davenport diocesan officials with oversight of the school will allow Keaton to receive the scholarship award from a school representative during graduation ceremonies May 20. CNS / courtesy of Eychaner Foundation.

The B.C. Catholic has a story from Barb Arland-Fye of Catholic News Service, who explains how a scholarship for a gay Catholic student that promotes same-sex attraction tolerance has caused some controversy for an Iowa diocese:

A gay student at Prince of Peace Catholic School in Clinton, Iowa has been chosen to receive a scholarship from an Iowa organization that promotes tolerance, but controversy has erupted over presentation of the award.

Keaton Fuller, a senior at Prince of Peace, is one of eight recipients of a Matthew Shepard Scholarship from the Eychaner Foundation based in Des Moines. The scholarship honors the memory of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old tortured and murdered in Wyoming in 1998 because he was gay. Scholarship recipients and their schools agreed in the application process to permit an Eychaner representative to present the award during graduation awards ceremonies.

Read the full story at The B.C. Catholic website.