Author Scott Pomfret looks forward to interacting with D.C.’s gay Catholic population. (Photo by Eric C. Hess)
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ZACK ROSEN
Friday, August 15, 2008
The
Catholic
Church
may
have
a
reputation
for
taking
itself
terribly
seriously
but
that
hasn’t
stopped
some
of
its
faithful
from
finding
humor
in
the
religion’s
rites
and
rituals.
Scott
Pomfret’s
“Since
My
Last
Confession:
A
Gay
Catholic
Memoir,”
released
on
June
10,
is
a
humorous
explorations
of
the
pains
and
travails
of
simultaneously
expressing
one’s
faith
and
sexuality.
Pomfret,
a
full-time
gay
romance
and
erotic
writer,
will
be
reading
from
the
novel
on
Thursday
at
the
D.C.
Center
as
part
of
its
OutWrite
gay
author
series.
“Last
Confession”
has
resonated
with
readers
and
Pomfret
frequently
meets
with
them.
He
says
many
are
using
writing
to
conquer
their
own
demons
and
find
his
book’s
lighter
tone
a
nice
break.
“Every
week,
either
at
the
church
or
at
gay
and
lesbian
groups,
I
see
gay
Catholics
who
are
in
visible
pain,”
he
says.
“I
participate
in
discussion
groups
with
people
who
are
writing
very
frank,
painful-to-read
memoirs
and
reactions
to
the
church.
Some
of
these
people
have
written
to
me
afterwards
and
breathed
a
sigh
of
relief
because
having
a
moment
of
humor
to
address
that
is
relieving.
That
said,
one
of
them
did
bolt
from
the
church
two
weeks
later.
I
don’t
think
I’m
saving
anyone,
just
giving
a
little
respite.”
“Last
Confession”
started
as
a
year
in
the
life
of
a
gay
Catholic,
taking
that
week’s
Bible
reading
and
tackling
it
from
Pomfret’s
perspective.
When
the
author
found
that
approach
was
not
working,
he
structured
the
narrative
around
his
attempts
to
convince
homophobic
Boston
cardinal
Sean
O’Malley
that
gay
Catholics
deserved
as
much
respect
as
anyone
else.
Chapter
subheadings
like
“The
Naughty
Altar
Boy,”
“Cruising
for
Catholics”
and
“Give
Us
This
Our
Daily
YouTube”
betray
Pomfret’s
glib
sensibilities,
which
he
said
have
been
instrumental
in
making
it
through
the
difficulties
of
being
a
gay
Catholic.
“A
lot
of
what’s
out
there
is
either
theology
or
[accounts]
of
how
[one]
was
essentially
abused
by
the
church.
I
think
that
one
of
the
keys
to
remaining
a
faithful
person
within
the
church
is
to
be
able
to
laugh
if
you’re
gay.
With
the
whole
piety
thing,
you
end
up
shameful,
celibate,
broken,
unformed
humans.
Paul
Murray
is
another
gay
Catholic
author
who
recently
did
readings
of
his
own
book,
“Life
in
Paradox:
The
Story
of
a
Gay
Catholic
Priest,”
throughout
the
D.C.
area.
Released
on
July
25,
“Life
in
Paradox,”
is
a
more
straightforward
account
of
gay
religious
life,
but
he
shares
Pomfret’s
opinion
that
such
narratives
provide
a
service
to
those
who
read
them.
“I’ve
had
people
thank
me
for
writing
this
book
and
for
providing
this
account
that
resonates
with
their
own
experience,”
Murray
says.
“I
don’t
know
that
it’s
solved
anyone’s
problems.
But
perhaps
offering
my
own
reflections
is
helpful
for
people
in
reflecting
and
understanding
something
from
their
own
experience.”
Both
authors
are
still
practicing
Catholics,
who
made
no
secret
of
their
sexuality
even
before
their
books
were
printed.
And
both
have
strong
feelings
about
the
possibility
of
reconciling
their
seemingly
antithetical
gay
Catholic
identities.
Both
believe
that
people
can
be
open
about
spirituality
and
sexuality,
and
shouldn’t
let
anti-gay
theology
interfere
with
a
personal
relationship
with
God.
Murray
describes
himself
as
“basically
a
Washingtonian,”
though
he
teaches
at
a
college
in
upstate
New
York;
the
Boston-based
Pomfret
lived
in
the
District
in
the
early
’90s.
He
believes
that
this
city
already
has
a
prominent
history
of
gay
Catholics
and
hopes
to
meet
some
of
them
while
he
is
in
town.
Both
books
may
be
purchased
at
Lambda
Rising,
1625
Connecticut
Ave.,
NW,
or
online
at
www.amazon.com.
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