At the time that Christian Bales, 18, was awarded the distinction of valedictorian of Holy Cross High School in Covington, Kentucky, he was also given the opportunity to prepare a speech for the school’s upcoming graduation ceremony. However, on the morning of the ceremony, Holy Cross principal Mike Holtz called the Bales family with the news that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, which oversees Holy Cross, had deemed Christian’s speech too inappropriate to read that evening.
“Just myself being visible and existing has threatened them, in their minds,” said Bales. Bales who said that he frequently wears makeup and traditionally feminine clothing to school functions believes that the local church diocese barred him from speaking due to his gender nonconformity.
The speech, which has been published in a Google Doc and shared on social media, makes no direct mention of Bales’ gender identity or sexual orientation. Although Bales recognizes the leaders of March for Our Lives in his address, he does not go on to call for specific policies to be carried out.
Holy Cross student council president and Bales’ best friend, Katherine Frantz, was also banned from performing her slated graduation address.
“It is still unclear to me why the diocese rejected my speech with no opportunity for revision and showed no consideration for taking my speech away from me, my family, and my classmates,” Frantz said.
Tim Fitzgerald, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Covington, said that the speeches of Bales and Frantz, “were found to contain elements that were political and inconsistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church.”
Fitzgerald also claimed that the speeches “were not submitted for review before the deadline,” although Bales and Frantz have both said that they were unaware of any such deadline.
Bales and Frantz, frustrated by the diocese decision, chose to take matters into their own hands by reading their prepared speeches through a megaphone just outside of the venue where the commencement ceremony had concluded moments before. Cameras were rolling as students and parents gathered around to hear the two teens speak. The footage quickly went viral.
“The diocese definitely burned itself with this one,” said Bales, noting the wide audience his address had reached.
