St John's High School

St. John's High School in Shrewsbury

(Michael D. Kane | MassLive)

SHREWSBURY - St. John's High School in Shrewsbury lists the following motto on its website: "In harmony, small things grow." Now, one of its students is hoping that includes rights for gay students.

Matthew Barrett, a junior who lives in Worcester, has started an online petition through MoveOn.org asking that the Catholic, all-male school change its rules prohibiting same sex couples from attending prom. As of Feb. 26, more than 1,600 people had signed the petition.

Barrett, 18, said he first made the petition three weeks ago under an assumed name, expecting the petition to take at least a few months before it picked up enough support that he could present it to administrators. He admits he was trying to avoid a suspension.

That was at midnight. Within 15 hours, he had a few hundred supporters, and the realization that he had touched on a subject people cared about.

"Fifteen hours into that first day I decided to reveal myself and I put it on Facebook and shared it," he said. "When I had 500 signatures within 29 hours, I realized, 'hey, I'm not alone here.'"

The world has come a long way from Temple Street. It is time that as a school Saint John's reflect that. http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/allow-gay-couples-to-1?source=c.em&r_by=14594528 Posted by Saint John's High School GSA on Monday, February 8, 2016

Admittedly, many among those first few hundred supporters were from far away, people who found the petition via the Internet. But, once it began being shared among friends and past St. John's graduates, hundreds more began signing the petition. And within those names that support became more local, and more relevant to his cause.

"I did recognize a good amount of those names," he said.

It also didn't take long for the news to reach school administrators, Barrett said. He was summoned to the dean of students' office the next day, which led to a discussion with Principal Dr. Jacob Conca.

Barrett declined to talk about what was said in his discussion with Conca, other than to say it was "a good discussion, but we really didn't get much done." Barrett said Conca suggested he schedule a meeting with Headmaster Michael Welch, but that meeting has yet to happen. Neither Welch nor Conca immediately responded to calls from MassLive seeking comment.

Barrett is also not the first student to push for the change. He said he was motivated by a similar online petition which was started in 2013 and has continually seen new signatures, as late as Feb. 5. Barrett was not a student in the school when that petition started, having attended Holy Name Central Catholic High School until being kept from completing his junior year by a rare form of leukemia. He said he only knew anecdotal stories about how the school handled that situation, but he does know things did not change.

"I feel they are avoiding it," he said. "They have not been forced to address the issue yet."

And that, he said, is despite a number of students who are known to be gay. For Barrett, the issue is about equality. He's straight, but his best friend is gay. He wants his friends to enjoy the prom the same way straight students can, by attending with someone with whom they want to be.

"Right now, you can't even go alone," he said. "To go to the prom, you have to ask a girl. Even if you bring a girl as a friend, it would be more enjoyable to bring a guy if that's who you wanted to be there with."

And Barrett said he has found support in an unusual place, the school's own code of ethics and the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

While thousands of years of church doctrine and decades of school culture may appear to stand in his way, Barrett said he does not see this a David versus Goliath effort. He takes heart in the words of Pope Francis.

While the church still holds gay marriage as against its doctrine, in October of 2015 Pope Francis clarified what had been viewed as mixed messages in regard to his feelings by saying the church should be more welcoming, charitable and merciful to all people.

"He said he wants the church to lay off them a little but, that it is more important that they be accepted," Barrett said. "He wants them intergrated into society, not ostracized. Because he is the head of the church, I believe the school should take that in as part of their mission."

The school itself teaches its students to be honest and true, he said.

"It conflicts with their teachings," he said. "When the gay kids are forced to ask girls to the prom, technically, its dishonest. they are not being true to who they are."

While speaking positively about the school and its atmosphere, Barrett said he did face some negativity when the student body became aware of the petition's existence. But those comments, most coming at him over social media, were far less than the positive support he said he has received.

With Principal Dr. Jacob Conca and Headmaster Michael Welch both leaving St. John's at the end of this school year, Barrett said he wants the change to happen this year. In addition, he would like to start a Gay/Straight Alliance at the school. There is currently an informal Facebook page, but no official alliance at the school, he said.

"I like St. John's, I think the academics and the school are really good, but, being an all male campus, there is a resistance to this," he said. "I think they feel like I am trying to humiliate them. They should feel humiliated. It's just wrong. But I have always pushed for equal rights. I have always been an activist in that area. This is about equality.

"My goal is that the gay seniors can take whoever they want to take to their prom," Barrett said. "I am not going to give up on this until gay kids are allowed to go the prom with who they want. And I am willing to be suspended over this."