First published in Between the Lines on December 14, 2006 Mary Cheney is pregnant. Wish her well. That’s what good folks do when presented with an expectant mother. Behind the scenes they may say or think whatever they like, but publicly they wish the mother-to-be well. Which puts right-wingers in a bit of a bind.… Continue reading Mary Cheney—Unfit Parent?
Author: johncorvino
Sadness, Not Smirks, for Haggard
First published in Between the Lines on November 16, 2006 A few weeks ago I was in Ripon, Wisconsin, for a same-sex marriage debate with Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family, when the Ted Haggard story broke. Haggard, then president of the National Association of Evangelicals and pastor of the massive New Life Church… Continue reading Sadness, Not Smirks, for Haggard
The Pedophilia Smear
First published in Between the Lines on October 19, 2006 The recent scandal involving Rep. Mark Foley sending sexually explicit text messages to sixteen- and seventeen-year-old former congressional pages has resurrected the ugly stereotype of gays as pedophiles. I am no longer surprised when I hear this sort of garbage from the Family Research Council… Continue reading The Pedophilia Smear
Foley’s Folly: A Lesson
First published in Between the Lines, October 5, 2006 It is early yet to talk about “the moral of the story” with respect to Mark Foley. Foley, a Republican congressman from Florida, resigned last week after it was revealed that he had been sending sexually explicit e-mails and instant messages to underage congressional pages. Here’s… Continue reading Foley’s Folly: A Lesson
Polygamy and Principles: A Reply to George
First published, in a slightly different form, in Between the Lines, August 24, 2006 Princeton natural-law theorist Robert George wrote recently at the First Things website that For years, critics of the idea of same-sex ‘marriage’ have made the point that accepting the proposition that two persons of the same sex can marry each other… Continue reading Polygamy and Principles: A Reply to George
The New York Ruling, Take 2: …So Make Lemonade
First published in Between the Lines on Thursday July 13, 2006. By now you’ve probably heard about the New York Court of Appeals’ deciding that their state constitution does not require equal marriage rights for same-sex couples. Problem is, much of what you’ve heard is misleading. Yes, the Court declared that “The New York Constitution… Continue reading The New York Ruling, Take 2: …So Make Lemonade
Bigotry? Or Disagreement?
First published in Between the Lines, June 15, 2006 “A vote for this amendment is a vote for bigotry, pure and simple.” So said Senator Ted Kennedy in response to the so-called “Marriage Protection Amendment,” which defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman and preempts the right of states to interpret… Continue reading Bigotry? Or Disagreement?
Homosexy in China
First published in Between the Lines on June 1, 2006. I am writing this column at my desk at the Xianlin Hotel at Nanjing Normal University in China, where I am delivering a two-week series of lectures on business ethics. Prior to arriving here I visited Beijing, and in a week I will visit Hong… Continue reading Homosexy in China
The Pope’s Impotent Argument
First published in Between the Lines, May 18, 2006. Last week Pope Benedict spoke out against gay marriage and civil unions. “Only the rock of total and irrevocable love between a man and a woman is capable of being the foundation of building a society that becomes a home for all mankind,” the pope declared,… Continue reading The Pope’s Impotent Argument
Grandma Rose’s Family Values
First published in Between the Lines, May 4, 2006 My Grandma Rose stood at just under 5 feet–in recent years, even less than that, as osteoporosis took its toll on her small frame. But she will always be a towering figure in my mind. She was born on May 8, 1921, in the town of… Continue reading Grandma Rose’s Family Values