At the CU-Boulder “What’s Wrong?” blog, I respond to religious conservatives who claim that anti-discrimination laws that cover sexual orientation strip them of their liberty. From the essay: It’s worth emphasizing, however, that this concern is not unique to same-sex marriage. Oregon prohibits discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of “race, color, religion, sex,… Continue reading “Bake Me a Cake”: Three Paths for Balancing Liberty and Equality
Author: johncorvino
Rejoinder to Dan Johnson
In response to Dan Johnson, who critiques my New York Times piece “Gay Rights and the Race Analogy,” I offer a rejoinder at The Partially Examined Life. An excerpt: I actually support antidiscrimination laws that cover sexual orientation and gender identity. But I think we need a better argument for them than “because … segregated… Continue reading Rejoinder to Dan Johnson
Davis Defenders No Better at Interpreting Bible than Interpreting Constitution
Yesterday at the Detroit Free Press I argued that supporting Kim Davis’s religious liberty doesn’t mean tolerating her refusal to do her job as county clerk. “Religious liberty does not entitle the bearer to line-item vetoes for essential job functions,” I wrote. In passing I mentioned that she has been divorced multiple times, which shows… Continue reading Davis Defenders No Better at Interpreting Bible than Interpreting Constitution
Gay Rights and the Race Analogy
At The New York Times, I urge caution on use of the race analogy and argue that the issues are more complex than they’re typically treated: The present debate is too often dominated by hasty generalizations and false inferences, on both sides. The left slides too easily from “similar” to “the same.” The right correctly… Continue reading Gay Rights and the Race Analogy
Fall Speaking Engagements
John is currently working on the details of his fall speaking calendar, with talks planned at the University of Colorado, Boulder, on October 22 and 23 and at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, on November 6. Details to follow soon at the calendar page.
Victory at SCOTUS
I’m still digesting Obergefell, both the decision itself and its personal and social implications. Had you told me 25 years ago, when I first started speaking and writing about LGBT rights, that the White House would be lit up rainbow to celebrate the U.S. Supreme Court’s granting the right to marry to same-sex couples in… Continue reading Victory at SCOTUS
Can People With Dementia Have a Sex Life?
Let’s ask John Corvino! (Ahem.) At The New York Times’ “Room for Debate,” I team up with my buddy Ron Belgau to defend, among other things, the sanctity of marriage. From the exchange: [T]he argument in the present case is not that Mr. Rayhons physically or emotionally harmed his wife, but rather that he violated… Continue reading Can People With Dementia Have a Sex Life?
23 years ago…
On this day 23 years ago, in Mary E. Gearing Hall at the University of Texas at Austin, I first delivered the lecture “What’s Morally Wrong with Homosexuality?” At the time, according to Gallup, 57% of Americans thought that homosexuality was not an “acceptable alternative lifestyle.” We’ve come a long way.
The Church, Natural Law, and Gay Sex
Prof. Gary Gutting of Notre Dame gives me a shout-out at the Stone in The New York Times: The problem is that, rightly developed, natural-law thinking seems to support rather than reject the morality of homosexual behavior. Consider this line of thought from John Corvino,… Continue reading The Church, Natural Law, and Gay Sex
Just My Opinion?
The Philosopher’s Magazine has finally posted my piece on the fact/opinion distinction. Why worry about the fact/opinion distinction? One reason is that precise thinking is valuable for its own sake. But there’s another, more pragmatic reason. Despite its unclear meaning, the claim “That’s just your opinion” has a clear use: It is a conversation-stopper. It’s… Continue reading Just My Opinion?