Blog

European Gaydar

First published in “Between the Lines” in September of 2002 I have just returned from two weeks in Finland, with brief excursions to Estonia, Russia, and Norway. It was my first trip to Europe, and I came away from it having learned a profound and valuable lesson: My gaydar is useless in Europe. Nobody warned… Continue reading European Gaydar

Facts, Values, and Nuclear Weapons

First published in the author’s syndicated column on June 27, 2002 Last week I was invited to give a talk on homosexuality at the Lawrence Livermore National Research Laboratory, which is a nuclear weapons research facility just southeast of San Francisco. (Apparently San Francisco has a dearth of experts on homosexuality, so they need to… Continue reading Facts, Values, and Nuclear Weapons

Remembering Robert

First published in Between the Lines in June 2002. Last month I learned of the death of an ex-partner.  It’s an odd feeling to lose to death someone whom one has already lost to painful separation.  But it’s a loss nevertheless. Robert and I met as graduate students in philosophy at the University of Texas. … Continue reading Remembering Robert

Pedophilia in the Priesthood: Are Gays the Problem?

First Published in “Between the Lines.” March 28, 2002 FIFTEEN YEARS AGO I was a candidate for the Roman Catholic priesthood. One night during a candidate retreat I was alone in a monastery rec room with a youngish priest — let’s call him Fr. Jack — who was attempting to counsel me as I struggled… Continue reading Pedophilia in the Priesthood: Are Gays the Problem?

First Gays, Then Polygamists?

First published in “The Harvard Gay and Lesbian Review” on November 30,1999 AN INCREASINGLY COMMON objection to same-sex marriage takes the form of a slippery-slope argument: “If we allow gay marriage, why not polygamy? Or incest? Or bestiality?” This argument is nothing new, having been used against interracial marriage in the 1960’s. But what it… Continue reading First Gays, Then Polygamists?