Are Those Gay Doritos Ads Funny?

First published at 365gay.com on January 28, 2011 I first discovered the gay-themed Doritos ads http://glaadblog.org/2011/01/25/frito-lay-distances-itself-from-gay-themed-ads/ when a friend sent me a link to one titled “Told You So” with the question: “Is it okay for me to laugh at this?” Quick answer, for those who have been wondering the same thing: Yes, it’s okay… Continue reading Are Those Gay Doritos Ads Funny?

What Marriage Isn’t

First published at 365gay.com on January 21, 2011 The recent Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy article “What is Marriage?” [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1722155], by Sherif Girgis, Robert George, and Ryan Anderson (hereafter GGA), has received considerable attention—as it should. (Jonathan Rauch’s incisive retort links to much of the discussion; see here: http://igfculturewatch.com/2011/01/12/let-them-eat-friendship-george-et-al/.) That’s because the article… Continue reading What Marriage Isn’t

Friendship, Gayness, and Death

First published at 365gay.com on November 12, 2010 When I first acknowledged to myself at 19 that I was gay, there were two friends that I needed to tell right away. I told Scott first. We were fellow candidates with the Capuchin Franciscans, aspiring to be priests. (We continued to affectionately call each other “Brother”… Continue reading Friendship, Gayness, and Death

What do We do With Evangelicals Who ‘Want to Help’?

First published at 365gay.com on October 29, 2010 I’ve been engaging in quite a bit of dialogue lately with conservative Christians. It usually involves their asking me a question along the following lines: “Look, we feel awful about the recent reports of gay teen suicides. We believe each of these kids is a child of… Continue reading What do We do With Evangelicals Who ‘Want to Help’?

Why “Love the Sinner” Rings Hollow

First published at 365gay.com on October 22, 2010 In my work as “the Gay Moralist,” I often pursue dialogue with opponents of LGBT equality. I do this for various reasons: to understand them better, to help them understand us better, to help bystanders understand the controversy better, to promote truth more generally, and ultimately to… Continue reading Why “Love the Sinner” Rings Hollow

Paladino’s Gay Problem

First published at 365gay.com on October 15, 2010 Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino’s recent remarks [http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/nyregion/11paladino.html] about homosexuality have been widely decried—even by his fellow East Coast Republicans—as offensive. They are certainly that. But upon reading the text and watching the YouTube video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKL9TRaePww], I had an additional reaction. Here’s what Paladino said,… Continue reading Paladino’s Gay Problem

Bullying, the Blame Game

First published at 365gay.com on October 8, 2010 About twenty-five years ago, my sister (who was then around ten years old) decided one day to practice cartwheels in our modestly-sized suburban living room. Had my parents been around, they would have stopped her. They would have mildly scolded her, and she would have felt mildly… Continue reading Bullying, the Blame Game

Why Aren’t We Talking More About HIV?

First published at 365gay.com on October 1, 2010 You may have seen last week’s Washington Post headline, “Study puts HIV rate among gay men at 1 in 5.” [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/23/AR2010092306828.html] And the story starts off grim: “One in five gay men in the United States has HIV, and almost half of those who carry the virus… Continue reading Why Aren’t We Talking More About HIV?