John’s column “The Gay Moralist” appeared bi-weekly in Michigan’s Between the Lines from 2002-2007, and then weekly at 365Gay.com from 2007-2011. His columns and op-eds have also appeared in other venues, including the Independent Gay Forum, The Advocate, the Los Angeles Times, The New Republic and the New York Times. Most of these columns are archived here.
First published at 365gay.com on January 22, 2010 Not long ago a friend approached me for relationship advice. He’s a white guy who was contemplating dating a black guy, and, as he put it, “I thought you could give me some insight since you’re in an interracial relationship.” His query took me by surprise. To […]
First published at 365gay.com on January 18, 2010 The Gay Moralist is a philosophy professor by day, and today’s column is a logic lesson. Consider the following two exchanges: Jack: I can’t support gay marriage because it violates my religion. Jill: Some people’s religions teach that interracial marriage is wrong. Jack: So, you’re saying that
Don’t Let the Perverted Analogy Trip Up the Gay Debate Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on January 8, 2010 The column that follows is about anal sex. Some friends have urged me against writing it, not because readers find frank discussions of anal sex “icky,” but because the offending comments’ source—Peter LaBarbera—is unworthy of serious attention. In one sense these friends are quite right. But for
Fighting Gay Dehumanization Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on December 18, 2009 Allow me to share a favorite holiday story. It was late-November 1989, a year after I first came out. I had been dating a guy named Michael for over a month, which made him (in my mind, at least) my first “real” boyfriend. I was twenty and
A Story of Comfort and Joy Read More »
First published at Between the Lines News on December 17, 2009 Today I heard two bits of news that reminded me of how far we’ve come and how far we have yet to go. First, Bruce Springsteen has come out in favor of marriage equality in New Jersey. Yes, THAT Bruce Springsteen, or as many
Kudos to Bruce; Shame on Mitch Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on December 4, 2009 “We all know what bigotry is,” a friend said to me recently. But do we? I mean, most of us have experienced it, and we can point to clear historical examples. But can we define it, articulating what those examples all have in common? Or is it
First published at 365gay.com on November 22, 2009 This morning, I didn’t feel like getting out of bed. I wasn’t sick; just tired. But I had a full workday scheduled. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared unto me and said, “Behold, today is a sacred day, and you must not work.” Sweet! Okay, maybe
The Slippery Slope of Religious Exemptions Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on November 19, 2010 This column will be my last for a while. I’m taking a break—maybe for a month, maybe longer—to recharge my batteries and focus on some other projects. So I wanted to take an opportunity to say “thank you” to my regular readers and to let you know
Taking a Break Until Next Year Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on November 13, 2009 It’s November, which means bookstores have next year’s calendars on display. When I was a teenager, this annual occurrence unnerved me. The “male interest” calendars”—think “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model of the Month”—held no appeal for me. Instead, I would nervously reach for a Chippendales calendar, hiding it
On Not Being Like Other Boys Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on November 9, 2009 When I was a “fag” on the junior high playground, getting punched hurt even when I saw it coming. So too with Maine this past week. Like many, I was dispirited but not surprised when we lost. The rights of minorities (gays especially) generally don’t do well
Maine, Detroit and the Closet Read More »