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 August 7, 2009 Robert George’s recent piece in the Wall Street Journal, “Gay Marriage, Democracy, and the Courts,” [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970204619004574322084279548434.html] contains both sense and nonsense—but more of the latter. George, a Princeton professor of jurisprudence and founder of the American Principles Project, is a preeminent conservative scholar. In the op-ed, he […]
Robert George’s Reality Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on July 31, 2009 I’m not usually a touchy-feely, share-your-emotions, “Trust the Process” kind of guy. I’m a philosophy professor. I revel in cold, hard logic. So it was with some trepidation that I signed up as a faculty member for Campus Pride’s annual summer Leadership Camp—which, since it was mostly
We’ve still got far to go Read More »
First published at Between the Lines News on July 16, 2009 Recently I’ve been reflecting on mentoring, and the various ways we introduce newcomers to aspects of gay life—the good, the bad, and the ugly—in an effort to help them navigate their own path. This brought to mind two stories, both involving gay bars. The
First published at Between the Lines News on July 9, 2009 Some years ago I attended a seminar on charitable giving in the GLBT community. The event was aimed toward affluent donors, and judging by the cars in the parking lot, it hit its target. (I drove an old Nissan at the time, and was
Luxury vs. Charity Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on July 3, 2009 “What do you think about my having sex with an 18-year-old?” a thirtysomething friend asked. What do I think? Tread carefully. Notice I said “Tread carefully,” not “Run in the other direction,” which was my initial gut reaction. So let me fill in some background. The legal
Dangerous Campsite? Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on June 19, 2009 I’m a big proponent of being out, not just about being gay, but about any personally significant trait whose revelation subverts problematic assumptions. For me, that includes being out as an atheist. “Atheist or agnostic?” I’m often asked. For practical purposes, I’m not sure that there’s much
Coming Out Skeptical Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on June 12, 2009 So, Adam Lambert comes out in the latest issue of Rolling Stone, and you’re thinking, “What’s next? Rolling Stone announces ‘Water is wet’”? I get where you’re coming from. But there are deeper lessons to be gleaned. First, notice how Lambert comes out—in a music magazine, with
Why it Matters that Adam Lambert Came Out Read More »
First published at Between the Lines News on June 11, 2009 A recent New York Times Magazine article spotlighted a shocking vestige of our nation’s racism: segregated proms. It focused on one school in Georgia’s Montgomery County, though the practice is common across the rural South. I say “shocking” even though I personally wasn’t surprised.
That’s How I Was Raised Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on May 29, 2009 President Truman’s quip about wanting a one-handed economist—so that he would cease being told, “On the one hand…on the other hand…”—pretty well sums up my reaction to the news that Ted Olson and David Boies are spearheading a federal lawsuit challenging California’s Prop. 8. Olson and Boies
First published at 365gay.com on May 22, 2009 At the risk of stating the obvious, let me say that Adam Lambert is going to be just fine. I’ll say it anyway because, barely minutes after Kris Allen was announced as the “upset” winner of American Idol, my Facebook feed was loaded with status updates declaring
Adam Lambert’s “Loss” Read More »