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 Between the Lines News on December 4, 2008 I have a confession to make. I’m getting ever so slightly tired of the reaction to Prop. 8. I know I shouldn’t. I know that the loss in California is terrible, and far-reaching, and deserving of attention. We had marriage, and voters took it […]
First published on November 06, 2008, in the Los Angeles Times On election night, I was less anxious about whether Barack Obama would become president than about whether a certain little girl could marry her princess. I’m talking about the girl in the “Yes on 8” commercial who came home from school after reading “King
Happily Ever After, Delayed Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on October 31, 2008 On the eve of the election, I am pleased that my fellow Democrats have finally learned not to concede “moral values” language to the other side. In past elections, we heard a lot about “values voters”—a code-term for right-wingers on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. Senator
Five Dumb Ideas about Morality Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on October 24, 2008 I’ve been doing a lot of same-sex marriage debates lately, and thus interacting with opponents—not just my debate partner, but also audience members, some of whom will soon be voting on marriage amendments. Recently one of them asked, “Where does your standard of marriage come from?” From
Redefining Marriage? Or Expanding It? Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on October 17, 2008 If the election were held tomorrow, it’s quite likely that gays would lose marriage in California. That’s California, our most populous state, home of San Francisco and Nancy Pelosi and the liberal Hollywood elite. What progressive California giveth, progressive California may taketh away. It surprises (and frankly,
Un-Scaring California Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on October 10, 2008 In the last few weeks I’ve become seriously convinced that Saturday Night Live could help sway this presidential election. For one thing, it has crystallized Sarah Palin’s foreign-policy experience in a simple phrase: “I can see Russia from my house.” She didn’t quite say that, of course,
‘Saturday Night’ Gets it Right Read More »
First published at Between the Lines News on October 2, 2008 Clay Aiken is gay. This is not news. Lindsay Lohan might be gay, too. (Her answer during a radio interview was noncommittal enough to leave room for “clarifications” later.) Big yawn. You know what would be news? It would be news to learn that
First published at Between the Lines News on September 25, 2008 Like many gay people, I have a love-hate relationship with weddings. On the one hand, I enjoy any excuse for a party, and what’s not to like about celebrating love and commitment with family and friends? On the other hand… Well, where do I
At Wedding, Gay PDA Not OK Read More »
First published at Between the Lines News on September 18, 2008 This column appears on the eve of my seventh anniversary with my partner Mark. Happy anniversary, sweetie. Like many gay couples, Mark and I have multiple anniversaries. It was seven years ago that we had our first date—a date that we almost canceled due
Seven Years, No Itch Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on September 5, 2008 I admit it: I was fascinated by the announcement that Sarah Palin’s 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. It’s no surprise that teenagers have sex—even evangelical Christian teenagers, and especially very good looking ones, in Alaska, where there’s not much to do but hunting and fishing and…well, you know.
Palin, Pregnancy, and Principles Read More »