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 on September 4, 2007, at 365gay.com Jim West, Jim McGreevey, Ted Haggard, Mark Foley, Bob Allen, David Vitter. Now Larry Craig. Public figures’ getting caught with their pants down is nothing new. What is new is a high-tech culture that makes exposure likely, rapid, and widespread. Larry Craig pleaded guilty to “disorderly conduct” […]
Compassion for Craig? Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on August 20, 2007 It seemed like a softball question at first. During LOGO’s August 10 gay-rights forum for the Democratic presidential candidates, panelist (and rock star) Melissa Etheridge asked New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, “Do you think homosexuality is a choice, or is it biological?” Richardson, who has a strong
Richardson was Right (Sort Of) Read More »
First published in 365gay.com on August 6, 2007 When I was in junior high I used to sit at the “black” lunch table in the cafeteria, much to the shock (and occasional ridicule) of my white schoolmates. The seating was not officially segregated, but with rare exceptions African-Americans sat together, and I sat with them.
‘Hairspray,’ Race, and Gays Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on July 9, 2007 If I were the religious type, I might be preparing for Armageddon right now. You see, last weekend my partner Mark and I drove out to his parents’ house to help with yard work. This in itself would be unremarkable except that, as recently as Christmas, Mark’s
Small Conversions, Big Victories Read More »
First published in Between the Lines on June 14, 2007 When I heard that someone was suing eHarmony for its refusal to provide dating services for same-sex couples, I winced. It’s not that I approve of their policy (I don’t). It’s not even that I think that their policy, while wrongheaded, is in fact legal
First published in Between the Lines, May 31, 2007 The day after Jerry Falwell’s funeral, Mary Cheney—who is a LESBIAN, in case you’ve forgotten the Bush-Kerry debates—gave birth to a baby boy. If I were the world’s scriptwriter, I would have reversed the order: Cheney gives birth, then Falwell keels over. No matter: just as
Welcome, Baby Cheney Read More »
First published in Between the Lines on May 3, 2007 This past weekend I attended a big Italian wedding in New York. I grew up on Long Island, in a family where big Italian weddings are a staple. This one had all the usual trappings: loud music, louder relatives, tons of food. This one, however,
A Big (Gay) Italian Wedding Read More »
First Published in “Between The Lines” in May 2007 If the marketing industry is any gauge, I’m not a very good Gay Man. No matter how many pairs of shoes I own, I typically wear only two: a pair of simple black dress boots or a pair of black sneakers. Same with jeans: a pair
Middle-Upper-Thirties Musings Read More »
First published in Between the Lines on April 18, 2007 In a recent column I wrote about a Christian couple who invited me to dinner during one of my lecture tours. I first met the husband when he stood up during a Q&A session after one of my talks. He described himself as theologically conservative
Listening to God—and Gays Read More »
First published in Between the Lines, April 5, 2007 Opposition to homosexuality has long been marked by bad science. In the past, that usually meant bad psychology or even bad physiology. Today, the more common problem is bad social science, usually involving cherry-picked data about alarming social trends followed by breathtaking leaps of logic connecting
David Blankenhorn’s Lazy Logic Read More »