Tag: ethics

Gay Parents and Biological Bonds

First published in Between The Lines News on April 15, 2010 Those who argue that same-sex parenting “deprives” a child of its mother or father sometimes ask, “How would you feel if your mother or father were taken away?” My answer to that question is, of course, “I’d feel terrible.” But that fact scarcely settles… Continue reading Gay Parents and Biological Bonds

Can Animals be Gay?

First published at 365gay.com on April 6, 2010 They don’t drive Subarus, wear comfortable shoes, or listen to folk music. But are the female pair-bonding albatross discussed in this Sunday’s New York Times Magazine lesbians? Despite its provocative title, the essay “Can Animals Be Gay?” is one of the more thoughtful and nuanced treatments to… Continue reading Can Animals be Gay?

Remembering Prom

First published at 365gay.com on March 26, 2010 Recent reports about students in Mississippi and Georgia seeking to bring same-sex dates to prom stirred memories of my own prom experience. The year was 1987. I was “straight” then—or so I convinced myself. I knew I had “gay feelings” (as I put it), I knew I… Continue reading Remembering Prom

How the Sacred Heart Decision Makes Sense

First published at 365gay.com on March 19, 2010 It is sometimes said, “Once a Catholic, always a Catholic.” Which may be why the recent Colorado story about Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish School, which expelled two pre-schoolers because their parents are lesbians, saddens me. Although I’m now an atheist, I was raised Catholic and attended… Continue reading How the Sacred Heart Decision Makes Sense

The Village Atheist

First published at 365gay.com on March 5, 2010 This past week I had a new experience: debating Glenn Stanton, Focus on the Family employee and frequent opponent of mine, before an audience of people who mostly sided with him. This has happened perhaps only once before: at a marriage debate at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia,… Continue reading The Village Atheist

What’s Love Got to Do With It?

First published at 365gay.com on February 26, 2010 Okay—so I promise that this is my last column for a while on the definition of marriage. Four out of five in a row is enough. http://www.365gay.com/archive/?id=15&logo=t But I’ve learned a lot from writing these, especially because of comments from various marriage-equality opponents. Three points stick out.… Continue reading What’s Love Got to Do With It?

What Marriage Is

First published at 365gay.com on February 19, 2010 An opponent writes, “What’s YOUR definition of marriage? If you’re going to use a word, you need a definition of the word.” I doubt that. After all, most English speakers can competently use the word “yellow,” but ask them to define the term (without merely pointing to… Continue reading What Marriage Is

How to Define Gay Marriage

First published at 365gay.com on February 12, 2010 Since my recent column [http://www.365gay.com/news/corvino-the-right-is-wrong-about-gay-marriage/] discussing the “definitional argument” against marriage equality, I’ve learned something unsurprising: There is no single, standard “definitional argument.” There are, rather, various definitional arguments, and part of the problem is pinning down which one our opponents intend. In the hope of advancing… Continue reading How to Define Gay Marriage

Don’t Let the Perverted Analogy Trip Up the Gay Debate

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… Continue reading Don’t Let the Perverted Analogy Trip Up the Gay Debate