Tag: Marriage

A Gay Marriage Opponent Responds

First published at 365gay.com on September 14, 2009 Last week I wrote about marriage-equality opponents’ “Always and Everywhere” argument—the claim that since marriage has “always” been heterosexual, we ought not to tinker with it now. In response, a prominent same-sex marriage opponent e-mailed me to explain what was “logically and philosophically wrong” with my critique.… Continue reading A Gay Marriage Opponent Responds

Always and Everywhere?

First published at 365gay.com on September 4, 2009 Marriage-equality opponents frequently claim that marriage has been heterosexual since…well, since FOREVER, and that it is arrogant and foolish to tinker with such a pervasive human institution. Whatever its logical shortcomings, the “always and everywhere” argument is rhetorically effective. Even gay-rights advocates concede that marriage equality seemed… Continue reading Always and Everywhere?

Other People’s Judgments

First published at Between the Lines News on September 3, 2009 “You don’t just want us to tolerate what you gay people do,” my skeptical questioner announced, “you want us to think that it’s RIGHT.” Whenever I hear this point–and it’s pretty often–I always think to myself, “Duh.” Of course I want that. Why would… Continue reading Other People’s Judgments

The Right’s Immoral Take on Gay Marriage

First published at 365gay.com on August 14, 2009 Anyone who knows Jonathan Rauch will tell you he’s not a sappy, emotional sort of guy. Rauch, a senior writer for National Journal magazine and a contributing editor of The Atlantic, is known for his measured, logical (and occasionally quite witty) prose; those of us fortunate enough… Continue reading The Right’s Immoral Take on Gay Marriage

Robert George’s Reality

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… Continue reading Robert George’s Reality

That’s How I Was Raised

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.… Continue reading That’s How I Was Raised

A Suit Too Soon?

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… Continue reading A Suit Too Soon?

Gay Marriage and The Bigot Card

First published at 365gay.com on May 1, 2009 Maggie Gallagher at the National Organization for Marriage—producers of the unintentionally hilarious “Gathering Storm” ad—has been mentioning “footnote 26” of the Iowa marriage decision quite a bit lately. For example, she tells conservative blogger Rod Dreher that same-sex marriage requires “the rejection of the idea that children… Continue reading Gay Marriage and The Bigot Card

Gathering Storm

First published at Between the Lines News on April 23, 2009 Leave it to the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) to try to rain on our parade. I’m talking about NOM’s “Gathering Storm” ad [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp76ly2_NoI] , in which various characters warn that recent gay-rights victories are threatening their fundamental liberties: “There’s a storm gathering. The… Continue reading Gathering Storm