First published at 365gay.com on July 16, 2010 Last week a U.S. District Court judge in Boston ruled portions of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional, prompting the usual cries of “judicial activism” from conservatives. Among the responses was a statement from Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Kentucky, chair of the U.S. […]
Did the State Create Marriage? Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on July 9, 2010 In vetoing Hawaii’s civil unions bill, Gov. Linda Lingle noted that the bill was “essentially marriage by another name.” She has a point. Of course I don’t agree with her decision, and I don’t buy her excuse that the issue was too important to be decided by
How Lingle Was Right Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on July 2, 2010 I’m at a wedding for a same-sex couple, in the chapel anteroom before the service, and the grooms are sweating profusely. It’s not because they’re nervous. It’s because they’re wearing black wool tuxedos, it’s a humid 90-degree day, and like most old churches, this one isn’t air-conditioned.
First published at 365gay.com on May 14, 2010 When I was a high school sophomore, one of my classmates had the misfortune of popping an erection in the communal shower after gym class. I doubt “Paul” was gay. Most likely, it was a typical teenage case of Mr. Happy having a mind of its own.
The Danger of the Gay Closet Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on May 7, 2010 So, we have a new line to add to the file labeled “Seriously?!?”—alongside Reverend Ted Haggard’s “I bought the meth but didn’t use it,” ex-gay leader John Paulk’s “I had to use the bathroom and had no idea it was a gay bar,” Rep. Eric Massa’s “I’m
First published at 365gay.com on April 16, 2010 Comments earlier this week by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone linking homosexuality to pedophilia have drawn almost universal condemnation from medical experts, gay-rights organizations, and government officials. Speaking at a news conference in Chile, the cardinal stated, “Many psychologists, many psychiatrists have demonstrated that there
Is Homosexuality Connected to Pedophilia? Read More »
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
How the Sacred Heart Decision Makes Sense Read More »
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,
The Village Atheist Read More »
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.
What’s Love Got to Do With It? Read More »
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