First published at 365gay.com on January 8, 2010 The column that follows is about anal sex. Some friends have urged me against writing it, not because readers find frank discussions of anal sex “icky,” but because the offending comments’ source—Peter LaBarbera—is unworthy of serious attention. In one sense these friends are quite right. But for […]
Fighting Gay Dehumanization Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on December 4, 2009 “We all know what bigotry is,” a friend said to me recently. But do we? I mean, most of us have experienced it, and we can point to clear historical examples. But can we define it, articulating what those examples all have in common? Or is it
First published at 365gay.com on November 22, 2009 This morning, I didn’t feel like getting out of bed. I wasn’t sick; just tired. But I had a full workday scheduled. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared unto me and said, “Behold, today is a sacred day, and you must not work.” Sweet! Okay, maybe
The Slippery Slope of Religious Exemptions Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on August 21, 2009 A friend writes, “I’m coordinating a safe-space training at [an urban public university]. One participant stated that she felt she was a strong ally, but her religious beliefs dictate that homosexuality is a sin. What should I do? Can I deny her a safe-space sticker, or ask
‘Safe’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Shut Up’ Read More »
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
Robert George’s Reality Read More »
First published at 365gay.com on June 19, 2009 I’m a big proponent of being out, not just about being gay, but about any personally significant trait whose revelation subverts problematic assumptions. For me, that includes being out as an atheist. “Atheist or agnostic?” I’m often asked. For practical purposes, I’m not sure that there’s much
Coming Out Skeptical Read More »
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
Gay Marriage and The Bigot Card Read More »
First published at Between the Lines News on April 30, 2009 So a contestant for what is in large measure a popularity contest says something unpopular and doesn’t win. Why am I having a hard time getting worked up over this? I’m talking about Carrie Prejean, Miss California USA, who when asked by Miss USA
Miss California’s country Read More »
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
First published at 365gay.com on March 23, 2009 Recent discussions of various civil-union proposals have revived some familiar questions, including “Why limit such recognition to couples, as opposed to larger groups?” and “Why limit it to romantic/sexual couples, as opposed to other interdependent relationships?” Such questions come from various quarters, including both friends and foes
Why Not Plural Marriage? Read More »