Andrew Sullivan writes:

:

IS HE A BIGOT? Jonah Goldberg notes that Martin Luther King Jr III (unlike his mother, Coretta) hasn’t endorsed equality in civil marriage. Jonah cracks: “I guess he’s a bigot.” What King actually said was: “I think we need to find a way to honor partnerships, but I don’t think that marriage needs to be redefined.” I don’t know anyone who would describe that position – which is John Kerry’s – as a bigot. Now, opposing any recognition or protection for gay couples is a wholly different matter. Sorry, Jonah, but young King is not on the side of NRO in this.

Now I suppose Sullivan’s correct that MLK III and NR don’t share the same view on these issues. But there’s some sleight of hand here. First of all, as Sullivan well knows, I came out in favor of civil unions quite a while ago, which — differing rhetoric aside — means I have pretty much MLK III’s position. Second, I think the sarcasm is lost on Andrew in that he has been comparing the anti-gay marriage position to racist anti-miscegenation laws for years while implicitly and, if memory serves, explicitly saying people who oppose legalizing gay marriage are bigots or hold a bigoted position (not necessarily the same thing). Indeed, unless I’m reading him wrong he’s suggesting NR’s position is bigoted. But maybe I’m just lost in the nuance of Andrew’s position.