I met the editor of AfterElton.com — a fairly large blog dedicated to gay male celebrities — in my debate with Andrew Sullivan at Washington and Lee University.
Meeting with people always tones down the effort to totally demonize them. But not for long. Here’s how AfterElton responds to my exchange with E. J. Graff:
I’ve been really understanding of Maggie Gallagher since meeting her. I may vehemently disagree with her on every point, but I did think the rhetoric could become more civil. Less name calling, more substance. But honestly, her latest just ticks me off to no end. “A society that is serious about marriage would gently stand up to gay people and say ‘not this, not now.’ Changes in law are hard to undo, once they are institutionalized. I did not decide to debate gay marriage, gay-marriage advocates did. I responded to the challenge.” Wait our turn, Maggie? On civil rights? While teenagers kill themselves each day because they feel less than? That’s condescending and heartless. Monstrous, actually.
The Regenerus study on gay parenting has been referred to a committee on publication ethics, which is a start.
It’s “monstrous” to oppose gay marriage. And the uncivil dialogue is my fault, in his view. That’s where we are.