Can’t affirm our inherent dignity? You’re still not our friend, no matter who you’ve fooled in Chicago. John Shore, a Christian activist who actually actively supports the LGBT community, had the following exchange with Andrew Marin of the Marin Foundation on Twitter. It’s revelatory:
Andrew Marin: [Part 1] You don’t know all the facts, neither does Dan [Savage]. Pls come to Boystown & talk to me & all the LGBT folks & activists that [Part 2] love & support us. Open invite always stands. Would love to hang.
John Shore: true! I don’t know all the facts. I did read lots of your work on your site; I never saw you say gay isn’t a sin.
[Here Andrew greatly surprised me by affirming that he has never said that being gay isn’t a sin. I was less surprised when he quickly deleted that, and instead wrote:]
Andrew Marin: Let’s hv a convo then. U seem like a guy wanting to communicate the truth & not hear-say. Shame u didn’t reach out beforehand. [Part 2] Just wish convos happen. Problematic when respectable folks don’t take 1 extra step b4 they make public statements.
John Shore: I DID take the extra step: I read the articles by you on your site. That took real time.
Andrew Marin: Then u noticed I focus on cultural engagement regardless of belief system; not focusing on belief alignment. So we going 2 talk?
John Shore: Tell me homosexuality isn’t a sin, and we’ve got ourselves chat. Don’t, and we don’t–cuz then I already know who u r.
Andrew Marin: Tell me when 2 grown men must hv a prerequisite agreement before they can hv a simple convo? U nervous to talk instead of type?
John Shore: Why would I be “nervous” about talking to you? You play the middle for your own gain. Hardly intimidating.
Andrew Marin: All I want to do is have a real life conversation. Too much scapegoating online w/140 characters; not sufficient.
John Shore: “It’s no sin to be gay.” That was 21 characters. See how easy?
Shore sums up the conversation:
As of this writing Andrew has yet to respond. I’m confident that when/if he does, he won’t say anything beyond how important it is to continue the dialogue, to keep building bridges, to live in hope, to reach out in love, fuzzy, fuzzy, blah, blah, tastes great, less filling.
Why some people out there actually think it’s encouraging to “build bridges” with people who hate you is beyond me. I promise it does not ultimately enhance the lives of LGBT people to help them “dialogue” with people who won’t even affirm that their lives and loves are worthwhile. Andrew Marin pretends that he plays the “middle” on this, but that’s absolute BS. Why? Because he already affirms the “fundamentalist Christian” lifestyle. That’s supposedly the “other side” that he’s trying to help “build bridges” with the LGBT community. The fundamentalist straight Evangelicals? Their inherent dignity and worthiness is a given.
But not for the gays. Oh, no, not for the gays. But here, have some lovey-dovey feel-good pablum.
