Musing on Andrew Sullivan's Marriage

There are times when I love Andrew Sullivan (The Daily Dish), despite our vast political and theological differences. For me, he’s at his best when he reflects on faith and theology, and when he applies his erudition to fillet the "neocons" and those he rightly calls “Christianists”—a term he coined, analogous to the terms “Islamists,” “Maoists,” “Zionists.” It connotes virulent political extremism, as it is meant to do, which is why Christianists take such heated exception to it. (FYI: A “Christianist” is--in my terms--a rightwing political agent/ideologue who strews biblicisms before him like desiccated blossoms and finds more of the Loving Carpenter in Leviticus and Deuteronomy than in the verses ascribed to Jesus himself. It’s a mystery.)

I intend to write more about Sullivan from time to time, but for now, I’ll say what I say about any other out gay or lesbian conservative. If the essence of conservatism is standing for traditional social and political values and advocating deliberate (glacial) change, essentially he is--they are--a glaring rebuke to it.

In his essence he contradicts its essence. We don’t come out gay or lesbian, or get married as gays or lesbians, especially having been traditional Christians since childhood, without drawing deeply on our own inner strengths and essential beliefs.

These, ipso facto, are not conservative. They are profoundly liberal. That is, they and the resulting actions profounding contractict both prevailing social mores and the conservative dictum regarding the pace of decorous, prudent change. Further, they reveal profound belief in the individual’s inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and in our individual responsibility to act, alone and collectively, to remove any hostile feet from our necks. Despite how conservatives like to appropriate these values unto themselves, and denigrate liberals who exhibit them, these liberal values are enshrined in our Constitution. That anyone so boldly espousing them can identify as "conservative" is a mystery.

Nevertheness, despite our differences, I wish to Andrew and his love what I wish to those of us who married at the San Francisco City Hall in February, 2004 -- I'm thinking now of course of CJ and me, and especially of Keith and Andreas, for reasons they'll understand: the happiest of weddings and honeymoons, a life of unfolding wonder, generosity, courage, and kindness, and lasting joy in each other.

And a safe return home and to the blogosphere.