Via 365Gay: Culhane: But are they “bigots”?

 

 

By John Culhane, Professor of Law, Widener University
07.01.2011 8:00am EDT

 

It’s been much remarked lately that those who oppose marriage equality have been trying to stand the facts of the world on their heads. In a move that’s been at least partially successful, some of them claim that what we’re trying to do is to silence them, to drive their views from “the public square” (one could create a drinking game based on Maggie Gallagher’s use of that term), and to label them “bigots.”
So they are the “victims” – not those of us who are denied basic equality. Read this recent interview with Gallagher in the wake of the New York victory – it won’t take you long to find the words “bigotry”, “silenced,” and – of course – “public square.” [Glug.]

This strategy makes sense, from their perspective. As it’s become glaringly apparent that they don’t have convincing legal or policy reasons for excluding us from the benefits of and protections of marriage, they attempt to shift the terms of the debate by labeling us intolerant.

make the jump here to read the full article