Current Indiana law does not protect people from being fired, or denied housing, simply because they are gay or transgendered. When this fact comes up in one of my classes, it usually stuns my students, most of whom were born after passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. They regard civil rights laws as part of the natural order of things, and even those who are disapproving of homosexuality are appalled that people could actually lose their jobs or homes because they are gay.
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Do You See What I See?
Michael Kinsley recently defined “spin” as a “description of reality that suits your purposes. Whether it resembles the reality we all share is an issue that doesn’t even arise.”
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School Days
America is full of bi-polar people, by which I mean people who approach every issue as a pro or con choice between two–and only two–alternatives. In real life, of course, most choices are not so limited. Here in Indianapolis, the flap over School #54 is a perfect example.
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Jim Jeffords and Me
On the wall of my office, in a prominent spot among the memorabilia I have accumulated over the years, is a framed letter from my longtime hero, Barry Goldwater. The letter was a response to the only fan letter I have ever sent anyone, a fan letter prompted by Goldwater’s position on gays in the military (“You don’t have to be straight, you just have to shoot straight.”).
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Respect and the Supreme Court
By the time this column is printed, the stunning Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas will be over six weeks old, and the implications will just be sinking in.
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