https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-59tac-1ba4e93
In June, a New York Times op-ed titled “I’m Gay, Not Queer. It Matters.” set off a firestorm. Some readers heard a gay man distancing himself from transgender people. Others heard something much more complicated. What does it mean to call yourself queer instead of gay, and what is at stake for LGBTQ equality?
Dennis talks with Matthew Vines, the author of the article, founder and executive director of the Reformation Project, and author of God and the Gay Christian. Matthew explains why he wrote the piece, arguing that “queer” can be offered as a neutral umbrella word and then arrive with a set of ideological expectations. They talk about queer theory and Foucault, and about why Matthew believes being gay should not require a particular worldview. He says plainly that he supports trans and bi people, and that his point is about freedom of thought, not division. As he puts it, “gay people should all have the freedom to think for ourselves.”
In this episode:
- Matthew’s evangelical Presbyterian upbringing and how he came to rethink his beliefs
- Why he wrote the article, and what happened after marriage equality
- Queer as an umbrella label versus an ideology
- A Christian view of power, norms, and marriage
- His hopes for the conversation
Links:
- Matthew Vines: matthewvines.com
- The Reformation Project: reformationproject.org
- The New York Times article and Matthew’s follow-up on Substack
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