Gwendolyn Dean: [Andrew Sullivan's] book was on politics and social acceptance and he introduces a historical perspective. He then leaves out whatever part of history doesn't support his argument.
"Le Critic": Okay, now you are finally touching on specifics about why you detest Andy's book. That is more effective than just lunging into ad hominem. You have sounded shrill in previous posts, but better in this one. I imagine that you are a bright, young college student.
You are mistaken, sir. Gwendolyn Dean is a 92-year-old inmate at a Seattle-area convalescent hospital who, in her earlier life, was everything from A to Z. Here's her resumé:
| 1920-1932 | taffy-puller and part-time belly dancer on the boardwalk at Atlantic City |
| 1932-1937 | marathon dancer who, with her partner Eddie "Crybaby" Amundson, won grand prizes at Topeka, Abilene, Grand Rapids, Albuquerque, Stockton, Rochester, Crazy Horse, Missoula, Oklahoma City, Raleigh, and San Diego. |
| 1937-1941 | mural painter for the WPA |
| 1942-1946 | driver of an 18-wheeler, regularly driving between Flint, Michigan and Oakland, California, and between Boise, Idaho and Dallas, Texas. |
| 1946-1962 | pneumatic-drill operator in Manhattan, Chicago, Seoul, San Francisco, Houston, Omaha, Sao Paulo, Bombay, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Thule, Dar es Salaam, Valpairso, Hyderabad, Sydney, the Comoros Islands, Portland, Saskatoon, etc. etc. |
"Le Critic": I don't know what he could possibly use as a basis for comparison. How do you rate a relationship? Relationships are more an Art than a science. Really, thinking either one better than the other is silly.
Gwendolyn: Don't ask me, I think Andy-boy's an offensive moron. But according to him, God thinks relationships have inherent merit.
"Le Critic": Difficult to say what God thinks, in my opinion, better not to say anything like that. But, Andy does not think as I do. Andy is a theist, and I believe Catholic.
Uh, maybe you didn't know this, but Andrew Sullivan has been passing himself off for the past 15+ years as a practicing Catholic.
"Le Critic": Whatever. I think you're slouching into a child-like manner now.
She's 92 years old, for heavens' sake. Leave her alone!
"Le Critic": Outside of your tiny lesbian clique,
Right. It consists of her and ... herself.
"Le Critic": you will have a difficult time persuading anyone of your beliefs, when carrying on in a vein like this. What is your objective? Do you think before you write, of the possible reactions to your words?
Well, I can't speak for Gwendolyn, but for myself I can say that
I'm several years older than Andrew Sullivan, I came out quite
dramatically -- to both my schoolmates and friends and to my family
-- when I was 15 (in 1970), I have consistently found Sullivan's
arguments about gay rights and so on to be excessively apologetic
and incidentally (maybe unconsciously) hateful, I find his
neo-conservative apologies for Christianity and, especially,
Catholicism, to be embarassing at best, and I could go on and on.
And Sullivan's pet projects -- gay marriage, for instance -- don't
interest me in the least. Why should I defer to, or even credit
the tired arguments of, someone like Andrew Sullivan? His prose
style isn't even all that good.
