Sullivan, Andrew

• Virtually Normal

  • This is a book about the politics of homosexuality in the 90's. Sullivan dissects several different political viewpoints and the justifications for each in an easy manner, reminiscent of his great writing for The New Republic and other magazines. It's a very well thought-out summary of several positions, and it's surprisingly a better (i.e. more convincing) articulation of the reasons for those who oppose, say, homosexual rights such as marriage, than any arguments I've heard from the right wing, even though Sullivan advocates a relatively liberal position.

    Ultimately, of course, Sullivan must disclose his own views for a "solution", and it is an interesting solution. Surprisingly (to me), Sullivan opposes anti-discriminatory laws that affect the private sector (such as laws that might protect a gay person from being fired or kicked out of a rental house/apartment based upon their sexual orientation). Instead, Sullivan proposes rules that completely rule out state-sponsored discrimination, reasoning that once official discriminatory policies fall by the wayside, in time the private practices of discrimination will fade. Trying to prematurely end private sector discrimination only invites a backlash, according to Sullivan.

    It's a view I didn't really consider before reading his book, but I've since come around. The basic gist of Sullivan's argument is that we should legalize marriage and completely integrate the military. Everything else should just wait until society changes since, as we all know but often forget, legislating behavior is essentially impossible. Like most good political books, it's a good read, regardless of your political leaning. Full of facts and great arguments.

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