Don’t fight homophobia with misogyny

I have to admit that I have not really been following the Carrie Prejean story. It just didn’t matter to me much what Miss California’s position was on gay marriage. But I very much agree with Feministing: <blockquote>there are plenty of ways to fight back against discrimination and hypocrisy - sexually shaming women isn’t one of them. Not only is it intellectually lazy (really, there’s no other way to show that Prejean’s comments were terrible?), but fighting homophobia with misogyny pretty much reeks of hypocrisy itself, no?</blockquote>

As I wrote the other day in the Concord at Luther (our student newspaper),

I believe that being a good learner means being able to explain clearly the specific position you’re arguing with so well that an advocate for that position would recognize it. If you’re not doing so, you are breaking the 8th commandment.

Far from attacking those with whom we disagree, we ought to be respectfully engaging their arguments.