The project of persuasion on LGBT issues is so fraught with difficulty that it’s no wonder so many people abandon it. Even engaging in the process can seem like a weakness, since we need allies and the objects of our persuasive attempts may not need us at all. It can be one-sided, since they may feel they gain nothing–or perhaps lose something–from seeing our point of view. Every step seems distorted by longstanding prejudices, social pressures, and willfully misleading rhetoric from the well-organized, well-funded master orators who oppose our equality. Those distortions are so well-woven into our environment that they’re hard to see, even when you’re willing to see them.

A memo to Bryan Fischer, Director of Issues Analysis, American Family Association.

In response to my Chick-Fil-A essay, I got a lot of letters kind of like this one.

Over 1 Million Page Views! That seems like a good milestone to stop and pause in wonder at how amazing Twitter is, and how delightfully generous, loving, and healing total strangers can be, even as friends are being cruel. I’m simply gobsmacked by the response a little blog post intended for a few friends can receive, and I feel honored to have found a place on your Twitter feed, your Facebook feed, your website. After the events of the past few days, I’m simultaneously undaunted, hopeful, and amazed, and want to share with you some of the reasons why.