Dr. John Corvino
NACA SHOWCASING ARTIST - NORTHERN PLAINS LECTURE SHOWCASE ALTERNATE 2008, MID-AMERICA LECTURE SHOWCASE 2007, CENTRAL LECTURE SHOWCASE 2007, NATIONALS LECTURE SHOWCASE 2007, SOUTH LECTURE SHOWCASE 2006, NATIONALS TRAINING SHOWCASE 2006, NORTHERN PLAINS LECTURE SHOWCASE 2006
AFA SHOWCASING ARTIST - NATIONALS 2006
Programs:
"What's Morally Wrong with Homosexuality?"
Since 1992 Corvino has been challenging audiences to confront this very question: What is wrong with homosexuality, if anything (and if nothing, then what’s all the fuss about)? With a rare combination of humor, sensitivity, and intellectual rigor, he examines and dismantles the most common arguments against homosexual conduct—including those based on nature, harm, and religion. Whatever your sexual orientation, moral perspective, or religious convictions, this program will invite you to rethink some of the “easy assumptions” that often characterize the debate over homosexuality.
"Homosexuality, Morality, and Diversity"
How does the issue of sexual orientation fit into the general theme of diversity? And how can we talk about these issues without stepping all over one another's toes? In this program Corvino discusses how to foster respect for people’s diverse relationships while also respecting deeply held moral and religious convictions—all the while trying to avoid an attitude of “moral mushiness,” as he calls it. He also considers the prospects and pitfalls of analogies between sexual orientation and race, religion, and other diversity issues.
"Maintaining the Gay Moral High Ground"
In response to right-wing attacks, gays and lesbians are often tempted to declare that “morality is a strictly private matter” and that “we ought not to judge one another.” John Corvino disagrees, contending that although such declarations are well-intentioned, they are misguided—if not downright incoherent. He argues that gay-rights advocates not only can speak the language of morality, they must. In this program he demonstrates how one can adopt progressive, inclusive values without succumbing to a hopeless “anything goes” relativism. Unlike his other programs, this one is aimed mainly at GLBT audiences and their advocates.
"Homosexuality and the PIB Argument"
If we support homosexuality, why not polygamy? Why not incest? Why not bestiality? In this lecture Corvino examines the Polygamy, Incest, Bestiality (PIB) argument, and he concludes that it’s longer on rhetorical flourish than on logical force. He also demonstrates that the argument is nothing new, having been used before against interracial marriage and a variety of other perceived “threats” to the traditional family.
"By their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them: Homosexuality and the Bible"
An increasing number of religious believers acknowledge that gay and lesbian relationships seem to be an important source of love, affection, and support for certain people. At the same time, the Bible seems to condemn homosexual conduct unequivocally. Is it possible to reconcile Biblical faith with support for same-sex relationships, without simply reading our own wishes and desires into the Bible? John Corvino thinks so. In this lecture, he explains how human experience can be relevant to Biblical interpretation without trumping Biblical authority.
"Born or Made—and What’s the Difference?"
Some people think that homosexual people are “born that way” and that homosexual relationships are therefore permissible. Others claim that homosexuality is a “lifestyle choice” and that homosexual relationships are therefore wrong. Both sides seem to assume a direct connection between the cause of homosexuality, on the one hand, and the permissibility of homosexual relationships, on the other. According to Corvino, both sides are mistaken. In this program he explains the difference between three debates that are often confused—the “nature/nurture” debate, the choice/non-choice debate, and the highly theoretical “essentialist/constructionist” debate—and he argues that none of them is directly relevant to gay rights.
Dr. John Corvino
philosopher, moralist, gay-rights advocate
(Curriculum Vitae)
Dr. John Corvino, a.k.a “The Gay Moralist,” is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor.
For over 15 years he has been traveling the country speaking on gay rights. Combining philosophical rigor with sensitivity and humor, he challenges all sides of the debate to rethink easy assumptions about homosexuality and morality.
Dr. Corvino holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and is currently Associate Professor of Philosophy at Wayne State. An award-winning teacher, he is also the recipient of a 2004 Spirit of Detroit Award from the Detroit City Council for his work on behalf of GLBT rights.
He has written over 100 articles and opinion pieces, which have appeared in regional and national print media, at the online Independent Gay Forum and in numerous academic journals and anthologies.
Corvino’s column “The Gay Moralist” appears bi-weekly at LOGO Online’s 365gay.com, “America’s Most Read Gay News Source.”
"What's Morally Wrong with Homosexuality?"