There was so much more I actually wanted to say! For example, Kirchick completely misrepresents Larry Kramer’s point of view on integration. He takes a few passages from one of Kramer’s books, and twists them to mean something that Kramer wasn’t saying at all.

I should know, I sat in ActUp meetings for years with Larry Kramer present as we debated ideas about integration and radical liberation.

Larry Kramer could not have been part of Act Up if he took the positions Kirchick claims he did or does. I don’t know if accusing Kirchick of intellectual dishonesty on this point is appropriate, because maybe he just doesn’t know what he’s talking about. But he definitely doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

His sneering line about gay men finally maturing, though, written in the context of Kramer’s positions, crosses a line. Deserved a response.

Nonetheless, at over 2,000 words, my article is already long for Medium. Maybe another day!

Kirchick is the intellectual voice of the gay conservative movement, a lot smarter then most of the Log Cabin Republicans, so I doubt this is the last we’ll be hearing from him on the subject.