Andrew Sullivan’s Virtually Normal Essay Example

Is being gay and being Catholic an acceptable belief in todays society? In the 1990s religion was a big deal and people had many different views. The bible is a staple in most religions including Catholicism. Catholicism is a religion that has been around for the entirety of time. Believing in Catholicism is following the Catholic beliefs and the Catholic church is the supreme authority. One of these believes is the act of homosexuality is a sin. Leviticus 18:22 essentially states that no man is to have sexual relations with another man and that God dislikes that. One man did not care about this belief and still decided to follow his heart. That man is Andrew Sullivan, a 58 year old British-American author, editor and blogger. Sullivan graduated with a Bachelors from Oxford and went on to Harvard University to get his doctorate. Published in 1995, Andrew Sullivan’s Virtually Normal was an argument about homosexuality and Catholicism. At this current period most people never imagined such a thing as a gay Catholic due to it being a sin and people may of been too uncomfortable to open up and come out of their shell. Also, during this time period gay marriage was not legalized. Andrew Sullivan highlights different troubles and misconceptions on the topic. Also, Sullivan hopes to be able to work with the Catholic church and give hope to the matter of homosexuality. Sullivan’s book highlights the argument of being gay and Catholic and also being comfortable with going against the norm and being okay with backlash. 

Initially, Sullivan takes a dive into his first experience with homosexuality and being able to accept that it was just simply something apart of his life. The first encounter Sullivan had with this was at his Communion. During a Catholic Communion one is presented with wine and bread at the altar. These two pieces when blessed by a priest are seen as the body and blood of Jesus Christ. A staple in Catholic churches is Communion and it is not very common for one to feel a sense of discomfort, however Andrew Sullivan did. This is shown in the text when Sullivan states, “Looking back, I realize that that moment at the Communion rail was the first time I had actually addressed the subject of homosexuality explicitly in front of anyone; and I had brought it to God in the moments before the most intimate act of sacramental Communion. Because it was something I was deeply ashamed of, I felt obliged to confront it.” This explains how Sullivan was feeling during something that every Catholic individual goes through. It was hard for him to address his sexuality but he went against his feelings and took a step outside of his comfort zone. He continues on to say that there was tension in the balance of feelings he was getting, he was getting a sense of rejection but also alliance. All in all, Sullivan expresses his thoughts and feelings during a sacramental Communion and also how people reacted to this news. 

Secondly, Sullivan believed that being gay and Catholic was something he did not choose it was just apart of his lifestyle. He does this by mentioning that one sexuality is not a choice but there are choices that come along with that decision. This is shown in the text when Sullivan states, “Like faith, one’s sexuality is not simply a choice, it informs a whole way of being; but like faith, it involves choices -  the choice to affirm or deny the central part of one’s being, the choice to live a life that does not deny but confronts reality, the choice to persist in the adventure of one’s own existential journey, despite its destination’s being uncertain and its hazards unknown.’’ This quote supports Sullivans argument of being gay is not a choice but it is who he is and he can not change that. He continues on to say that the only answer he had to question of how he could be gay and Catholic was simply that he was. This is supported when Sullivan states, “As I grew older, they became part of me, inseparable from my understanding of myself and of my relationship with God. My faith existed at the foundation of how I saw the world; my sexuality grew to be inseparable from how I felt with the world.” Being gay and Catholic is apart of who he is, this was a way he saw the world and he did not care about any backlash. With that being said, Sullivans sexuality and religion was a part of who he was and he was not willing to change his ways.

Lastly, Sullivan wants to be able to implement hope into the Catholic Church and give other gay Catholics equal treatment not neccessary inclusion. Sullivan has no real desire to go against the church; he just wants to feel welcomed and not looked at any differently than a regular Catholic. This is show in the text when he states, “This truth will one day, I pray, overcome the current doctrine of the Church on the matter of homosexuality. To say that is not to oppose the Church, but to hope in it, to believe in it as a flawed institution that is yet the eternal vessel of God’s love.” Sullivan simply does not want to go against the Church, he wants to work with the doctrine on the topic of homosexuality. He continues his argument by saying that multiple lives are affected by their decisions and wants them to be treated equally. All in all, Sullivan aspires to work with the Catholic church on the topic of sexuality and give other gay Catholics hope.

In conclusion, Andrew Sullivan is a gay Catholic, British-American author, editor, and blogger. Sullivan who got his doctorate from Harvard published multiple books including, Virtually Normal, published in 1995. In his book he offers an argument about homosexuality and Catholicism. Sullivan mentions the different hardships he faced including the time he had to first address his sexuality at his Communion. He also argued that being gay and Catholic was not a choice but there were many choices that came along with it. He supported this case by comparing it to faith and he further explains different choices one can make. He finishes his argument by mentioning how one day he can work with the Catholic church and give hope to other gay Catholics out there. Sullivan solely wanted equal treatment not inclusion. To sum it up, being gay is accepted but there are still some distinctions and hardships they may face.