Can I make a confession? There's a scene in Split Screen, my latest book, where Russel's parents make him go see a priest. Russel and that priest debate the church's take on gay people (which is, in both Russel's and my opinion, a creepy obsession with sexual acts and an illogical, almost pathological denial of the obvious, life-enriching feelings of love that can exist between people of the same sex).

In the end, Russel kinda makes the priest and the Church look like the foolish buffoons they are (IMHO). In fact, I even strongly hint that the priest is one of the "soul-sucking brain zombies" of the book's subtitle (Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies).

Now here's the confession part: I almost cut that scene from the last draft of the book. I thought about all the book challenges my books have had over the years (and all the library and school sales I've undoubtedly lost out on because my books are too "gay"), and I said to myself, "Do I really need this headache right now? Do I really want to open this can of anti-Catholic worms?" And while I'd tried really hard not to stereotype Catholics in that scene, I worried I'd let my strongly negative feelings of the Church get in the way of my writing; would people find it shrill and clunkily written? 

Finally, let's face it: I have a few friends who still cling to the sinking ship that is the Catholic Church, and I didn't want to hurt their feelings.

In the end, I decided, No, I really like this scene, and I've never read anything quite like it before. And for the record, that exact scene actually really happened to me, almost word-for-word.

So the book came out a couple of months ago, and the scene I've probably gotten the most feedback on is--yes, you guessed it!--the scene with the priest. I haven't heard a single negative word, just praise over how much people really like it.

Which isn't to say that this scene won't still get the book banned somewhere, but what can you do?

Anyway, despite being raised Catholic, and despite having sixteen years of Catholic schooling, I'm currently no fan of the Catholic Church. Obviously.

So what does this have to do with anything? Well, just that today the second highest ranking doctrine official at the Vatican (and a close friend of Pope Benedict, who definitely shares this official's views) called same-sex marriage "evil" and "perverse."

As I read this pronouncement, my first reaction was just to laugh. This sort of rhetoric is, of course, nothing new from this pope and this church (or even from Pope John Paul II, I'm sorry to point out to people who were fans of the previous pope).

But it's just so ludicious: two people loving each other, and having that love acknowledged by the government, is "evil"?! Legal protections to keep them from being kicked out of their homes or kept from hospital rooms where one partner might be dying, are "evil"?!! The best, most important, most moral thing in my life, my relationship with Michael, my partner of 15 years, is "evil"?!!!!

I'm speechless. I don't know how to respond to someone who sees the world in such a radically different way.

But I will say this: I can't believe I ever considered cutting that scene! I was worried that I was stereotyping them? Ha!

Wow. Having your relationship called "evil" sure clarifies the mind.

It's all cool,

Brent Hartinger 


My Books: 

* Dreamquest (my first fantasy, coming in May!)
* Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies/Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies 
* Grand & Humble
* The Order of the Poison Oak
* The Last Chance Texaco
* Geography Club

Explore "Brent's Brain"
See my anti-censorship blog, "AS IF! News"