September 23, 1999
Andrew Sullivan, Former Editor in Chief of The
New Republic, to Speak on Bigotry at Middlebury College on Oct.
7
Praise for Andrew Sullivan: “Gay service
members are now allowed into the military, only to face a series
of trip-wires intended to flush them out. They have become, in
effect, the unintended bait of rogue military commanders.”
— Andrew Sullivan, “Undone by ‘Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell,’” The New York Times, Op-Ed, April 9, 1998
Author, columnist, and former editor in chief of
The New Republic, Andrew Sullivan will give a talk titled “Who
is a Bigot?” on Thursday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Middlebury
College’s Mead Chapel on Hepburn Road, off College Street (Route
125). Sullivan’s lecture is
part of a two-day visit to Middlebury under the Twilight Scholar’s
Program. The
event is free and open to the public.
As the youngest editor in The New Republic’s history
(1991-1996), Sullivan, who was 28 when he took over the magazine,
distinguished himself by exploring the more sociological facets
of politics—a reflection of his desire to make the magazine more
relevant to readers of his generation.
In his talk on bigotry, he will ask questions about
whether or not bigotry is the same with regard to race, gender,
and homosexuality, and how society can encourage tolerance without
infringing on the right to free speech. Sullivan will argue that
there are limits to attempting to enforce social tolerance.
In his writings and in his speeches, he has confronted
some of society’s most controversial issues, most notably gay
rights and same-sex marriage. A practicing Catholic, he has also
challenged the Church’s position on gay life.
Sullivan is the author of the critically acclaimed
landmark book, “Virtually Normal: An Argument About Homosexuality”
(1995). In 1997, he edited a companion volume, “Same Sex
Marriage: Pro and Con, A Reader.”
A native of Great Britain, Sullivan came to the United
States on a Harkness Fellowship, the British equivalent of the
Rhodes Scholarship. He has a master’s degree in public administration
and a doctorate in political science from Harvard University’s
John F. Kennedy School of Government. He earned his undergraduate
degree at Oxford.
In 1996, Adweek magazine named Andrew Sullivan Editor
of the Year. He received the National Magazine Awards for reporting,
general excellence, and public interest in 1992 and 1995. His
work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal,
and Esquire. Currently he writes a column on American politics
for The Sunday Times of London.
Sullivan has spoken extensively on college campuses
and appeared on numerous television and radio programs, including
the “CBS Evening News,” “The Charlie Rose Show,”
and National Public Radio’s “Fresh Air.”
For more information about the lecture, contact Leroy
Nesbitt, special assistant to the president, at 802-443-3166.