Real Diversity: Disagreeing But Not Being Disagreeable

ESPN.com writer Jemele Hill recently wrote two insightful articles - the first being a balanced account of New York Giants Super Bowl hero David Tyree's controversial public stand against gay marriage, which has recently been sanctioned by law in New York state. The second article that she penned was essentially an account of the hate/fan mail that she received on account of the first article, with most of the detractors blasting her for having the audacity for not portraying David Tyree as an ignorant and uneducated bigot who has been brainwashed by an superstition-fueled religion based on an archaic book comparable to Grimm's Fairy Tales - which is how most of the other "mainstream media" portrayed Tyree.

Nope, Hill had the audacity to portray Tyree as a thoughtful man of religious conviction. Tyree does not 'hate' homosexuals and does not disagree with civil unions, or extending the same rights to gay couples that married, heterosexual couples receive. But David Tyree's moral convictions - largely, if not exclusively based on his religious convictions - dictate that marriage is a sacred institution reserved for a man and a woman.

But to some, Hill's balanced (or sympathetic) depiction of Tyree was an outrage, and some blasted ESPN.com for the audacity of publishing Hill's article in the first place as if Hill was sympathizing with Mein Kampf. Silence her! That sort of sentiment, of course, is yet another example of how the 'respect for diversity' movement has often tripped over itself in its hypocrisy.

Hill did well in recalling the words of an ESPN colleague:

The passionate responses to the Tyree column reminded me of an honest and thoughtful blog written by NBA analyst Chris Broussard, a devout Christian, after former NBA player John Amaechi disclosed in 2007 he is gay. Broussard wrote he believes the NBA is ready for a gay player, but he also powerfully laid out that while he's against homosexuality that doesn't preclude him from being friends with ESPN.com columnist LZ Granderson, who is openly gay (and a dear friend of mine, too).

Broussard wrote: "LZ and I know where each other stand and we respect each other's right to believe as he does. I know he's gay, and he knows I believe that's a sin. I know he thinks I get my moral standards from an outdated, mistranslated book, and he knows I believe he needs to change his lifestyle. Still, we can laugh together, and play ball together.

That's real diversity. Disagreeing but not being disagreeable."

And this is where I hope both sides on this discussion can move to. If Christians with such convictions can adopt the gracious perspective of Broussard, and those who believe as LZ Granderson do can treat Christians with respect without marginalizing them as 'ignorant bigots', we'll all be better for it.