
Heritage’s Ryan Anderson takes a question about traditional marriage at Boston College. Photo: Ryan Anderson
College campuses are not known for being a welcoming place for conservatives. Especially when you’re talking about the importance of traditional marriage.
A Heritage Foundation scholar nevertheless went to Boston College this week to explain traditional marriage to an overflow crowd.
When the event was announced, gay rights organizations on campus took to social media, encouraging students to show up to challenge Anderson’s message, reports The Heights student newspaper.
Anderson didn’t let the crowd deter him. Instead, he opened by explaining he was not going to speak out against gay marriage in a way they expected:
“From the looks of the t-shirts, this is probably a challenge for most of the audience,” he said. “I want to know what you think marriage is … that’s actually the question that people in favor of redefining marriage refuse to answer. And they refuse to answer that question by hiding behind what I think is a rather sloppy slogan: marriage equality.” …
“Marriage is a personal relationship that benefits the public good in a way that very few other personal relationships do. It’s the least restrictive way that a political community has to ensure the wellbeing of children—it’s the least restrictive, least coercive way to ensure that someone raises that child.”
Even if he didn’t sway many students, Anderson’s arguments offered a principled counterpoint to the liberal consensus on same-sex marriage.
Have you ever had to present your conservative ideas to a hostile audience? Tell us what happened in the comments.