Writer Explains Why He Is Often Criticized as a 'Heteronormative Thinker

Brandon Ambrosino is a contributing writer for The Atlantic who "[flows] between extremes," in his words.

"I went from Liberty University to Manhattan, where I was a dancer, so I had one foot in the conservative Christian world and another foot in a forward thinking industry," he explained on the Glenn Beck Program Tuesday.

In a discussion of Washington state's decision to to automatically convert thousands of domestic partnerships into marriages, Ambrosino, who is gay, said there are many elements to consider regarding the issue.

Brandon Ambrosino appears on the Glenn Beck Program Feb. 18, 2014. (Photo: TheBlaze TV)

"A lot of the criticism I get from gay activists is that I'm too much of a heteronormative thinker," he explained. "A lot of queer thinkers reject the institution of marriage, but they still want all the benefits that the institution allows for. So some of them don't want the word marriage, so they would prefer a domestic partnership. So we have to think about all of these questions."

"Hang on," Beck said with a laugh and a quizzical look. "I was just trying to, it took me a second to get past, 'heteronormative thinker'? Does that mean that all the words in the language and everything that heterosexual culture came up with is bad? Help me out."

"Yeah," Ambrosino agreed. "So some people say that I play by the rules of straight society a lot, and they say that I just aspire to everything straight society wants."

Brandon Ambrosino and Billy Hallowell appear on the Glenn Beck Program Feb. 18, 2014. (Photo: TheBlaze TV)

Beck said the world is "such a confusing place now," but the most important thing to remember is that people have the right to follow the dictates of their own conscience, as long as they are not hurting anyone. You should still stand for the rights of those you disagree with, he argued.

Ambrosino agreed, saying in his experience at Liberty University and Manhattan he noticed that "these groups have a lot more in common than they're willing to acknowledge," and he is always looking for ways to "foster reconciliation."

"So I think that's the theme in all of my writing, and in the way I'm trying to live," he said. "How can I say, 'hey, let's get at this thing with kindness.'"

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