There's an overview article here at advocate.com, and an after-the-debate commentary by the moderator, Mark Oppenheimer, here in the New York Times.
I think Dan represented the pro-gay marriage side very well.
It was interesting that Dan's idea of inviting Brian into his home to have dinner with Dan's husband and teenage son before the debate didn't have the impact Dan had hoped... rather than impress upon Brian the day-to-day reality of our gay families, Dan felt it hampered him by imposing a "host" mentality, making him more conciliatory than he intended.
I wish Mark or Dan had asked Brian if he believed there is a civil realm of marriage, separate from the religious. With Brian repeatedly falling back on "natural law" and marriage being the bringing together of the "two sides of humanity," he was arguing a religious point of view when the debate is over civil marriage rights.
And that idea that gender is so binary is really due for re-thinking!
Brian's scoffing that marriage focused on adult wants (rather than the needs of children) would lead to the destruction of marriage altogether (gay marriage would then lead to polygamy - marrying more than one person) ignored the reality of the family whose home he was in - two married men, raising a child. A family much like mine.
It was also fascinating to read in the New York Times article that Brian's wife didn't join him on the trip, though she was invited - she was home, pregnant with their eighth child.
At the end of the debate, Mark asked both Brian and Dan if anything could ever shake their view on Gay Marriage.
I'll let you listen to their answers, but if found myself wondering...
If, statistics being what they are, one of Brian's children grows up and realizes they are gay, and comes out, and finds love... will Brian attend that child's wedding? Will it change his religiously-based view of marriage when keeping gay people out of his 'marriage country club' affects someone he loves?
Because right now that's what it feels like. Marriage is a country club that Brian and his fellow country club members would like to keep just for people like them. And if they let us in, they're sure it will destroy marriage - destroy the club - completely.
And then they complain of being called bigots, when all they want to do is keep the club pristine and unsullied by the likes of us.
There's one word for that desire: Prejudice.
Watch it, and let me know your take on the debate...