Gay jokes - seriously!
by David Kirp
When it comes to same-sex marriage, is pointed satire possible - not merely on the Jon Stewart or Jay Leno TV shows but in political life? Certainly not in federal court, where the issue has taken on a life-or-death quality for gays. But the ballot box is another story. The most important gay-… More
Dollars for Scholars
by David Kirp
When Don Griffin, the chancellor of San Francisco City College, announced a plan to sell naming rights to courses on his campus, the story made national news. The pundits had a field day. How about the Exxon ecology course, they chortled, or the Bernie Madoff finance class? What about Marlboro … More
Is same-sex marriage still a generation away?
On Shifting Attitudes in America
Champagne corks were popping last week among supporters of same-sex marriage. No wonder: In the span of five days, the number of states where gays and lesbians could tie the knot doubled, from two to four. The Supreme Court of Iowa, a state not usually in the progressive vanguard, declared that gays had … More
Minority students will reach for a higher bar
by David Kirp
Check out commencement photos from elite private universities like Harvard or Stanford, and you'll see a considerable number of black and Latino graduates. Race-conscious admissions policies are the main reason. A recent study finds that, at such schools, black and Hispanic students receive the equivalent of … More