Fifty years ago the nation passed the Civil Rights Act.  Six years ago we elected an African American as President of the United States.  Yet contrary to the hopes of many, we do not live in a post racial society.  

While gay rights and gay marriage are often seen as the civil right issues of our time, and yes remarkable progress has been made, we are also far from a post gay or post gender world.

The reality is, as racial differences have taught us, too much  assimilation and tolerance are potential traps that can wipe out identity and water down the very differences that have been fought for.

In short, is the battle for any civil right about viva la difference, or about homogenization? These are some of the questions that Suzanna Walters asks in The Tolerance Trap: How God, Genes, and Good Intentions are Sabotaging Gay Equality.

My conversation with Suzanna Walters: