In Remembrance

On the passing of our friend and former IGF editor and contributing author Paul Varnell, here’s one of his colulmns many recall fondly: A Valentine’s Story.

More. An example of how Paul will be missed. When Sarah Schulman wrote recently in the New York Times (“Israel and ‘Pinkwashing’”) to condemn gays who support Israel, which she characterized as “the tendency among some white gay people to privilege their racial and religious identity,” it would be good to have heard Paul’s voice, as in this 2002 column “Israel, Palestine, and Gays.”

Furthermore. A tribute by Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg, which includes this quote from Paul:

“This suggests,” Varnell continued, “that what would work best for us is an approach that emphasizes sharing our common humanity rather than attacking the mainstream and portraying ourselves as an aggrieved, victimized and petulant minority. It is, after all, the homophobes who are the sad, isolated, troubled little clot of obscurantists.”

More still. Remembrances by journalist Rex Wockner.

And here is the Chicago Tribune’s obit.

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