‘You name the time and place’

National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown has challenged LGBT activist and “It Gets Better” founder Dan Savage to a duel — or, a debate, at least — and Savage has accepted.

Brown is outraged over a speech Savage delivered last month to a group of high school student journalists, where Savage called “bullshit” on those parts of the Bible that throughout history been used by “Christians” to justify the Holocaust, condone slavery, oppress women, and victimize gay people. In protest, a number of students walked out on Savage’s speech.

In a post on NOM’s website, Brown said, “He has refused to apologize for any of it, except for directly cursing at the teens who left. As a father of seven, watching it makes my blood boil.”

Now, Brown has a challenge: Let me lay down a public challenge to Dan Savage right here and now: You want to savage the Bible? Christian morality? Traditional marriage? Pope Benedict? I’m here, you name the time and the place and let’s see what a big man you are in a debate with someone who can talk back. It’s easy to make high-school girls cry by picking on them.

 Let’s pick on someone our own size!
[...]
You will find out out how venal and ridiculous your views of these things are if you dare to accept a challenge.

To no one’s surprise, Savage has accepted the offer. In a post of his blog at The Stranger, under the headline, “Confidential to NOM’s Brian Brown: You’re On, Motherfucker,” Savage wrote: I will name the time and the place, per your offer, as soon as possible. Looking forward to it, NOMnuts.