Corvino—who is openly gay—has written, debated, and lectured extensively on gay rights and frequently debates with opponents of same-sex marriage, including Maggie Gallagher, the former head of the National Organization for Marriage, and Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family. Corvino argues that spirited dialogue and debate with opponents of homosexuality and same-sex marriage is essential to convince the wider American public of both the merits of same-sex marriage and the moral acceptability of homosexuality. Corvino has argued that gay rights activists should avoid referring to opponents of gay rights as "bigots", calling it a "conversation-stopper".
