I guess this is a big deal in Christian music and Lesbian circles

Can I give some props? I think I can.

Props to Mark Moring from Christianity Today, who interviewed Christian music singer Jennifer Knapp. I remember her name from around the place back in the day. She had that guitar-driven chick soft rock style.

She quit music for seven years, moved to Australia and lived with her girlfriend. Now she's making a comeback to music and is understandably unsure about how she will be received.

Back to the props. Moring did a great job with the interview. He asked the questions his audience would like answered, didn't push it too far, but also didn't hold back. That is a tough ask in an interview where you are acutely aware of what the sensitive issues are. It's not a lot of fun asking people questions they don't really want to answer.

My tips for asking tough questions in a sensitive interview:
1) Start with a couple of warm ups to get the interviewee comfortable. Don't let this drag on too long though.
2) If a natural opportunity presents itself, ask the tough question. As you become more practiced, you will find ways of asking questions that will lead where you want them to go.
3 Even if you're nervous, don't show it. Don't ramble on. If you're going to ask the question - ask it.
4) Keep your tone neutral. Ask the question clearly and concisely and wait for the answer.
5) If the answer isn't satisfactory, ask the question again. If the interviewee gets testy, it's time to wrap it up. This is a sensitive issue and you've given them two chances to talk about it.

Anyway, that interview was a bit different to the one in gay magazine The Advocate (not the paper I used to work for, just to clear that up). The writer was clearly asking questions for a different audience. Like the commenters at AfterEllen, who are stoked with the news. And, again, a different reaction from readers at Christianity Today.

So props to Mark Moring. Sensitive interviews aren't easy, but they are necessary. They can be emotionally draining for the interviewer, just as they can be very tough for the interviewee.