Faith In The West Wing: A Powerful Message

Have Faith is the tenth episode of the sixth season of The West Wing, which aired on January 5, 2005. In the episode, an internet rumour surfaces that CJ is a lesbian, and an anti-gay marriage amendment is attached to the federal budget. Josh and Toby try to kill the amendment without forcing the President to take a public stance on the issue. The episode also features the first mention of a gay nephew of the Vice President, foreshadowing the Supreme Court's legalization of same-sex marriage ten years later.

CJ's rumoured sexual orientation

In the episode "Faith-Based Initiative", an Internet rumour surfaces that C.J. is a lesbian. C.J. refuses to put out a statement, which only makes the media press harder. The story appears to have cost C.J. a chance at another date with "Tommy", who has not called her. Annabeth, C.J.'s aide, tells her that the story is growing. C.J. unloads on Leo about the Internet story, but refuses to answer the question of her sexual orientation when asked by a reporter, stating that it's "none of [their] business".

CJ's refusal to comment on her sexual orientation

In the episode "Faith-Based Initiative", an internet rumour surfaces that C.J. is a lesbian. C.J. refuses to comment on her sexual orientation, which only makes the media press harder. She is getting ready for work when her phone buzzes with a notification about a blog story questioning her sexual orientation.

C.J. arrives at the White House for a senior staff meeting, where they discuss budget negotiations, the President's legacy, the Vice President's campaign, and a situation in Uzbekistan. Later, Annabeth tells C.J. that she will need to comment on the Wilkinson Amendment, and C.J. asks her to draft a statement for her to see in an hour.

C.J. goes on to meet with Leo, to whom she unloads her frustration about the internet story. She tells him that she needs him to stay, and so does the President. Toby then comes to C.J. to tell her that the Vice President is not being helpful in combating the amendment, and that Josh is thinking of leaving. He tells her that it's just the two of them holding everything together for the final year.

C.J. then returns to her office, where she is asked by a reporter if she is gay. She refuses to answer the question directly, instead saying that it's none of their business. She then leaves the room and rips up the statement she was planning to read.

CJ's date with Tommy

C.J. Cregg is the White House Press Secretary and is at the centre of a media storm regarding her sexual orientation. She refuses to put out a statement, which only fuels the fire.

Amidst this, C.J. is hoping for another date with a man named Tommy, who she has been out with twice in the past week. However, the rumours about her sexual orientation have seemingly cost her this chance, as Tommy does not call her.

C.J. is upset about this, and vents to Annabeth Schott, who is helping her deal with the media storm. She says:

> "I'm absolutely crazy about this man I just met and had two fabulous dinners with in the space of one week. A man who hasn't called me today probably because he's of the undependable gender or maybe he has even less of an idea about how to deal with my alleged and fictitious lesbianism than I do. So he'll just remain silent like a submarine under the icecap, and drift away."

Gay marriage

In the season 6 episode "Faith-Based Initiative", President Josiah Bartlet, a rosary-praying, Latin-speaking Catholic, faces an anti-gay-marriage amendment attached to the federal budget. The episode aired in 2005, when gay marriage was still illegal in the US, and the show's writers did not present a pro-gay-marriage viewpoint, except through the mouths of bigots or fools.

Senator Sam Wilkinson, a conservative congressman, tells Bartlet that he believes the President wants a federal ban on gay marriage too, and reminds him that he said as much at a prayer breakfast: "You told me as much six weeks ago...that civil unions are one thing but that marriage is between a man and a woman."

Bartlet, who is in a wheelchair due to his MS, responds with a comparison to his loss of balance:

> "I can’t stand up anymore. I’ve lost my balance. It should come back, but it’s gone now. I try thinking it back, but it’s difficult because it’s not a static thing. Once it’s gone, it’s hard to imagine having it back again and it’s disheartening to realize that thinking just isn’t gonna get it done. You’ve just got to trust that you’ll happen onto it again. It went away."

One interpretation of this dialogue is that Bartlet is comparing the congressman's confusion and fear about the world changing to his own experience of losing control of his body. No matter how many laws the congressman passes, he can't stop gay people from wanting to get married, just like Bartlet can't control his body during an MS episode no matter how much he wills it.

Another interpretation is that Bartlet is talking about his presidency, and how he is losing control of his agenda as he nears the end of his time in office.

Bartlet's staff, Josh and Toby, try to kill the amendment without forcing the President to take a public position on the issue. They are unsuccessful, and the President works out a deal with Wilkinson directly.

In the episode, Vice-President Robert Russell reveals he has a gay nephew and predicts that same-sex marriage will be legal in ten years if it's done right. This prediction came true in 2015, when the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage.

Toby's religious beliefs

In the episode "Faith-Based Initiative", Toby is asked if he believes the Bible to be literally true, and he says yes. As a practising Jew, Toby should have said no, because while the Old Testament of the Christian Bible is the same as the Jewish Torah, Jews do not believe in the professed "truth" of the Christian New Testament.

Toby's beliefs are also reflected in the episode titles, such as "Take This Sabbath Day", "Faith-Based Initiative", and "In God We Trust", and in his biblically-based name.

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