Book Reviews: Gay Rights, Gay Marriage, Homosexuality, Etc.
Homosexuality is the subject of much political, religious, and cultural debate today. Gays have historically been treated as second-class citizens, but today they are fighting hard for equal rights - for example, the right to marry. Books reviewed here address the nature of homosexuality, arguments for gay rights, gay marriage, and more.
What God Has Joined Together? A Christian Case for Gay Marriage
The legalization of gay marriage is one of the most significant cultural and legal debates in America today. Opponents of gay marriage are almost entirely Christian and their arguments are framed by traditional Christians beliefs. What about supporters? Well, many if not most of them are Christians, too, but their arguments are usually framed by Ameican political traditions of liberty and equality. Can they, and should they, try to construct more Christian arguments as well?
The legalization of gay marriage is one of the most significant cultural and legal debates in America today. Opponents of gay marriage are almost entirely Christian and their arguments are framed by traditional Christians beliefs. What about supporters? Well, many if not most of them are Christians, too, but their arguments are usually framed by Ameican political traditions of liberty and equality. Can they, and should they, try to construct more Christian arguments as well?
What Is Marriage For? Strange Social History of our Most Intimate Institution
Nearly every culture on record has an institution we can label 'marriage' if we define the concept broadly enough - and that's precisely the point we need to keep in mind. Marriage, as an institution, does not exist at every time and in every culture in exactly the same way. Marriage, like culture, has evolved in a variety of ways in order to serve human needs. Unfortunately, marriage has also become a political football in which people invest all their ideals and expectations.
Nearly every culture on record has an institution we can label 'marriage' if we define the concept broadly enough - and that's precisely the point we need to keep in mind. Marriage, as an institution, does not exist at every time and in every culture in exactly the same way. Marriage, like culture, has evolved in a variety of ways in order to serve human needs. Unfortunately, marriage has also become a political football in which people invest all their ideals and expectations.
Marriage, a History: From Obedience to Intimacy
Debates about the legalization of gay marriage have forced society to take a closer look at the institution of marriage itself. Opponents of gay marriage insist that it must be preserved in its traditional form, but their arguments are completely ahistorical. Marriage has changed dramatically over the centuries...
Debates about the legalization of gay marriage have forced society to take a closer look at the institution of marriage itself. Opponents of gay marriage insist that it must be preserved in its traditional form, but their arguments are completely ahistorical. Marriage has changed dramatically over the centuries...
Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights
The debate over gay marriage hasn't existed for very many years at this point, but already it seems that we have covered just about all the ground that exists. The arguments may get more rancorous, but new ideas are few and far between. It's unusual, and thus also especially gratifying, to find a book which raises new issues...
The debate over gay marriage hasn't existed for very many years at this point, but already it seems that we have covered just about all the ground that exists. The arguments may get more rancorous, but new ideas are few and far between. It's unusual, and thus also especially gratifying, to find a book which raises new issues...
Public Vows: A History of Marriage and the Nation
Opponents of gay marriage rely heavily on the argument that marriage has been defined in a particular way for hundreds and thousands of years; thus, altering the legal definition to include unions between members of the same sex is an unacceptable breach with the past. Such arguments are devoid of historical reality...
Opponents of gay marriage rely heavily on the argument that marriage has been defined in a particular way for hundreds and thousands of years; thus, altering the legal definition to include unions between members of the same sex is an unacceptable breach with the past. Such arguments are devoid of historical reality...
Civil Wars: A Battle for Gay Marriage
The debate over gay marriage is one of the most serious and divisive in America today, but perhaps nowhere has it had as high of a profile and raised so many emotions as in Vermont. In 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court rules that the state's marriage statutes which discriminated against gays were unconstitutional...
The debate over gay marriage is one of the most serious and divisive in America today, but perhaps nowhere has it had as high of a profile and raised so many emotions as in Vermont. In 1999, the Vermont Supreme Court rules that the state's marriage statutes which discriminated against gays were unconstitutional...
Same-Sex Marriage and the Constitution
The debate over gay marriage is one of the most important social issues facing America today. If gays are denied the right to marry, then homosexual relationships will remain in a second-class status as compared to heterosexual relationships. If gays are afforded the same right to marry as others, then America's promises of liberty and equality will be expanded to include another group.
The debate over gay marriage is one of the most important social issues facing America today. If gays are denied the right to marry, then homosexual relationships will remain in a second-class status as compared to heterosexual relationships. If gays are afforded the same right to marry as others, then America's promises of liberty and equality will be expanded to include another group.
Why You Should Give A Damn About Gay Marriage
There are over 1,100 federal rights that accompany civil marriage. There are an average 300 state-level rights that accompany civil marriage - making around 1,400 rights a couple gets simply by marrying. Child molesters, murderers, rapists, couples from different religions - everyone has a legal right to marry, it seems, except for gay couples.
There are over 1,100 federal rights that accompany civil marriage. There are an average 300 state-level rights that accompany civil marriage - making around 1,400 rights a couple gets simply by marrying. Child molesters, murderers, rapists, couples from different religions - everyone has a legal right to marry, it seems, except for gay couples.
Perfect Enemies: Religious Right vs. the Gay Movement
The debate over gay rights generally and gay marriage specifically is one of the most important cultural conflicts of our era - one that might potentially out-do abortion in its intensity and implications. Although it affects everyone, it involves two groups of highly committed and very angry activists for whom this issue seems to be the very essence of their existence.
The debate over gay rights generally and gay marriage specifically is one of the most important cultural conflicts of our era - one that might potentially out-do abortion in its intensity and implications. Although it affects everyone, it involves two groups of highly committed and very angry activists for whom this issue seems to be the very essence of their existence.
Case For Same Sex Marriage
What exactly is marriage - is it an institution for one man and one woman to procreate or is it a patriarchal institution designed to perpetuate gender discrimination? Both claims are made by various people opposed to the legalization of gay marriage but neither is very sound. A much better argument can be made for the civilizing influence of gay marriage...
What exactly is marriage - is it an institution for one man and one woman to procreate or is it a patriarchal institution designed to perpetuate gender discrimination? Both claims are made by various people opposed to the legalization of gay marriage but neither is very sound. A much better argument can be made for the civilizing influence of gay marriage...
Same-Sex Marriage: The Moral and Legal Debate
Those who support the legalization of gay marriage in America as well as those who oppose it are each convinced that theirs is the moral, legal, and rational position to hold. They couldn’t be farther apart in the contents of their beliefs, but they are very similar when it comes to the manner of holding those beliefs. How is one to determine who is correct?
Those who support the legalization of gay marriage in America as well as those who oppose it are each convinced that theirs is the moral, legal, and rational position to hold. They couldn’t be farther apart in the contents of their beliefs, but they are very similar when it comes to the manner of holding those beliefs. How is one to determine who is correct?