Same-Sex Marriage: The Moral and Legal Debate » (Revised)

The editors (both: philosophy, Baylor U.) ask why homosexuals, perhaps one of the most "counterculture" of groups in the US, would want to marry. The contributors of the 37 articles in this collection answer in a variety of ways, reacting to the Goodridge v. Massachusetts Department of Public Health controversy, the emotional dimensions of the debate, and its philosophical arguments. Topics and contributors range from a call for a constitutional amendment on marriage from George W. Bush, an analysis of the road to gay marriage from the editorial staff of the New York Times, personal declarations, case studies and position papers from all sides. The editors include texts of some of the documents that started the debate. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Publishers Weekly

Although it is clear from his introduction that Sullivan (Virtually Normal: An Argument About Homosexuality), a senior editor at the New Republic, is in favor of same-sex marriage, he presents here an astonishing variety of readingsfrom the Bible and legal decisions to Hannah Arendt, James Q. Wilson, Katha Pollitt, William Safire, Montaigne and Platothat offer points of view on both sides of the argument. Of particular interest is the chapter on same-sex marriage throughout history, which makes it apparent that bonds between homosexuals that were similar to marriage were accepted in many cultures: unions between women and unions between men existed in traditional Chinese society; upper-class women could take girls as wives in parts of Africa; and marriage, or "making of a brother," ceremonies occurred between men in medieval Europe. The author believes that homosexual marriage can be discussed on many levels, and thus he includes statements from religious and political figures, conservatives, liberals, legal scholars and, of course, gay men and lesbians. Sullivan argues that societal acceptance of same-sex marriage would mean complete equality for homosexuals. This impartial anthology will encourage debate on all aspects of the topic. Author tour. (Apr.) FYI: Some of these writers (Sullivan, Safire, Richard Posner) appear in a more academic collection, Same-Sex Marriage: The Moral and Legal Debate, edited by Robert M. Baird and Stuart E. Rosenbaum (Prometheus, $16.95 paper, 242p ISBN 1-57392-129-7, Apr.)