Sexuality, Morals and Justice: A Theory of Lesbian and Gay Rights and the Law »

Against the background of the law reform debates around sexuality in Britain and America, Bamforth examines what functions it is legitimate for the law to serve and how effective law can be in achieving social goals. He provides a new and cogent argument for protecting lesbian and gay rights through law, but is sceptical about how useful law can be in eradicating discriminatory social practices. This work sheds new light on the equal rights debate and raises issues of central importance to the role of law in society.

Booknews

British law scholar Bamforth critiques the justifications for law reform advocated by gay and lesbian activists. He finds that no adequate moral case can be founded on respect for privacy, sexual liberation, or the idea that a person's sexual orientation is predetermined. Equality, he says, must be the end result of reform, not its presumed pre-condition. He argues that a better justification can be based on the ideas of autonomy and empowerment. He has presented earlier versions of some chapters as conference talks. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.