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

Sexuality, Morals and Justice: A Theory of Lesbian and Gay Rights Law
ISBN-10
0304331457
ISBN-13
9780304331451
Category
Social Science / LGBTQ+ Studies / Gay Studies
Pages
310
Language
English
Published
1997
Publisher
Cassell
Author
Nicholas Bamforth

Description

Law reform is a central goal of lesbian and gay campaigning groups. In recent years, there have been attempts to secure equal ages of consent for heterosexual and same-sex sexual acts, to create anti-discrimination laws protecting lesbians and gays, to allow lesbians and gays to serve in the military, and to permit same-sex marriages. Reformers usually try to justify such measures by invoking equality, respect for privacy, or related arguments. This book examines the justifications for law reform which have been put forward to date. It suggests that they are not in fact as strong as campaigners have assumed, and that a stronger case for legal reforms can be made if the idea of empowerment is used. While advancing a new argument for protecting lesbian and gay rights through law, the book is skeptical about how far law is useful in eradicating discriminatory social practices.

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