| Sexuality, Morals and Justice Contributor(s): Bamforth, Nicholas (Author) |
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ISBN: 0304331473 ISBN-13: 9780304331475 Publisher: Continuum OUR PRICE: $148.50 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: May 1998 Annotation: 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 for same-sex marriages. Reformers usually try to justify such measures by invoking equality, respect for privacy, or related arguments. Sexuality, Morals and Justice critically examines the justifications for law reform which have been put forward to date. The book 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 and cogent argument for protecting lesbian and gay rights through law, the book is skeptical about how far law is useful in eradicating discriminatory social practices. In a constitutional democracy, the moral legitimacy of laws and law reform measures depends on the strength of the justifications advanced for them. Sexuality, Morals and Justice sheds new light on the lesbian and gay rights debate, raising important questions about how we understand law, sexuality, justice and political morality. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History |
| Dewey: 346.410 |
| LCCN: 96164121 |
| Series: Gay & Lesbian Studies |
| Physical Information: 0.96" H x 5.34" W x 8.49" (0.97 lbs) 320 pages |
| Themes: - Sex & Gender - Gay - Sex & Gender - Lesbian |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: 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. |