Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con: A Reader [Paperback]

Andrew Sullivan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 1997

From Plato to Camille Paglia, a collection of opinions, pro and con, on one of the most explosive issues of our time. Were homosexual unions sanctioned by societies before our own? What are the bases for the religious proscriptions against them? Does the Constitution implicitly grant homosexuals the right to marry? Will same-sex marriages make gays and lesbians more like heterosexuals or somehow undermine the traditional family? How will they affect our notions of parenthood?

In Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con these questions are explored by clergy and jurists, historians and anthropologists, poets, conservative politicians, queer theorists, and many others. Andrew Sullivan gathers two thousand years of argument on same-sex partnerships into an anthology of historic inclusiveness and evenhandedness. Readers of every sexual and ideological persuasion will be consulting this definitive book for years to come. Includes writings from or by: Genesis, Montaigne, Ann Landers, Antonin Scalia, Plato, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Katha Pollitt, James Q. Wilson, Hannah Arendt, William Bennett, Senate Debate on Defense of Marriage Act, Jonathan Rauch, Rabbi Yoel H. Kahn, Amy E. Schwartz, William Safire, Barney Frank, and Charles Krauthammer.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

At the end of Virtually Normal, Andrew Sullivan called for the legalization of gay and lesbian marriages as a recognition of an individual's right to enter into a committed relationship with the person he or she loves. Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con is, as the title suggests, a collection of arguments for and against such unions. Sullivan provides little commentary, allowing the various authors gathered here to speak for themselves. No matter which side one supports on this issue, this anthology will enable both an intellectual support of one's own beliefs and a better, fuller understanding of the contrary position.

From Library Journal

Late last year, the Hawaiian circuit court ruled that the state had no compelling justification for denying gay and lesbian couples the right to wed. The decision opened up what may be the social debate of the decade, and these two titles help to bring the arguments into sharper focus. Same-Sex Marriage, Pro and Con begins with an historically enlightening essay by Sullivan, fomer New Republic editor, whose book on gays and the gay rights movement (Virtually Normal, LJ 9/15/95) shot one of the first broadsides about the same-sex marriage issue. Sullivan explains how this latest "assault" on family values is simply the latest in an ongoing evolution of the marriage institution, from ancient real estate deals to the present-day spiritual bonding of intimates. Other essayists discuss the various arguments from historic, religious, legal, and public-policy points of view. From Plato to Ann Landers, society's experts and pundits, academics and politicians present their views. By contrast, Same-Sex Marriage: The Moral and Legal Debate is authored mainly by professors and journalists, giving this title a drier, more academic tone. Oddly, the book also exhibits more polar oppositions and extremist views on the subject. The focus strays somewhat from the marriage theme and includes articles on counseling same-sex couples and even making the case for discrimination based on sexual orientation itself. For smaller collections that may need only one title on the subject, Sullivan's work is by far the better choice, given the depth and breadth of its coverage. Academic and larger libraries will probably want both titles.?Jeffery Ingram, Newport P.L., Ore.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; 1st edition (March 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679776370
• ISBN-13: 978-0679776376
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,836,968 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for every library on human relationships, October 11, 1999

By 

Arnold V. Loveridge (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con: A Reader (Paperback)

A great collection of arguments both for and against Same-sex marriage. Although the author admits his bias (pro) and includes many of his own arguments and essays, the book is really rather evenly done. I suspect that most people will not be swayed either way because there is plenty of reinforcement for both sides. This is a book I would like to have in my library.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful, but sometimes tedious, September 20, 2001

By 

Jeffrey Huffman (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con: A Reader (Paperback)

The book is indeed well-balanced, and comprehensive (considering the dearth of information and research on this subject and its relatively recent rise to a prominent place in public discussion). Highly recommended for anyone seeking greater understanding of this issue.

It is best used as a resource, rather than read straight through. The arguments presented often get bogged down in wordy legal and political jargon. Not that there isn't a place for such books; I just wish it were more accessible for the average person, so I could give a copy to my grandparents to read, for example.

34 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-read for gays AND right-wing nuts!, May 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con: A Reader (Paperback)

Sullivan has put together a definitive compilation of pro-and-con-arguments over the issue of same-sex marriage--one which demands reading by both sides in the debate. It should not, however, simply and blindly be used to bolster one's own position on the issue. Use this reader to learn why the opposition feels the way they feel and believes what they believe. Understanding the intensity of and reasoning behind these positions will doubtless improve the intellectual quality of the debate on both sides (a point our friend from the Heritage Foundation [below] and his ilk miss entirely).