Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con: A Reader

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 readings--from the Bible and legal decisions to Hannah Arendt, James Q. Wilson, Katha Pollitt, William Safire, Montaigne and Plato--that 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.)