Equality practice : civil unions and the future of gay rights / William N. Eskridge, Jr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Eskridge, William N., Jr., 1951-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Same-sex marriage--United States.

Same-sex marriage.

United States.

Gay rights--United States.

Gay rights.

Physical Description:

xvi, 280 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Routledge, 2002.

Summary:

In April of 2000, Vermont legalized civil unions for same-sex couples, a landmark for gay rights. But would this consign couples to a "separate but equal" status that would ultimately prove unequal? No, argues Equality Practice, showing why lesbians and gays should support compromises like Vermont's law without giving up on full formal equality. Equality in practice will not only deliver the legal rights and duties same-sex couples need -- tax benefits, health insurance, property rights, and parental arrangements -- but also will help create conditions under which lesbians and gay men are more likely to win fully equal treatment of their relationships by the state.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Same-Sex Marriage and the Politics of Sexuality 1

Chapter 2 The Vermont Civil Unions Law 43

Chapter 3 Comparative Law Lessons for the Same-Sex Marriage Movement 83

Chapter 4 Civil Unions and Liberal Jurisprudence: Equality Practice 127

Chapter 5 Equality Practice and the Civic Republic 159

Chapter 6 Equality Practice as a Postmodern Cultural Form 197

Epilogue: Equality Practice, the Evolution of Social Norms, and the Future of Gay Rights 231.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 243-268) and index.

ISBN:

0415930723

0415930731

OCLC:

47054720