A More Perfect Union: Why Straight America Must Stand Up for Gay Rights

Richard D. Mohr

Research output: Book/Report/Conference proceedingBook

Abstract

A More Perfect Union is the first book to offer a concise moral case for gay people's equal citizenship. Appealing to widely held American beliefs, Mohr grounds his argument for gay justice firmly in our most valued traditions of equality and freedom. Mohr explores gay rights from the most private to the most public: Should sex be protected by the right to privacy? What does marriage mean in today's society - and is there a case for legalizing marriage between same-sex couples?Through lively examples and historical cases, Mohr shows how society's current treatment of gays undercuts the rights that other Americans take for granted. If a gay man wants to prosecute queer bashers for attacking him, but knows he will lose his job or custody of his child by coming out publicly; can he truly be said to enjoy the basic right to legal protection? Using similar examples, Mohr makes an eloquent case for gay and lesbian civil rights legislation.A More Perfect Union also offers clear guidelines on issues such as custody cases where one parent is gay or lesbian and on what the government should and shouldn't be doing about AIDS. A final chapter lays out a ten-point plan for achieving equal rights for gays that urges family, friends, other minorities, and straight men and women to join the fight to secure America's promise of liberty and justice for all. Provocative and timely, A More Perfect Union offers a hopeful vision of a more just America.
Original languageEnglish (US)
PublisherBeacon Press
Number of pages125
ISBN (Print)9780807079324, 9780807079331
StatePublished - 1994

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A More Perfect Union: Why Straight America Must Stand Up for Gay Rights'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this