Legally Straight: Sexuality, Childhood, And The Cultural Value Of Marriage (critical America)
by Joe Rollins /
2017 / English / EPUB
271.8 KB Download
Argues that cultural conceptions of children – and
childhood – played a key role in legalizing gay marriage
Argues that cultural conceptions of children – and
childhood – played a key role in legalizing gay marriageLegally Straight
Legally Straight offers a critical reading of the legal
debates over lesbian and gay marriage in the United States. The
book draws on key judicial opinions to trace how our
understanding of heterosexuality and marriage has changed. Upon
closer inspection, it seemed that the cultural value of marriage
was becoming tarnished and the trouble appeared to center on one
very specific issue: reproduction.
offers a critical reading of the legal
debates over lesbian and gay marriage in the United States. The
book draws on key judicial opinions to trace how our
understanding of heterosexuality and marriage has changed. Upon
closer inspection, it seemed that the cultural value of marriage
was becoming tarnished and the trouble appeared to center on one
very specific issue: reproduction.
As opponents of lesbian and gay marriage emphasized the link
between marriage and accidental pregnancy, the evidence mounted,
the arguments proliferated, and resistance began to turn against
itself. Heterosexuality, it seemed for a moment, was little more
than a set of palliative prescriptions for the worst of human
behavior, and children became the victims. It thus became the
province of the courts to reinforce the cultural value of
marriage by resisting what came to be known as the “procreation
argument,” the assertion that marriage exists primarily to
regulate the unruly aspects of heterosexual reproduction.
Cultural conceptions of children and childhood were being put at
risk as gays and lesbians were denied marriage, so that writing
lesbian and gay families into the marriage law became the better
option.
As opponents of lesbian and gay marriage emphasized the link
between marriage and accidental pregnancy, the evidence mounted,
the arguments proliferated, and resistance began to turn against
itself. Heterosexuality, it seemed for a moment, was little more
than a set of palliative prescriptions for the worst of human
behavior, and children became the victims. It thus became the
province of the courts to reinforce the cultural value of
marriage by resisting what came to be known as the “procreation
argument,” the assertion that marriage exists primarily to
regulate the unruly aspects of heterosexual reproduction.
Cultural conceptions of children and childhood were being put at
risk as gays and lesbians were denied marriage, so that writing
lesbian and gay families into the marriage law became the better
option.
