Overview

"Same-Sex Marriage and Children is the first book to bring together historical, social science, and legal considerations to comprehensively respond to the objections to same-sex marriage that are based on the need to promote so-called ""responsible procreation"" and child welfare. Carlos A. Ball places the current marriage debates within a broader historical context by exploring how the procreative and child welfare claims used to try to deny same-sex couples the opportunity to marry are similar to earlier arguments used to defend interracial marriage bans, laws prohibiting disabled individuals from marrying, and the differential treatment of children born out of wedlock. Ball also draws a link between welfare reform and same-sex marriage bans by explaining how conservative proponents have defended both based on the need for the government to promote responsible procreation among heterosexuals. In addition, Ball examines the social science studies relied on by opponents of same-sex marriage and explains in a highly engaging and accessible way why they do not support the contention that biological status and parental gender matter when it comes to parenting. He also explores the relevance of the social science studies on the children of lesbians and gay men to the question of whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. In doing so, the book looks closely at the gay marriage cases that reached the Supreme Court and explains why the constitutionality of same-sex marriage bans could not be defended on the basis that maintaining marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution promoted the best interests of children. Same-Sex Marriage and Children will help lawyers, law professors, judges, legislators, social and political scientists, historians, and child welfare officials-as well as general readers interested in matters related to marriage and families-understand the empirical and legal issues behind the intersection of same-sex marriage and children's welfare."

Full Product Details

Author:   Carlos A. Ball (Professor of Law & Judge Frederick Lacey Scholar, Professor of Law & Judge Frederick Lacey Scholar, Rutgers University School of Law)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint:   Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 15.70cm , Height: 1.30cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.314kg
ISBN:  

9780190628598

ISBN 10:   0190628596
Pages:   202
Publication Date:   28 July 2016
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

Author's Note Acknowledgments Introduction 1. A Historical Review 2. Responsible Procreation 3. Family Optimality 4. Sexual Orientation and Parenting 5. Same-Sex Marriage before the Supreme Court 6. Conclusion: Lessons for the Future Epilogue Notes About the Author Index

Reviews

Compelling reading, keeping the reader engaged from the beginning. * Sahayadas Fernando, INTAMS Library *

Author Information

Carlos A. Ball is Distinguished Professor of Law and Judge Frederick Lacey Scholar at Rutgers University. An expert in family and constitutional law, he has written several books on LGBT rights, including From the Closet to the Courtroom, The Right to be Parents, and The Morality of Gay Rights.

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