Homosexuality and American Public Life

Not content merely to restate the traditional moral position, the contributors address the homosexual movement's most compelling arguments with both sympathy and a relentless commitment to the truth. These essays originated at a 1997 conference of the American Public Philosophy Institute. Experts of unsurpassed prestige probe the common assertions that homosexuality is genetically or biologically determined and that citizens' homosexual behavior should be exempt from social or legal censure.

Part One of the book, devoted to the scientific and medical aspects of homosexuality, features a comprehensive examination of the putative biological origins of same-sex attraction, a survey of its psychological roots, and a provocative discussion of the disastrous results of identifying AIDS as a "gay disease." Part Two contains an analysis of natural law arguments about the morality of homosexual acts. Part Three deals with the attitude of law and public policy toward homosexuality.