In his support of same-sex marriage, the author defines matrimony as the development and maintenance of intimacy through which people meet their basic needs and carry out their everyday living, and he contends that this definition applies equally to homosexual and heterosexual couples.

Ethical and religious arguments are regularly invoked to keep gay men and lesbians from achieving the same rights as heterosexuals. In The Long Arc of Justice, professor and public intellectual Richard D. Mohr addresses these arguments, the nature of prejudices, and other cultural forces that work against lesbian and gay causes. He then builds a positive case for the rights of lesbian and gay Americans. Chapters focus on sexual privacy, gay marriage, civil rights, the military, and gay politics. By applying to the gay and lesbian experience precepts and arguments that Americans have worked through in other areas of national life, this book redefines and elevates contemporary discussions regarding rights for gay men and lesbians.

Introduction: A Taboo's End 1 Lesbian and Gay Basics: Some Questions, Facts, and Values 2 Sexual Privacy 3 The Case for Lesbian and Gay Marriage 4 Equality 5 Civil Rights 6 Understanding Lesbians and Gay Men in the Military Conclusion: America's Promise and the Lesbian and Gay Future Notes Acknowledgments