Gay Men, Lesbians and the Law by Ruthann Robson

Gay Men, Lesbians and the Law

Ruthann Robson

Grade 9 Up?A clear, well-organized, careful summary of the law as it relates to gay men and lesbians. Robson examines issues of sexual expression, discrimination, education, familial association, the criminal justice system, health care, and the legal profession. Although printed before the U.S. Supreme Court proclaimed it a violation of the Equal Protection Clause to ban discrimination ordinances that protect gays and lesbians, this title is an authoritative source of information about an area of the law that is shifting rapidly due to social controversy. Its scholarly tone and specialized subject matter will limit its appeal somewhat, but its currency makes it preferable to the more accessible The Rights of Lesbians and Gay Men (Southern Illinois University, 1992), an ACLU guide in question-and-answer format. Several of the black-and-white photographs may be controversial; however, they are appropriate to the subject matter and of excellent quality. The author includes a list of cases mentioned in the book, along with citations. This volume fills a need for teen resources on the rights of sexual minorities.?Claudia Morrow, Berkeley Public Library, CA

Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 9^-12. Robson covers legal issues affecting gay men and lesbians, leading off with a historical perspective on legal regulation of sexuality and on discrimination against ‘sexual minorities.’ She goes on to explore the legal side of educational, family, criminal justice, and health issues affecting gay people, concluding with a look at the historical and current attitudes of the legal profession in this area. The book is clearly written and enhanced by an excellent selection of well-placed, descriptively captioned, and high-quality black-and-white photos. Unfortunately, the index is sketchy, and although the book has a publication date of June_ 1996 and a 1997 copyright date, the information is not even current for 1996 since the discussion of Colorado’s Amendment Two doesn’t include the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision (further, the case itself, the subject of more than three pages, only appears in the index as ‘Evans v. Romer,’ which few readers would know to look under). Otherwise, this is a model YA nonfiction title that addresses its subject well and fills an important gap in YA nonfiction. Charles Harmon –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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