Gays, Lesbians, & Family Values by Elizabeth A. Say and Mark R. Kowalewski
The religious right claims to be the champions of family values - political shorthand for the reassertion of the "traditional" heterosexual, nuclear family, complete with traditional gender roles of working Dad and stay-at-home Mom raising godly children. Elizabeth Say and Mark Kowalewski present a new view. Exploring not only the ways gays and lesbians live as families but also the values that emerge from their shared experiences, they skillfully construct an ethic of five family values - preserving fidelity, seeking mutuality and accountability, giving life, sustaining identity and community, and nurturing erotic power. These values, the authors suggest, are integral to all intimate relationships. When put into practice, they have the power to transform families from oppressive systems to places of acceptance, growth, and stability.
The religious right claims to be the champions of family values - political shorthand for the reassertion of the "traditional" heterosexual, nuclear family, complete with traditional gender roles of working Dad and stay-at-home Mom raising godly children. Elizabeth Say and Mark Kowalewski present a new view. Exploring not only the ways gays and lesbians live as families but also the values that emerge from their shared experiences, they skillfully construct an ethic of five family values - preserving fidelity, seeking mutuality and accountability, giving life, sustaining identity and community, and nurturing erotic power. These values, the authors suggest, are integral to all intimate relationships. When put into practice, they have the power to transform families from oppressive systems to places of acceptance, growth, and stability.
The religious right claims to be the champions of family values - political shorthand for the reassertion of the "traditional" heterosexual, nuclear family, complete with traditional gender roles of working Dad and stay-at-home Mom raising godly children. Elizabeth Say and Mark Kowalewski present a new view. Exploring not only the ways gays and lesbians live as families but also the values that emerge from their shared experiences, they skillfully construct an ethic of five family values - preserving fidelity, seeking mutuality and accountability, giving life, sustaining identity and community, and nurturing erotic power. These values, the authors suggest, are integral to all intimate relationships. When put into practice, they have the power to transform families from oppressive systems to places of acceptance, growth, and stability.