Virtually Normal: An Argument About Homosexuality
Encyclopedia
Summary
The book presents the reader with four groups of citizens who view homosexuality in a specific manner within AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
society, criticizing the arguments. The Prohibitionists comprise Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
and strict followers of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. The Liberationists are epitomised by Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault , born Paul-Michel Foucault , was a French philosopher, social theorist and historian of ideas...
and Queer Nation
Queer Nation
Queer Nation was an organization founded in March 1990 in New York City, USA by AIDS activists from ACT UP. The four founders were outraged at the escalation of anti-gay and lesbian violence on the streets and prejudice in the arts and media...
. Conservatives believe that homosexuality should remain silent and not encouraged; further, social change will come with time, just as it has for other minorities. The Liberals are said to limit the freedom of some to give rights to others; Sullivan also adds that anti-discrimination laws are reifying. Finally, Sullivan concludes on gay marriage, arguing that it would be a good thing as it would be both a humanising and traditionalising effort.
Criticism
Although praised by The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, the book was dismissed by The Journal of Homosexuality
Journal of Homosexuality
The Journal of Homosexuality is a peer-reviewed academic journal This forum for research into same-sex desire examines sexual practices and gender roles in their cultural, historical, interpersonal, and modern social contexts. In the fall of 2005, the Journal celebrated its 50th volume.- History...
.
Michael Warner's 1999 book The Trouble With Normal
The Trouble With Normal (book)
The Trouble with Normal: Sex, Politics, and the Ethics of Queer Life is a non-fiction book that discusses the role of same-sex marriage as a goal for gay rights activists, written by Michael Warner. It was published in 1999 by The Free Press, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. It was re-published in...
has been characterized as a direct response to Virtually Normal.