Earlier today in class, I couldn’t help but notice some raised eyebrows when I made a comment on the government’s involvement in marriage being about children. Here are 2 arguments that give differing views on the topic of same-sex marriage. I am hoping to get ideas that not only support my views but challenge them as well; I believe that is the purpose of getting an education. In hopes of making it relevant to our discourse on community power, it is important to keep our focus not just on the issue but also on how it relates to our course: looking at “gay rights” and how it impacts our society, how society reacts, and who has the power to make or prevent change.
Viewpoint 1
Viewpoint 2
Thanks especially for linking the Regnerus piece – I hope some of you all have the had the chance to listen to Dr. Schleef talk about this piece of research: she has a lot of useful critique of the study and of how it’s been used.
And it reminds me of the…was it the “spectrum” of power that Kisha talked about the other day – the one that ranged from service provision to direct action? And there was a space in there for academics & education. I think for many of us it can be hard to see HOW academics fit onto that spectrum when in so many ways we hold ourselves apart. But Regnerus is a good example of how academic research can be used (and intended) to inform POLICY debates. In that way, they are totally involved in negotiations over power.
-LM