EGCM Review
                     Lesbians, Gay Men & the Law
                   569 Pages, cloth.  $45.00 U.S.
                   Edited by William B. Rubenstein
 
Quite possibly the best book ever written on how the law affects gay men and
lesbian women has just been released.  Lesbians, Gay Men & the Law contains
historical information going back to the Plymouth Colony, contemporary
articles on constitutional law, lots of case summaries and briefs and even
political commentary on the gay rights movement from people like Larry Kramer
and Urvashi Vaid.
 
If you are interested in the law, you must get this book.  Divided into six
major sections, virtually every aspect of the law is covered as it applies to
gay men and lesbian women.  The six sections are titled:  Basic Documents.
The Regulation of Lesbian and Gay Sexuality.  The Regulation of Lesbian and
Gay Identity, Coming Out, Speaking Out, Joining In. Lesbians and Gay Men in
the Workplace. Legal Recognition of Lesbian and Gay Relationships.  Lesbian
and Gay Parenting.
 
Not only does the book contain the legal documents used in gay related court
cases, but personal accounts of the parties involved are also included.  The
interview with Michael Hardwick taken after the landmark Supreme Court
decision of Bowers v. Hardwick (in which the nation's highest court declared
that states have the right to pry into private, consentual sex acts and
criminalize them) is extremely interesting.
 
Also included are entertaining stories detailing the personal accounts of gay
and lesbian people who were affected by the law.  Some of these stories have
little to do with the court cases presented, but provide a framework for
understanding how the law affects people personally.
 
Lesbians, Gay Men and the Law is definitely not a stuffy lawbook meant for
judicial libraries alone.  It is a very thorough, yet entertaining look at
the law from a gay perspective that the common person can easily relate to.
 
For more information contact:  Claudia R. Gurerra, Publicity Director; The New
Press; 450 West 41st Street #6; New York, NY  10036; Voice 212-629-8802; Fax
212-268-6349.
 
The entire contents of The Electronic Gay Community Magazine are Copyright1993
by The Land of Awes Computer Information System (telephone 316-269-0913 Voice,
316-269-4208 FAX/BBS) but may be reproduced by any means without permission
from the publishers provided that this copyright notice remains with each
article.