Contemporary and controversial, this is Shannon Gilreath's important update to the continuing debate over the place of the gay person in American law, politics, and religion. Gilreath skilfully navigates a number of complex issues, including the delicate balance between sexual privacy and public equality, the entwining of religion and U.S. law and politics, and gay marriage. He offers astute academic observations and a depth of personal reflections to create an unmatched critique of the gay person in American society. Ultimately, Gilreath argues for the further emergence of gay and lesbian ethos of public attentiveness and the practice of "transformative politics" encompassing all those activities of the gay and lesbian person. Conversational and written with a compelling frankness, this book is vital for the serious legal and political student and the informed lay reader alike.