YouTube

5,355

Working...

Debating Same-Sex Marriage - John Corvino

9 videos

100 likes, 1 dislikes

With the country roughly evenly divided on same-sex marriage, the issue is a flashpoint in November's election. President Obama has endorsed marriage equality, the Democratic Party has included it as part of its national platform, and voters in four states (ME, MD, MN, and WA) will consider ballot initiatives on the issue. Meanwhile, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is mobilizing to defeat these initiatives and roll back marriage rights in other states.

Professor John Corvino is intimately familiar with NOM's arguments, having just published a book with NOM's co-founder Maggie Gallagher. In the book, Debating Same-Sex Marriage (Oxford Univ. Press, 2012) he dismantles Gallagher's position and makes a powerful case for marriage equality. Now, in a new series of nine short videos, he distills the arguments down to their core elements and makes them accessible to a wider audience.

Play all

2:50

1

The Definition of Marriage - John Corvino

by John Corvino 86,375 views

Opponents of same-sex marriage often claim that same-sex "marriage" is impossible by definition: that marriage just MEANS a man and a woman. Here, John Corvino shows how this argument misunderstands both history and language.

Find the book here: http://amzn.to/ZuIrsl.
Video by Chase Whiteside. Read more at http://JohnCorvino.com.
2:26

2

If Gay Marriage, Why Not Polygamy? - John Corvino

by John Corvino 21,619 views

Opponents of same-sex marriage often ask, "If we allow gays to marry, why not polygamy? Why not incest?" and so on. Here, John Corvino exposes the fallacy in this slippery-slope argument.

Dr. John Corvino, also known as the "Gay Moralist," is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is the co-author, with Maggie Gallagher, of the book Debating Same-Sex Marriage (Oxford Univ. Press, 2012).

Find the book here: http://amzn.to/ZuIrsl.
Video by Chase Whiteside. Read more at http://JohnCorvino.com.
3:21

3

Do Children Need a Mother and Father? - John Corvino

by John Corvino 15,394 views

Some people oppose letting same-sex couples marry on the grounds that "children need a mother and father." John Corvino shows that this argument proceeds from what is not true (about child welfare) to what does not follow (about marriage law).

Dr. John Corvino, also known as the "Gay Moralist," is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is the co-author, with Maggie Gallagher, of the book Debating Same-Sex Marriage (Oxford Univ. Press, 2012).

Find the book here: http://amzn.to/ZuIrsl.
Video by Chase Whiteside. Read more at http://JohnCorvino.com.
3:35

4

Debunking the Regnerus Study - John Corvino

by John Corvino 11,980 views

A 2012 study by sociologist Mark Regnerus aims to show that children of same-sex parents fare differently—and indeed, markedly worse—than children in "intact biological families." John Corvino explains the study's major flaws.

Dr. John Corvino, also known as the "Gay Moralist," is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is the co-author, with Maggie Gallagher, of the book Debating Same-Sex Marriage (Oxford Univ. Press, 2012).

Find the book here: http://amzn.to/ZuIrsl.
Video by Chase Whiteside. Read more at http://JohnCorvino.com.
2:12

5

Is Gay Marriage a Threat to Traditional Marriage? - John Corvino

by John Corvino 11,207 views

Marriage-equality opponents often argue that same-sex marriage proposes a threat to traditional marriage. John Corvino exposes how this unsubstantiated claim is highly implausible.

Dr. John Corvino, also known as the "Gay Moralist," is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is the co-author, with Maggie Gallagher, of the book Debating Same-Sex Marriage (Oxford Univ. Press, 2012).

Find the book here: http://amzn.to/ZuIrsl.
Video by Chase Whiteside. Read more at http://JohnCorvino.com.
3:36

6

Is Gay Marriage a Threat to Religious Freedom? - John Corvino

by John Corvino 16,159 views

Opponents of same-sex marriage often argue that allowing gays to marry would threaten the religious freedom of those who oppose such unions. Here, John Corvino explains how this alleged threat is overblown—and how it has nothing to do with marriage law anyway.

Dr. John Corvino, also known as the "Gay Moralist," is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is the co-author, with Maggie Gallagher, of the book Debating Same-Sex Marriage (Oxford Univ. Press, 2012).

Find the book here: http://amzn.to/ZuIrsl.
Video by Chase Whiteside. Read more at http://JohnCorvino.com.
3:55

7

Why Marriage? (Why not Civil Unions?) - John Corvino

by John Corvino 16,060 views

Some people wonder why the fight for marriage rights is important to gays and lesbians, given marriage's spotty history. Others wonder why it's important to call it "marriage" -- aren't "civil unions" enough? John Corvino explains why the rights and responsibilities of marriage are important, and how "separate but equal" never really ends up being truly equal.

Dr. John Corvino, also known as the "Gay Moralist," is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is the co-author, with Maggie Gallagher, of the book Debating Same-Sex Marriage (Oxford Univ. Press, 2012).

Find the book here: http://amzn.to/ZuIrsl.
Video by Chase Whiteside. Read more at http://JohnCorvino.com.
2:50

8

Are People Who Oppose Gay Marriage Bigots? - John Corvino

by John Corvino 14,820 views

Many marriage-equality supporters believe that it's a mistake to engage opponents— that these opponents are bigots, and that engaging them tends to legitimize bigotry. John Corvino explains why it's important to keep the conversation going.

Dr. John Corvino, also known as the "Gay Moralist," is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is the co-author, with Maggie Gallagher, of the book Debating Same-Sex Marriage (Oxford Univ. Press, 2012).

Find the book here: http://amzn.to/ZuIrsl.
Video by Chase Whiteside. Read more at http://JohnCorvino.com.
4:14

9

Is Homosexuality Unnatural? - John Corvino

by John Corvino 133,862 views

What does it mean when people call same-sex relations "unnatural," and why should that judgment matter anyway? Philosopher John Corvino takes apart this claim, demonstrating that, in the usual cases, it's empty rhetorical flourish.

Dr. John Corvino, also known as the "Gay Moralist," is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. He is the co-author, with Maggie Gallagher, of the book Debating Same-Sex Marriage (Oxford Univ. Press, 2012).

Find the book here: http://amzn.to/ZuIrsl.
Video by Chase Whiteside. Read more at http://JohnCorvino.com.