ABSTRACT
“Intimacy and Equality,” like Sexual Justice, the larger project of which it is a part, juxtaposes terms that do not sit easily together within liberal political discourse; the sense of incongruity is heightened by proximity to “lesbian and gay marriage.” This chapter proceeds along two tracks: an interrogation of recent claims by proponents of lesbian and gay rights to a right to marry or otherwise establish legally recognized domestic partnerships (and to bear and raise children) and a critical examination of the constitutional right of privacy as a resource for movements of homosexual liberation. It demonstrates the extent to which even the most intimate associations between individuals are situated within a matrix of social relations and legal arrangements that both constrain and support them. Given the critical importance of interpersonal relationships in defining individual identities and in contributing to human happiness, full equality for lesbian and gay citizens requires access to the legal and social recognition of our intimate associations.
