ABSTRACT
The issue of same-sex marriage has exploded onto the American political landscape. The claim that marriage is inherently heterosexual is obviously relevant to legislative deliberation about same-sex marriage. Several recent writings by the new natural lawyers attempt to account for the disparity between their treatment of the homosexual couple and the sterile heterosexual couple. These clarify their understanding of the good of marriage. Indeed, to the extent that the promised dialectical defense of their understanding has occurred, it has occurred in the course of their responses to the sterility objection. Aquinas thinks that homosexual conduct can be shown to be contrary to natural law, which is accessible to everyone regardless of religious faith. The pursuit of sexual gratification may serve some end beyond itself Grisez acknowledges the example of one who masturbates in order to relieve sexual tension. Grisez acknowledges that the deliberate inducement of pleasurable states of consciousness can sometimes facilitate the achievement of goods beyond pleasure.
