John Corvino

In the following viewpoint John Corvino contends that arguments grouping homosexual relationships with polygamous, incestuous, and bestial relationships are unfair. He argues that there is no logical connection between these different relationships and to group them together ignores the complexity of human intimacy. Homosexual relationships offer partners the same means of interpersonal communication and fulfillment that heterosexual relationships do, he maintains, and therefore should be accepted. Corvino teaches philosophy at Wayne State University in Michigan and is the editor of Same Sex: Debating the Ethics, Science, and Culture of Homosexuality.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Corvino, what is a good reason to abandon the “we really exist” argument?
2. Why is polygamy troublesome for traditionalists, in the author’s opinion?
3. Why does Corvino consider the bestiality analogy particularly annoying?

Some...