Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice
Abstract
The article examines the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Lawrence v. Texas, which overturned Bowers v. Hardwick and invalidated a Texas sodomy law criminalizing same-sex intimacy. The author argues that Lawrence not only advanced individual liberty interests but also marked a significant shift in the legal and cultural recognition of homosexuality, moving beyond earlier frameworks that criminalized or marginalized gay individuals. The decision reflects broader societal changes in understanding same-sex relationships and challenges the use of moral disapproval as a basis for legal restrictions on consensual adult conduct.
Disciplines
Civil Law | Civil Procedure | Criminal Law | Criminal Procedure | Judges | Law | Law and Gender | Sexuality and the Law
Recommended Citation
Nancy J. Knauer,
Lawrence v. Texas: When "Profound and Deep Convictions" Collide With Liberty Interests,
10
Cardozo J. Equal Rts. & Soc. Just.
325
(2004).
Available at:
https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cardozoersj/vol10/iss2/6
Included in
Civil Law Commons, Civil Procedure Commons, Criminal Law Commons, Criminal Procedure Commons, Judges Commons, Law and Gender Commons, Sexuality and the Law Commons