Book Roundup: Gay marriage pride
By Emily Hulme • ehulme@am-ny.com
A photo from "Courting Equality." Keith Maynard and Chip McLaughlin were one of the first couples to file for a same-sex marriage license in Cambridge, May 2004. (Photo courtesy Marilyn Humphries)
The gay marriage debate has been raging in this country for years, but in recent months the movement to leagalize it has gained real traction.
The following books aim to foster discussion, encourage activism or just celebrate gains made for LGBT rights. Read with pride.
The New Essential Guide to Gay & Lesbian Weddings
by Tess Ayers and Paul Brown, September
Ayers, married to her partner of 15 years, and Brown, an event planner, walk prospective brides and grooms through the minefield that is wedding planning. They offer tips on everything from picking out the rings to financial advice to how to enjoy the big day itself.
The Straight State: Sexuality and Citizenship in Twentieth-Century America
by Margot Canaday, available now
The book is a comprehensive overview of how federal legislation relating to the treatment of gays and lesbians in America has affected the perception of the LGBT community. It addresses marriage in the larger context of how regulation shapes society’s view of homosexuality.
When Gay People Get Married: What Happens When Societies Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
by M.V. Lee Badgett, August
Badgett took a field trip to the Netherlands, where gay marriage has been legal since 2001. Her book is a look at how the move affected homosexual relationships specifically, as well as on society in general. Her findings are surprising.
Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage
by Nancy D. Polikoff, available now
Polikoff comes at the issue from a legal and civil liberties angle. She argues that according certain rights to heterosexual married couples while denying those rights to couples/families who don’t fit that mold — whether they be single-parent households or a LGBT couple — is unjust and untenable.
Courting Equality: A Documentary History of America’s First Legal Same-Sex Marriages
by Patricia A. Gozemba and Karen Kahn, available now
A paperback reissue of this photographic history of the legalization of gay marriage in Massachusetts. Gozemba and Kahn document the protests and court cases, and, of course, the weddings.
Love Warriors: The Rise of the Marriage Equality Movement and Why It Will Prevail
by Dr. Davina Kotulski, October
Dr. Kotulski spoke with leaders and activists from the gay rights movement and came out with a sense of optimism and possibility for the marriage equality movement. In “Love Warriors,” she breaks down where the movement is headed and how everyone can participate.
