Description
Book SynopsisDemonstrates how parental and sexual identities are formed and interpreted in law, and how gay and lesbian parents can harness indeterminacy to transform family law
Trade Review"You could learn about the law that governs LGBT parents and their children by reading all the 316 reported court opinions about them from the last half centuryor you could read this one book. Through her analysis of majority and dissenting opinions and her interviews with lawyers, judges, and parents, Richman deftly demonstrates that the legal standard & best interests of the child and the terms & family and & parent necessarilyand imperfectlyevolve. The path forward requires understanding where weve been. Thanks to Richman, that path just got a whole lot clearer." -- Nancy D. Polikoff,author of Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage: Valuing All Families under the Law
"No one has written more comprehendingly or searchingly about the topic of gay and lesbian custody and adoption than Richman. Courting Change is a must-read for scholars, students, and activists interested in family law and lesbian and gay rights." -- Verta Taylor,University of California, Santa Barbara
"Richmans extensive archive and innovative approach supplies an instructive guide to how scholars can integrate various approaches to the law to influence judges, legal advocates, and other interested parties" * Law and Politics Book Review *
"Richman’s exemplary scholarship reminds us of the incremental gains made by queer advocates and just how much work we have left in front of us." * Law and Politics Book Review *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface: Putting a Face on the Debate 1. Introduction: Situating the Meanings of Marriage 2. The Road to Same-Sex Marriage: The Beginning 3. The Rite as Right: Marriage as Material Right, Marriage as Strategy 4. Marriage as Protest: The Political Dimensions of Marital Motivation 5. Marriage as Validation: Subjects before (and after) the Law 6. Making It Personal: Marriage, Emotion, and Love inside and outside the Law 7. Conclusion: The Multiple Meanings of Marriage Appendix 1: Survey Instrument Appendix 2: Overview of Survey Findings Notes Index About the Author
