Description
Book SynopsisProvides a primer on the current state of the same-sex marriage debate, and a new way of framing the issue that provides valuable new insights into the political, social, and personal stakes involved
Trade Review"Badgett’s gleanings are enlightening . . . for anyone who cares about the issues raised by legalizing civil marriage for same-sex couples." * California Lawyer *
"An eminently readable volume that draws on state population data, survesy, and Badgets own interviews." * Against The Current *
"On the heels of marriage debates all over the country, professor M.V. Lee Badgett comes out with an in-depth take on the big marriage questions: why and how? Badgett looks at marriage from all sides of the equation: sociological trends, the specific rights at hand as well as the interesting prospects of how a community shaped by legal inequality will adjust to unimaginable legal equality." * Instinct *
"Amid the intense controversy still surrounding same-sex marriage in the U.S., Badgett speaks in a refreshingly tempered voice. . . . Its a fine piece of social-science research, painstakingly detailed and compelling in its findings." * Ms. Magazine *
"When Gay People Get Married: What Happens When Societies Legalize Same-Sex Marriage provides a well-grounded contribution to the arguments needed to fight for full rights for LGBT people here in the United States and around the world." * International Socialist Review *
"In When Gay People Get Married: What Happens When Societies Legalize Gay Marriage, Badgett offers perspective on same-sex marriage through carefully considered evidence emerging from other Western societies that have recognized civil protections for same-sex couples. In doing so, Badgett offers a unique book different from other works that may present purely legal, political, or historical views of same-sex marriage. Badgett's book will help scholars in a variety of social scientific fields and members of the public to gain a more full and realistic understanding of same-sex marriage and its place in societies." -- Pamela J. Lannutti * Sex Roles *
"This is the best analysis of same-sex marriage to date. A brilliant book." -- Verta Taylor,co-author of Drag Queens at the 801 Cabaret
"Badgetts cogent and comprehensive study of the societal implications of same-sex marriage is learned and persuasive; gays and lesbians who once again pick up their protest signs and banners might do well to bring along Badgetts book as well." * Publishers Weekly *
"When Gay People Get Married devotes considerable time to contemplating whether marriage discrimination against same-sex couples can be equitably rectified by alternative forms of family recognition--something that could satisfy or at least appeal to both conservative and radical opponents of marriage." * Women’s Review of Books *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments 1 Introduction: A Different Perspective 2 Why Marry? The Value of Marriage 3 Forsaking All Other Options 4 The Impact of Gay Marriage on Heterosexuals 5 Something Borrowed: Trying Marriage On 6 Something New: Will Marriage Change Gay People? 7 Marriage Dissent in the Gay Community 8 Strange Bedfellows: Assessing Alternatives to Marriage 9 The Pace of Change: Are We Moving Too Fast? 10 Conclusion: Marriage Under Renovation? Appendix 1: Constructing Measures and Making Comparisons Appendix 2: Methods Involved in the Dutch Couples Study Notes Index About the Author
