Books on Love and Legality

The increased recognition of gay marriage has brought with it a slew of books on the topic, examining aspects from being mentally prepared to tie the knot to the continuing legal struggle for equality.

Modern Brides & Modern Grooms
By Mark O’Connell
Subtitiled “A Guide to Planning Straight, Gay, and Other Nontraditional Twenty-First-Century Weddings,” this is a post-DOMA, outside-the-box guide for any couple seeking a personalized wedding for today’s world. O’Connell, a psychotherapist, offers ideas to bridge gaps between family, friends and spouses-to-be. The author weaves personal stories and anecdotes (including recollections of his own 2006 wedding) with fun features like quizzes, stories about his work with patients, and information regarding tracking the sexual evolution of your relationship.

Winning Marriage: The Inside Story of How Same-Sex Couples Took on the Politicians and Pundit sand Won
By Marc Solomon
Promising “The Inside Story Of How Same-Sex Couples Took On the Politicians and Pundits — and Won,” Solomon tells the story of what it took to take marriage equality from a seemingly unattainable goal to a reality in a relatively short period of time. Solomon gives readers a fly-on-the-wall glimpse of the winning strategies that have made marriage equality the most successful social movement in recent American history. The book takes readers from a time when politicians of both parties viewed same-sex marriage as the third rail of American politics through to more recent times when a clear majority of American people embrace marriage equality. Solomon, Freedom to Marry’s national campaign director since 2010, brings readers into governors’ offices, state houses, the White House, the Supreme Court and into the war rooms of marriage campaigns across
the country.

Marriage and the Love Myth: From Turbulence To Marital Bliss
By Sukhjiwan Singh
This intriguing book offers couples an
honest glimpse of what they might expect from their marriage and how to prepare for it before saying “I do.” This including tips and tools to approach and demystify the puzzle that marriage can sometimes be. It is part how-to guide and part self-help book — offering a collection of lessons about starting a marriage off right that turns out to be a surprisingly engaging read. Pay close attention to Singh’s seven diehard principles to make life sweet and love last.

Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial
By Kenji Yoshino
Interested in brushing up on one of the major
legal milestones in gay marriage journey? Renowned legal scholar Kenji Yoshino’s Speak Now: Marriage on Trial offers the ultimate account of Hollingsworth v. Perry, the case that made same-sex marriage legal (again) in California. It begins in January 2010, when Chief Judge Vaughn Walker presided over the Perry trial, which considered the constitutionality of Proposition 8 in a San Francisco federal court and ruled that it violated the U.S. Constitution. In Speak Now, Yoshino offers an intimate perspective on the case, interlocking his personal experiences (as a husband and father) with details of the trial. His story shows how complicated issues on both sides of the debate were addressed — including the ideal circumstances for raising children, and the ability of direct democracy to protect fundamental rights.