Introduction: Toward a Brave New World
1: The Evolving Same-Sex Marriage Debate in the United States
2: The Same-Sex Marriage Debate in Scandinavia and the Rest of
Europe
3: A New Look For Legal Unions: Sixteen Years of Scandinavian
Partnerships and the Changing Conception of Family
4: The Benefits of Same-Sex Marriage: Lessons From Scandinavia
5: Modern Scandinavian Families and the Defense-of-Marriage
Argument
6: Drawing Lines: Scandinavian Lessons for the American Marriage
Debate
Epilogue: I Now Pronounce You...: An Emerging Menu of Relationship
Options
Appendix
Bibliography
Index
Darren R. Spedale is an investment banker in New York City. He
spent two years on a Fulbright Fellowship in Denmark researching
Scandinavian same-sex partnerships. He received his J.D. and M.B.A.
degrees from Stanford University, and continues his work on
same-sex marriage through his pro bono activities. William N.
Eskridge, Jr. is the John A. Garver Professor of Jurisprudence at
the Yale Law School. He is the author of numerous
articles and books, including The Case for Same-Sex Marriage,
Dynamic Statutory Interpretation, and Gaylaw: Challenging the
Apartheid of the Closet.
"A treasure trove of statistics, laws, and sources, useful for any
social science student...Anyone hoping to be an educated
commentator or student of same-sex marriage in Europe or America
should read Gay Marriage. In particular, political science students
would find it useful for detailed discussions of how interest
groups interact to promote or resist social change in other
nations. Students in sociology and gay studies classes would find
the
cross-cultural discussion quite helpful."--Journal of the History
of Sexuality
"For a long time, we've needed a good scholarly account of the
effects of same-sex marriage on marriage and society as a whole.
Now we have it. This eye-opening book is a must-read for anyone
interested in the continuing debate over same-sex
marriage."--Andrew Sullivan, author of Virtually Normal
"Whatever your views are now on same-sex marriage, this is the book
to read to be informed about why same sex couples want legal
recognition and what legal union means to them and to the larger
community. Eskridge and Spedale give detailed accounts of the
effects of registered partnerships in Scandinavia--and along the
way, offer fascinating and engaging pictures of many people's
lives. Fundamentally, this book raises the bar and now no
responsible discussion
can proceed without addressing actual evidence from the countries
with long experience giving same-sex relationships legal
recognition."--Martha Minow, Jeremiah Smith Jr. Professor, Harvard
Law School
"Eskridge and Spedale illuminate with remarkable even-handedness a
debate that tends to generate more heat than light. They provide a
cogent analysis of conservative arguments that same-sex matrimony
threatens conventional marriage, and argue persuasively that
enabling same-sex partners to marry may actually strengthen that
beleaguered institution."--John Podesta, former White House Chief
of Staff, currently President and CEO, Center for American
Progress
"Eskridge and Spedale have given us an important and timely
contribution to the debates about same-sex marriage. This book
convincingly shows why the best policy (and the best politics)
would be to support individuals and the families they form, however
those families are constituted. It should be required reading for
anyone interested in the future of families in America."--Martha
Albertson Fineman, Robert W. Woodruff Professor, Emory Law
School
"For a long time, we've needed a good scholarly account of the
effects of same-sex marriage on marriage and society as a whole.
Now we have it. This eye-opening book is a must-read for anyone
interested in the continuing debate over same-sex
marriage."--Andrew Sullivan, author of Virtually Normal
"Whatever your views are now on same-sex marriage, this is the book
to read to be informed about why same sex couples want legal
recognition and what legal union means to them and to the larger
community. Eskridge and Spedale give detailed accounts of the
effects of registered partnerships in Scandinavia--and along the
way, offer fascinating and engaging pictures of many people's
lives. Fundamentally, this book raises the bar and now no
responsible discussion
can proceed without addressing actual evidence from the countries
with long experience giving same-sex relationships legal
recognition."--Martha Minow, Jeremiah Smith Jr. Professor, Harvard
Law School
"Eskridge and Spedale illuminate with remarkable even-handedness a
debate that tends to generate more heat than light. They provide a
cogent analysis of conservative arguments that same-sex matrimony
threatens conventional marriage, and argue persuasively that
enabling same-sex partners to marry may actually strengthen that
beleaguered institution."--John Podesta, former White House Chief
of Staff, currently President and CEO, Center for American
Progress
"Eskridge and Spedale have given us an important and timely
contribution to the debates about same-sex marriage. This book
convincingly shows why the best policy (and the best politics)
would be to support individuals and the families they form, however
those families are constituted. It should be required reading for
anyone interested in the future of families in America."--Martha
Albertson Fineman, Robert W. Woodruff Professor, Emory Law School
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