Product Description: America's War on Same-Sex Couples and Their Families is a legal, political, and social history of constitutional amendments in twenty American states (with 43 percent of the nation's population) that prohibited government recognition of all forms of relationship rights (marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships) for same-sex couples...read more

Product Description: This edited volume in American constitutionalism places the Supreme Court’s declaration of same-sex marriage rights in U.S. v. Windsor (2013) and Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) within the context of the Court’s developing understanding of the legal and social status of marriage and the family...read more

Product Description: The decision to have a child is seldom a simple one, often fraught with complexities regarding emotional readiness, finances, marital status, and compatibility with life and career goals. Rarely, though, do individuals consider the role of the law in facilitating or inhibiting their ability to have a child or to parent...read more

A New York Times Notable Book of the YearA Washington Post Best Book of the Year (Nonfiction)A Kirkus Best Book of the Year“[A] riveting legal drama, a snapshot in time, when the gay rights movement altered course and public opinion shifted with the speed of a bullet train...Becker's most remarkable accomplishment is to weave a spellbinder of a tale that, despite a finale reported around the world, manages to keep readers gripped until the very end.”-The Washington Post A tour de force of groundbreaking reportage by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Jo Becker, Forcing the Spring is the definitive account of five remarkable years in American civil rights history: when the United States experienced a tectonic shift on the issue of marriage equality. Beginning with the historical legal challenge of California's ban on same-sex marriage, Becker expands the scope to encompass all aspects of this momentous struggle, offering a gripping behind-the-scenes narrative told with the lightning pace of the greatest legal thrillers. For nearly five years, Becker was given free rein in the legal and political war rooms where the strategy of marriage equality was plotted. She takes us inside the remarkable campaign that rebranded a movement; into the Oval Office where the president and his advisors debated how to respond to a fast-changing political landscape; into the chambers of the federal judges who decided that today's bans on same-sex marriage were no more constitutional than previous century's bans on interracial marriage; and into the mindsets of the Supreme Court judges who decided the California case and will likely soon decide the issue for the country at large. From the state-by state efforts to win marriage equality at the ballot box to the landmark Supreme Court case that struck down a law that banned legally married gay and lesbian couples from receiving federal benefits, Becker weaves together the political and legal forces that reshaped a nation. Forcing the Spring begins with California's controversial ballot initiative Proposition 8, which banned gay men and lesbians from marrying the person they loved. This electoral defeat galvanized an improbable alliance of opponents to the ban, with political operatives and Hollywood royalty enlisting attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies—the opposing counsels in the Supreme Court’s Bush v. Gore case—to join together in a unique bipartisan challenge to the political status quo. Despite initial opposition from the gay rights establishment, the case against Proposition 8 would ultimately force the issue of marriage equality all the way to the Supreme Court, transforming same-sex marriage from a partisan issue into a modern crisis of civil rights.  Shuttling between the twin American power centers of Hollywood and Washington—and based on access to all the key players in the Justice Department and the White House—Becker offers insider coverage on the true story of how President Obama “evolved” to embrace marriage equality. What starts out as a tale of an epic legal battle grows into the story of the evolution of a country. Becker shows how the country reexamined its opinions on same-sex marriage, an issue that raced along with a snowballing velocity which astounded veteran political operatives. Here is the ringside account of this unprecedented change, the fastest shift in public opinion ever seen in modern American politics. Clear-eyed and even-handed, Forcing the Spring is political and legal journalism at its finest, offering an unvarnished perspective on the extraordinary transformation of America and an inside look into the fight to win the rights of marriage and full citizenship for all.

Product Description: Same-sex marriage has become one of the defining social issues in contemporary U.S. politics. State court decisions finding in favor of same-sex relationship equality claims have been central to the issue’s ascent from nowhere to near the top of the national political agenda...read more

The ultimate guide to the past, present, and future of same-sex relationship laws in the U.S. Same-sex relationships are treated differently under each state's laws, and more than a quarter of the U.S. population lives in a state with some form of legal recognition for same-sex couples. More than 100,000 same-sex couples have married. Making It Legal is the only book that offers a comprehensive review of all the issues that influence the decision to marry and breaks down the complex and ever-changing rules of same-sex relationship laws. This book provides guidance on important issues that same-sex married couples may face: - Is a pre-nup advisable? What does it involve? - What happens when you want to file your taxes? - When is a will or a living trust needed? - What are the special needs of same-sex couples with kids? - When should you turn to professionals for help during disagreements? - How do you work with step-parents, past partners, and the blended family? Nationally recognized same-sex relationship law expert Attorney Frederick Hertz and Attorney Emily Doskow have written the ultimate guide to the ultimate decision -- whether to enter into a marriage or other legal relationship with your same-sex partner. Since the first edition was published, numerous changes have taken place across the country. Some states have legalized same-sex marriage, and others have passed laws stating that they will acknowledge same-sex marriages from other states. This edition is updated to account for these changes in state laws and projects additional changes likely to happen in the future.

Product Description: A practical guide for same-sex couples and their advisors to help understand the legal and tax issues they face when considering marriage.This timely book reviews the status of same-sex marriage around the country and helps the reader understand the full impact of the recent landmark rulings by the Supreme Court, IRS guidelines and other federal regulations with respect to gay marriage...read more

Product Description: In the United States, six states and Washington, DC, allow same-sex couples the right to marry, while other states offer same-sex couples broad protections short of marriage. Through objective discussion, numerous direct quotes, and full-color illustrations this title examines What Are the Origins of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate? Should Same-Sex Marriage Be Considered a Constitutional Right? Should Religion Prohibit Same-Sex Marriage? How Do Same-Sex Households Affect Children? What Impact Would Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Have on Society...read more

Product Description: The relationship between religious belief and sexuality as personal attributes exhibits some provocative comparisons. Despite the nonestablishment of religion in the United States and the constitutional guarantee of free exercise, Christianity functions as the religious and moral standard in America...read more

Product Description: Same-sex marriage/civil unions remains a controversial issue in the USA. This book explores the topic in a balanced, thought-provoking way that encourages critical thinking about the issue. The book covers the legalization of gay marriage in six states and is current through the California same-sex marriage legal battles of 2008-2010, discussing the path the issue will likely take toward the U...read more

Product Description: While members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community live throughout the United States, only some states offer legal recognition of or protection for LGBT families. To make matters even more complicated, our society is extremely mobile, whether because individuals are crossing state lines to go on vacation or in search of employment...read more