In order to find out the impact of same-sex marriage, M. V. Lee Badgett traveled to a land where it has been legal for same-sex couples to marry since 2001: the Netherlands. Badgett interviews gay couples to find out how this step has affected their lives. We learn about the often surprising changes to their relationships, the reactions of their families, and work colleagues. Moreover, Badgett is interested in the ways that the institution itself has been altered for the larger society. How has the concept of marriage changed? When Gay People Get Married gives readers 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.
Review here.
Link to book
Amazon: When Gay People Get Married: What Happens When Societies Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
NYU Press: http://www.nyupress.org/books/When_Gay_People_Get_Married-products_id-11072.html
“The Effects of Same-Sex Marriage” Has Already Been Covered
In the book by William Eskridge and Darren Spedale, “Gay Marriage: For Better or For Worse? What We’ve Learned From The Evidence” (Oxford University Press, 2006), there has already been extensive analysis of the effect of same-sex marriage on society. This new book is relatively duplicative of that research. I would highly recommend the Eskridge / Spedale book for people interested in this subject matter as I found it highly informative and filled with interesting information on this subject.