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Marriage Equality

On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. This was a pivotal moment for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Check out these books that show the history of same-sex marriage in the country, which starts earlier than most imagine. 

Charity and Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America. This book is set in the early nineteenth century and focuses on the relationship between Charity Bryant and Sylvia Drake. Bryant and Drake lived in Weybridge, Vermont where they were recognized as the MODERN equivalent of a married couple. The couple became pillars of the community with their business and positions in the local church. 

Winning Marriage: The Inside Story of How Same-Sex Couples Took on the Politicians and Pundits--and Won. This book was published before the Supreme Courts 2015 decision but Solomon shows you the campaigns in different states as people worked to change the minds of citizens and politicians to guarantee everyone the right to marry. 

Same-Sex Marriage in the United States: The Road to the Supreme Court. Like Winning Marriage this book was also published before the 2015 SCOTUS decision. Pierceson breaks down the history of the fight for marriage rights. There is a chapter on early rights movements from 1950-1990, modern movements of the 90s and early 2000s, the rights and politics of same-sex marriage around the world, a breakdown of the movement in three main regions of the country (East, South, and West), and finally a chapter on the Supreme Court and its history of litigating marriage rights. 

Outlaw Marriage: The Hidden Histories of Fifteen Extraordinary same-sex Couples. Same-sex marriage has been around a lot longer than most Americans believe. Streitmatter explores 15 marriages in chronological order starting in the late 19th century to the late 20th century. He includes both lesser know and famous people, such as James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Gertrude Stein, and Greta Garbo. 

Want to learn more about LGBTQ+ history? Check out our LGBTQ+ Guide.