Lesbian and Gay Marriage: Private Commitments, Public Ceremonie
By Suzanne ShermanThis collection of personal narratives explores the hotly debated issue of same-sex marriages. The twenty-four interviews with lesbians and gays who have celebrated wedding ceremonies as well as couples who remain unmarried or choose not to marry reveal the qualities that bind people in lifetime partnerships as well as the everyday tensions of committed relationships. Most of the interviews are accompanied by personal snapshots. The couples come from many regions of the United States and from diverse ethnic and class backgrounds. They include such prominent activists as Harry Hay, Phyllis Lyon, and Del Martin.These intimately described relationships are as new as three years and as enduring as thirty-eight. Each dialogue grapples with the reactions of family and friends to the couple's commitment and the everyday struggles of their own relationship. The interviews are preceded by essays by Thomas Stoddard and Paula Ettelbrick that offer opposing viewpoints on marriage. The book closes with a section of personal observations by ceremony officiators from a variety of religions-from Catholic priests to a Wiccan high priestess-and a resource directory.Although viewed by some lesbians and gays as an "abhorrent ritual" of patriarchy and by others as a "celebration of commitment," marriage is more than a relationship sanctioned by law; it is the centerpiece of the social structure and the core of the traditional notion of family.Why, then, are loving couples who jointly own homes faced with the cruel enigma that "legally, we are strangers"? Author note: Suzanne Sherman is an editor, freelance writer, and creative writing instructor. She lives in the Bay Area with her partner. No - she hasn't been married. Published By on 1992
Book details
- Paperback
- 288 pages
- English
- 0877229759
- 9780877229759
About Suzanne Sherman
suzanne sherman was Read More about Suzanne Sherman
More Books By Suzanne Sherman
People who bought this also bought
The Account: Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca's Relacion : Aalvar Nauanez Cabeza De Vaca's Relaciaon / Tr. [from Spanish] by Martin A.Favata.
Used Book
Food Supply Security, 2003 (Centre for Studies and Research in International Law and Int)
Used Book
David and Goliath : Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
New Book
Digital Minimalism ;Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport
New Book
Memory'S Ghost: The Nature Of Memory And The Strange Tale Of Mr. M
Used Book
The Art of People: 11 Simple People Skills That Will Get You Everything You Want
New Book
The Success Principles : How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be Book by Jack Canfield
New Book
Beyond Tallulah : How Sam Wyly Became America's Boldest Big-Time Entrepreneur
Used Book
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
New Book
The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents) (The Handy Answer Book Series)
Used Book
HBR's 10 Must Reads for New Managers (with bonus article ?How Managers Become Leaders? by Michael D. Watkins)
New Book
What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew : From Fox Hunting to Whist-the Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England
Used Book
Two Among the Righteous Few : A Story of Courage in the Holocaust
Used Book
20/20 Money : See the Markets Clearly and Invest Better Than the Pros
Like New
Meeting at the Crossroads: Women's Psychology and Girls' Development
Used Book