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The Strange Social History Of Our Most Intimate Institution
Beacon Press
March 2004
On Sale: March 18, 2004
303 pages ISBN: 0807041351 EAN: 9780807041352 Paperback
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Non-Fiction
In the wake of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's
historic Goodridge decision, a reissue of the bible of the
same-sex marriage movement
Will same-sex couples
destroy "traditional" marriage, soon to be followed by the
collapse of all civilization? That charge has been leveled
throughout history whenever the marriage rules change. But
marriage, as E. J. Graff shows in this lively, fascinating
tour through the history of marriage in the West, has always
been a social battleground, its rules constantly shifting to
fit each era and economy. The marriage debates have been
especially tumultuous for the past hundred and fifty
years—in ways that lead directly to today's debate over
whether marriage could mean not just Boy + Girl = Babies,
but also Girl + Girl = Love.
"Read this book if you
want to understand the movement for same-sex marriage—and to
counter those who argue against it." —Mary Bonauto, lead
counsel in Goodridge v. Mass. Dept. of Public
Health
"E. J. Graff's What Is Marriage For? is the
place to start reading for anyone thinking about the words
'lesbian,' 'gay,' and 'marriage' in the same sentence. It's
engaging, it's fun, and it puts the lie to those prophets of
gloom and doom who think every push for greater
equality—whether it be women's suffrage, reproductive
rights, or interracial marriage—signals the end of
civilization."—Evan Wolfson, Freedom to Marry
"An
enlightening romp through the history of marriage in western
Europe and the U.S." —Cassandra West, Chicago Tribune
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