Product Description

Why Marriage Matters offers a compelling and clear discussion of a question at the forefront of our national consciousness. It is the work of a brilliant civil rights litigator who has dedicated his life to the protection of individuals' rights and our Constitution's commitment to equal justice under the law. Above all, it is a thoughtful, straightforward book that brings into sharp focus the human significance of the right to marry in America -- not just for some couples, but for all.

Whatever your personal beliefs, we all can agree that marriage equality provokes both passion and tension, and looms large in our nation's politics. Marriage means many things to many people -- emotionally, spiritually, intellectually -- but in these pages, Evan Wolfson demonstrates a truth that is undeniable: Marriage is the legal gateway to a vast array of tangible and intangible protections, responsibilities, and benefits, most of which cannot be replicated in any other way.

Wolfson is a formidable legal thinker who has participated in landmark cases to end race discrimination in jury trials, to secure the rights of battered married women, and to challenge the abuse of power at the highest level in government. Now, with extraordinary clarity, fascinating stories, and legal and historical examples, he addresses the questions we as Americans are asking ourselves as we consider how marriage equality will affect our lives. Why is the word marriage so important? What are the stakes for America in this civil rights movement? How can people of different faiths reconcile their beliefs with the idea of marriage for same-sex couples? How will allowing gay couples to marry affect children? Here you will find thorough, honest answers -- some that may surprise you, some that will persuade you, many that will move you. Wolfson recalls the history of past battles over marriage and movements for equality, and articulates the everyday acts of discrimination that frame this current movement -- acts of discrimination that, if faced by non-gay Americans, would provoke a resounding cry of injustice.

Marriage matters because it is a foundation upon which most Americans build dreams. It is the cornerstone of commitment one individual makes to another -- a commitment we are taught is the highest expression of love, dedication, and responsibility. In this, the most powerful, authoritative, and fairly articulated book on the subject, Wolfson demonstrates why the right to marry is important -- indeed necessary -- for all couples and for America's promise of equality.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #965759 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A nationally renowned attorney and director of Freedom to Marry, Wolfson hails the movement for marriage equality as "one of the first important civil rights campaigns of the 21st century" and grounds support for it within the logic of the long-established protest traditions in U.S. history: abolition, the women's suffrage movement and the racial equality movements of the 1950s and '60s. Unlike those who support gay marriage as a way to regulate what they see as the self-destructive sexual practices of homosexuals (David Brooks, Jonathan Rauch, Andrew Sullivan), Wolfson sidelines the issue of morality and discusses the right to marry as part of each citizen's inalienable claim to what the Declaration of Independence calls the "pursuit of happiness." Framing his argument strictly in terms of civil rights and grounding it in conventional definitions of the public significance of marriage, Wolfson is refreshing, smart, thorough and easy to follow. Most provocatively, Wolfson excises "gay marriage" from the debate entirely, writing that the term "impl[ies] that same-sex couples are asking for rights and privileges that married couples do not have, or for rights that are something lesser or different from what non-gay couples have. In fact, we don't want 'gay marriage,' we want marriage." For now, it is available in Boston.
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Review
"Thoughtful, reasonable, and eminently worthy..." -- Kirkus

"Well written and evenhanded....Recommended" -- Library Journal

Review
"One of the 100 most powerful and influential people in the world."

-- Time

"This is one useful book. Armed with Wolfson's arguments, you could sell anyone with an IQ over room temperature on the wisdom and humanity of marriage equality."

-- The Oregonian

"Gay marriage is one of today's most hotly debated issues. Wolfson articulates the pioneering arguments that have made him one of the nation's most influential gay activists."

-- Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Evan Wolfson's Why Marriage Matters should be required reading. Wolfson's clearly articulated arguments will encourage discussion..."

-- The Advocate

"The distinctive gravity of marriage shines through Wolfson's stories of gay couples seeking recognition."

-- The New York Times Book Review

"Perhaps the most important gay-marriage primer ever written....[A] cogent and moving argument..."

-- Time Out New York

Customer Reviews

If you read one book on this topic, this is it
Having known Evan Wolfson and his work for years, I expected the book to be brilliant. What astounded me was that Wolfson has found a way both to cover all the issues and to provide a great read. After I began the book, I couldn't put it down. Integrating personal stories and analysis,the book is compelling from cover to cover. He is truly the Martin Luther King, Jr. of this movement.

The Definitive Argument for Equal Marriage Rights
This book achieves the rare feat of making a non-fiction book into a page- turner. The arguments of course are compelling, reflecting the most persuasive points in a pithy fashion. It is the examples of how marriage impacts individual lives that keeps you reading it. Quite simply, the combination of effective argument and people's lives will convince the most skeptical. Even those who disagree with equal marriage rights should read this to see what arguments they need to defeat. A great book for anyone - you won't put it down.

If you care about Marriage, read this book!
After reading WHY MARRIAGE MATTERS, AMERICA, EQUALITY AND GAY PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO MARRY, by Evan Wolfson, I felt proud to be an American again! I have struggled with the direction that this country has been going in and wanted to believe that we're truly are a country of the people, by the people and for the people. The underlying patriotism and sense of hope that is the basis of this book struck a chord in my heart.

America is struggling with the issue of marriage and who should be allowed to marry. WHY MARRIAGE MATTERS addresses the concerns of the everyday American with respect and accuracy. Wolfson touches on issues from the religious response to the historical argument, from racial equality to what the opponents of marriage equality DON'T want you to know. He does this with and consistent reverence to the founding principles of our great country and reminds the reader of those principles with inspiring quotes from American leaders through the ages. It is the duty of every American to read this book so that they will be able to discuss the issue of marriage with their friends and families.

The final message of this book is one of unity and hope. We all need this. I strongly recommend that every person who cares about marriage buy 2 copies of this book, one to read and one to share with those they love. There is nothing greater about this country than the importance we all place on communication and communion of truth. If everyone approached the issue of marriage from Wolfson's point of view, there would be far less misunderstanding surrounding this very important American institution. Please do yourself, and your family, a favor and read WHY MARRIAGE MATTERS.