Overview

A detailed story of how social science contributed to gay rights gains in the courts.For most of American history, public opinion was strongly opposed to gay rights. Marriage equality had negligible public support throughout the 1970s-1980s. Yet, starting in the 1990s, American opinion toward marriage equality changed more than any other attitude in the history of American public opinion. In Rainbow after the Storm, Michael J. Rosenfeld explains how attitudes toward marriage equality changed so much, and how public opinion change drove change at the ballot box and in the courts. As Rosenfeld shows, in three crucial same-sex marriage trials, the supporters and opponents of marriage equality faced off. Rosenfeld describes the struggles of the same-sex couples who, with few resources at their disposal, and against formidable state and religious opponents, sued for the right to marry and eventually won. The first comprehensive analysis of the marriage equality movement in the U.S., The Rainbow after the Storm tells the stories of key individuals, the court battles, and the society-wide explanations for the rapid liberalization of attitudes toward gay rights that made same-sex marriage the law of the U.S. sooner than almost anyone thought was possible.

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9780197600443

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Rosenfeld explores the historical development of the public acceptance of gay rights but adds a sociological analysis of the conditions for that acceptance, using public opinion, legal analysis, and qualitative case studies. This makes the book a great resource for students interested in exploring the topic through multiple methodologies. The connections drawn to other marginalized groups in the concluding chapters will also benefit students broadly interested in social justice. * H. H. Williams, Western Connecticut State University, CHOICE *

Rosenfeld explores the historical development of the public acceptance of gay rights but adds a sociological analysis of the conditions for that acceptance, using public opinion, legal analysis, and qualitative case studies. This makes the book a great resource for students interested in exploring the topic through multiple methodologies. The connections drawn to other marginalized groups in the concluding chapters will also benefit students broadly interested in social justice. * H. H. Williams, Western Connecticut State University, CHOICE *

Author Information

Michael J. Rosenfeld is Professor of Sociology at Stanford University. He studies mating, dating, divorce, and the changing American family. He has published research about family history and especially the rise of non-traditional unions, same-sex couples, and interracial unions. He is interested in personal politics, national politics, the politics of intimate relationships, and the politics of parenthood.

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