Same-Sex Marriage Approved in D.C.

Although the bill goes to Congress for a 30-day review now, the mayor of Washington, D.C. put his signature on a bill to approve same-sex marriage in the district after it passed the local council ("D.C. Mayor Signs Same-Sex Marriage Bill" - CNN, December 18, 2009). Supporters believe that Congress will not prevent final passage of the law even though they have the power to block measures approved by the District of Columbia council. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Iowa already allow such marriages and New Hampshire's law becomes effective January 1, 2010. Opponents of the D.C. measure say they will push for a citizen's vote on the issue.

Review selected library titles related to same-sex marriage at LSC-CyFair Branch Library. Click the title of a listed item, select the "Request" button in the listing, and enter your library card number and PIN for each title you want to reserve for pick up at the library. Call the library at 281-290-3219 to check your PIN if you do not remember it. Use these subject words and phrases to find more in the library catalog:

• same-sex marriage
  
• civil unions
  
• gay couples
  
• lesbian couples
• domestic partner benefits
  

The Age of Independence: Interracial Unions, Same-Sex Unions, and the Changing American Family by Michael J. Rosenfeld - Harvard University Press, 2009.
call number: 306.85 Ros
Rosenfeld, Associate Professor of Sociology at Stanford University "offers a new theory of family dynamics to account for the interesting and startling changes in marriage and family composition in the United States in recent years . . . reduced parental control over the dating practices and mate selection of their children that has resulted in a sharp rise in interracial and same-sex unions." - publisher's summary excerpt

Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage: Valuing All Families under the Law by Nancy D. Polikoff - Beacon Press, 2008.
call number: 346.73 Pol
"Polikoff says, we need to look at ways the law can change to value all families beyond those created by marriage, including same and different-sexed, married and unmarried couples. Polikoff draws on legal history and contemporary (often eye-opening) court cases to make her argument." - Publishers Weekly review excerpt

The Politics of Same-Sex Marriage edited by Craig A. Rimmerman and Clyde Wilcox - University of Chicago Press, 2007
call number: 306.848 Pol
The book "brings together an esteemed list of scholars to explore all facets of this heated issue, including the ideologies and strategies on both sides of the argument . . .With comprehensive coverage from a variety of different approaches, this volume will be a vital sourcebook for activists, politicians, and scholars alike." - publisher's summary excerpt

Courting Equality: A Documentary History of America's First Legal Same-Sex text by Patricia A. Gozemba and Karen Kahn - Beacon Press, 2007.
call number: 306.848 Goz
"This book takes readers through the volatile public debate following the decision (on November 18, 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court granted equal marriage benefits to same-sex couples) and introduces some of the many lesbian and gay families who have taken advantage of equal marriage laws." - publisher's summary excerpt