Courting Equality: A Documentary History of America’s First Legal Same-Sex Marriages (Beacon Press, 2007). Hardbound copy signed by authors and photographer $35. For info: www.courtingequality.com

 “The Massachusetts Constitution affirms the dignity and equality of all individuals. It forbids the creation of second-class citizens.”

– Majority Opinion, Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, 2003

On November 18, 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court granted equal marriage benefits to same sex couples. The decision provoked a searing public debate over the meaning of marriage and family, civil rights, and the role of religion in law and society. But the experiment went forward nonetheless: thousands of Massachusetts gays and lesbians married and, remarkably, the sky did not fall.

Through engaging storytelling by Salem writers Pat Gozemba and Karen Kahn and over 100 powerful color photographs by Beverly photographer Marilyn Humphries, Courting Equality takes readers through the volatile public debate following the decision and introduces some of the many lesbian and gay families who have taken advantage of equal marriage laws. In Massachusetts, equal marriage has not destroyed the family but rather has reinforced the importance of love, commitment, fairness, and equality.

Patricia A. Gozemba

17 Sutton Avenue

Salem, MA 01970

978.744.9141

pgozemba@aol.com

www.courtingequality.com