We Do! Paperback by Jennifer Baumgardner; Madeleine M. Kunin

Product Details

• Publisher: Akashic Books, Ltd. (2013-10-22)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 224 pages
• ISBN-13: 9781617751875
• Item Weight: 368.55 grams
• Dimensions: 0.0 x 0.0 x 0.0 cm

Cherished former Vermont governor Kunin teams up with Baumgardner to tell the inspiring story of American politicians’ growing acceptance of gay marriage.

“A remarkably upbeat little slab of work detailing the politicians out there who are good-hearted, decent and basically worth knowing about.” —Metro Times Blog (Detroit)

“Baumgardner and Kunin have compiled the writings and public pronouncements of public officials and other figures on the issue of marriage equality . . . This book will serve as a resource for what was said about the struggle for marriage equality.” —New York Journal of Books

Remember when gay marriage was the easiest way to inflame an otherwise mild electorate? This volume demonstrates, through speeches, interviews, and commentary, the encouraging story of American acceptance of gay marriage and the roles that politicians—gay and straight—have played in that history.

This movement, like all civil rights movements, began with individuals telling the truth about who they are to a world that doesn’t accept them. It ends with an entire generation of young people who reject blatant civil rights discrimination. From Supervisor Harvey Milk articulating in 1978 why gay people in all fields must be out and visible (“For invisible, we remain in limbo—a myth, a person with no parents, no brothers, no sisters, no friends who are straight, no important positions in employment”); to Governor Andrew Cuomo blinking back tears as he discusses his pride in making gay marriage a reality in New York in 2011; to President Obama’s unprecedented support; and the courage of many other American politicians—We Do! triumphantly chronicles this recent chapter of our history.

About the Author

JENNIFER BAUMGARDNER is the publisher of Dottir, an independent feminist press. She is coauthor of Manifesta and Grassroots, two best-selling contemporary feminist classics, as well as We Do!: American Leaders Who Believe in Marriage Equality; and author of Look Both Ways: Bisexual Politics, Abortion & Life, and F’em!: Goo Goo, Gaga, and Some Thoughts on Balls. She has contributed essays and commentary to the Nation, the New York Times, Harper’s, and NPR’s All Things Considered. Baumgardner has won numerous awards for her activism; her work is widely taught in schools across the country and she has given keynote addresses at more than 250 colleges and universities in the last decade. Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Jennifer lives in New York.