When Gay People Get Married

In the book, “When Gay People Get Married – What Happens When Societies Legalize Same-Sex Marriage” Lee Badgett travels to the Netherlands where same-sex marriage has been legal since 2001. Through interviews with married gay couples, we find out how marriage has affected their lives. We learn about the often surprising changes to their relationships, the reactions of their families, and work colleagues.


Moreover, Badgett is interested in the ways that the institution itself has been altered for the larger society. How has the concept of marriage changed? When Gay People Get Married gives readers a primer on the current state of the same-sex marriage debate, and a new way of framing the issue that provides valuable new insights into the political, social, and personal stakes involved.

The experiences of other countries and pioneering American states like Massachusetts and California serve as a crystal ball as we grapple with this polarizing issue in the American context. The evidence shows both that marriage changes gay people more than gay people change marriage. In the end, Badgett compellingly shows that allowing gay couples to marry does not destroy the institution of marriage and that many gay couples do benefit, in expected as well as surprising ways, from the legal, social, and political rights that the institution offers.


“Hot Summer Read: If you absolutely must read nonfiction during the summer, try the very topical When Gay People Get Married: What Happens When Societies Legalize Gay Marriage by M.V. Lee Badgett.”
—Kel Munger, Sacramento News & Review

“… gays and lesbians who once again pick up their protest signs and banners might do well to bring along Badgett's book as well.”—Publishers Weekly

“This is the best analysis of same-sex marriage to date. A brilliant book.”
—Verta Taylor, co-author of Drag Queens at the 801 Cabaret

"The book is a mine of information, crystal clear, and rock solid, an authoritative analysis of why the freedom to marry movement is prevailing over fear and discrimination."
—Evan Wolfson, Freedom to Marry