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Political Science Human Rights

The People's Victory

by (author) Marriage Equality USA, Christine Allen, Fred Anguera, Shelly Bailes, Kirsten Berzon, Michael Boyajian, Billy Bradford, Kate Burns, Marvin Burrows, Geoff Callan, Joe Capley-Alfano, Frank Capley-Alfano, Beau Chandler, Sean Chapin, J. Scott Coatsworth, Michael Farino, Stuart Gaffney, Tim Garcia, Mike Goettemoeller, Baltimore Gonzalez, Carmen Goodyear, Tracy Hollister, Mark "Major" Jiminez, Davina Kotulski, Kitty Lambert-Rudd, Cheryle Lambert-Rudd, John Lewis, Amos Lim, Zack Lyons, Cathy Marino-Thomas, Molly McKay, Peter Mesh, Colleen Mewing, Jolene Mewing, Joy O'Donnell, Gender Offenders, Ellen Pontac, Mir Reyad, Michael Sabatino, Charlie Scatamacchia, Will Scott, Mike Shaw, Del Shores, Brian Silva, Scott Smith, Leslie Stewart, Stephanie Stolte, David Cameron Strachan, Roland Stringfellow, Robert Sullivan, Jamila Tharp, David Thompson, Jan Thompson, Sam Thoron, Anne Tischer, Simon van Kempen, Joseph Vitale, Robert Voorheis, Jokie X. Wilson, Edie Windsor & Laurie York

Publisher
Marriage Equality USA
Initial publish date
Oct 2017
Category
Human Rights
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781495639081
    Publish Date
    Oct 2017
    List Price
    $65.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781495639074
    Publish Date
    Oct 2017
    List Price
    $22.95

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Description

"The People’s Victory is a mirror for each of us to see our own power to fight for justice and create the change we want to see in our world.” – Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor of California

 

In 1996, a small group of Americans from all walks of life banded together to create one of the most miraculous political victories in modern American history. Opponents attacked the issue of marriage equality as amoral and a direct threat to families. Allies warned that it was a generation away from being practicable and a selfish drain of precious political capital.

 

A stirring oral history told by those who almost inexplicably found themselves fighting on the front lines, The People's Victory recounts the successes – and the setbacks – that only served to strengthen everyone’s resolve to resist, fight, and bring equal marriage rights to an entire nation. Through it all, these love warriors found their voice and home in Marriage Equality USA, the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots organization of its kind. While high profile books, articles and documentaries have covered the judicial and legislative machinations, this book puts a human face on the people who made the everyday personal sacrifices to keep the movement alive.

 

The People’s Victory shares deeply moving personal testimonies of over sixty people, from Marvin Burrows, who was forced out of his home and lost many treasured possessions after losing his lost his partner of fifty years; to Kate Burns, who risked arrest for the first time when she stood up for her relationship; to Mike Goettemoeller, who pushed his mother in a wheelchair with Marriage Equality USA to fulfill her dream of marching in a Pride parade.

 

Edie Windsor, the triumphant lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court case United States vs. Windsor recounts shouting down a major LGBTQ organization with “I’m 77 years old and I can’t wait!!” when they attempted to belittle marriage as a critical issue. Writer and producer Del Shores shares the touching moment his young teenage daughter used tears and laughter to console him after the passage of Proposition 8 in California dealt a blow to the cause.

 

The People’s Victory is an inspirational roadmap for anyone who has felt passionately about an issue, but has questioned whether one person’s contribution can make a difference. These candid accounts once again prove that every movement for important social change must be built on the acts of everyday. In fact, that is the only way the people have ever been victorious.

 

In his introduction, California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom writes: “I hope these stories inspire you to resist, to fight, to win and in the end write the next stories in our continuing push for a more just and perfect union.”

About the authors

Marriage Equality USA's profile page

Christine Allen lived and worked on Killara Farm in Langley, BC, from 1993 to 2006. Since then she and her husband, Michael Kluckner, have lived in Australia, returning to Vancouver in 2010. Allen is a regular contributor to GardenWise and other magazines, and has written a number of books, including Gardens of Vancouver (Raincoast, 2000) and Roses for the Pacific Northwest (Steller, 1999).

Christine Allen's profile page

Fred Anguera's profile page

Shelly Bailes' profile page

Kirsten Berzon's profile page

Michael Boyajian's profile page

Billy Bradford's profile page

Kate Burns' profile page

Marvin Burrows' profile page

Geoff Callan's profile page

Joe Capley-Alfano's profile page

Frank Capley-Alfano's profile page

Beau Chandler's profile page

Sean Chapin's profile page

J. Scott Coatsworth's profile page

Michael Farino's profile page

Stuart Gaffney's profile page

Tim Garcia's profile page

Mike Goettemoeller's profile page

Baltimore Gonzalez's profile page

Carmen Goodyear's profile page

Tracy Hollister's profile page

Mark "Major" Jiminez's profile page

Davina Kotulski's profile page

Kitty Lambert-Rudd's profile page

Cheryle Lambert-Rudd's profile page

John Lewis' profile page

Amos Lim's profile page

Zack Lyons' profile page

Cathy Marino-Thomas' profile page

Molly McKay's profile page

Peter Mesh's profile page

Colleen Mewing's profile page

Jolene Mewing's profile page

Joy O'Donnell's profile page

Gender Offenders' profile page

Ellen Pontac's profile page

Mir Reyad's profile page

Michael Sabatino's profile page

Charlie Scatamacchia's profile page

Will Scott's profile page

Mike Shaw's profile page

Del Shores' profile page

Brian Silva's profile page

Formerly an architect, Scott Smith is now a writer and publisher in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Born in Montreal, Quebec, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from Mount Allison University in 1967 and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the School of Architecture, Technical University of Nova Scotia, (now Dalhousie) in 1972. He lived and worked in Charlottetown from 1978 to 1981, during which period he conducted research for this, his first book. An active conservationist, he has served on heritage advisory boards for HRM, the Province of Nova Scotia and Heritage Trust of N.S. He has lectured on Prince Edward Island architecture at the 1980 Atlantic Canada Institute conference at the University of Prince Edward Island, conducted a photo survey of historic buildings in Colchester County, Nova Scotia and his photographs have appeared in many architectural publications.

His articles on architectural history have been published by such periodicals as Arts Atlantic (Spring 1985) and Canadian Antiques and Art Review (September 1981), and he has written book reviews for The Island Magazine and The Atlantic Provinces Book Review. Mr. Smith's three books on PEI architecture, including this one, have all won publishing awards from the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation, in 1987, 1992 and 1998.

Scott Smith's profile page

Leslie Stewart's profile page

Stephanie Stolte's profile page

David Cameron Strachan's profile page

Roland Stringfellow's profile page

Robert Sullivan's profile page

Jamila Tharp's profile page

David Thompson is a general building contractor who has lived in the Yukon Territory since 1962. His love for the land and its people has inspired him to write short stories describing life in the Yukon. He has twice won Dawson City’s “Authors on Eighth” writing contest for short fiction and has had stories published in local newspapers. David lives in Whitehorse with his wife Wendy, a Montessori teacher, two children Adam and Shawna, son-in-law Gary and two wonderful grandsons, Cameron and Jordon.

David Thompson's profile page

Jan Thompson's profile page

Sam Thoron's profile page

Anne Tischer's profile page

Simon van Kempen's profile page

Joseph Vitale's profile page

Robert Voorheis' profile page

Jokie X. Wilson's profile page

Edie Windsor's profile page

Laurie York's profile page

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