Author Examines History Of Same-Sex Marriage, Its Controversy And Acceptance In New Book

By Lauren Gilger
Published: Tuesday, August 3, 2021 - 11:52am
Updated: Tuesday, August 3, 2021 - 6:21pm

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The Engagement by Sasha Issenberg
Pantheon Books, Carlos Chavarría
Sasha Issenberg, author of "The Engagement: America's Quarter-Century Struggle Over Same-Sex Marriage."

Thirty years ago, same-sex marriage was far from a reality.

In fact, Sasha Issenberg says it wasn’t even a real priority to most of the LGBT community then. But one Honolulu court case and a wave of religious opposition later, and gay marriage is a given today.

How did it go from unthinkable to culturally ubiquitous in a quarter-century?

Issenberg has written the definitive history of it in his new book, "The Engagement: America's Quarter-Century Struggle over Same-Sex Marriage."

He said it all began long before it became a political issue in the 1990s. The Show spoke with him to learn more about the cultural shift.

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