Gay Marriage: Legal and Constitutional Issues
On this page are resources available in or through the Ithaca College Library that should help you explore and research the topic of gay marriage, especially as it is related to legal and constitutional issues.
Here is a selection of titles. You can also search ebrary directly.
- Ball, Carlos A. From the Closet to the Courtroom: Five LGBT Rights Lawsuits that have Changed Our Nation. Beacon Press, 2010
- Polikoff, Nancy D. Beyond Straight and Gay Marriage: Valuing All Families Under the Law. Beacon Press, 2008
- Craig A. & Clyde Wilcox. Politics of Same-Sex Marriage. University of Chicago Press, 2007
- Bernstein, Anita. Marriage Proposals: Questioning a Legal Status. New York University Press, 2006
- Koppelman, Andrew. Same Sex, Different States: When Same-Sex Marriages Cross State Lines. Yale University Press, 2006
- Lee, Man Yee Karen. Equality, Dignity, and Same-sex Marriage: a Rights Disagreement in Democratic Societies. Martinus Nijhoff, 2010.
- Mohr, Richard D. Long Arc of Justice : Lesbian and Gay Marriage, Equality, and Rights. Columbia University Press, 2005
- Pierceson, Jason. Courts, Liberalism, and Rights: Gay Law and Politics in the United States and Canada. Temple University Press, 2005
- Alderson, Kevin & Kathleen Lahey. Same-Sex Marriage : The Personal and the Political. Insomniac Press, 2004
- Sullivan, Andrew, editor. Same-Sex Marriage: Pro and Con. Knopf Publishing Group, 2004
- GenderWatch
GenderWatch is a full-text database containing 140 international publications plus reports, pamphlets, papers and conference proceedings devoted to women's and gender issues. It is a repository of materials on gender issues worldwide, the evolution of the women's movement, and the changes in gender roles over the last twenty years. - Social Science Research Network (SSRN)
Social Science Research Network (SSRN) indexes and abstracts research papers in the social sciences and contains working and forthcoming papers. Some are full text documents are available. - CQ Researcher offers background information, timelines, and a bibliography for myriad hot topices. At this writing the last update on gay marriage was three years old, but when you read this there may be something more recent.. CQ Weekly covers news in Congress and will update you on the status of issues, so as Congress acts or fails to act on this issue, there should be coverage.Secondary SourcesUse the following library databases to find articles in periodicals, newspapers and scholarly journals
- EBSCO databases: you can combine a number of EBSCO databases together:
Academic Search Premier , Alternative Press Index , America: History and Life , LGBT Life, Newspaper Source and SocINDEX with Full Text . Click on "Choose databases" above the search box and check the ones you want. Here is a sample search: SU Same-sex marriages (SU=subject). - GenderWatch
GenderWatch is a full-text database containing 140 international publications plus reports, pamphlets, papers and conference proceedings devoted to women's and gender issues. It is a repository of materials on gender issues worldwide, the evolution of the women's movement, and the changes in gender roles over the last twenty years. - LexisNexis Academic Search LexisNexis for news or legal information (casescodes, law review artices).
- ProQuest Social Science Journals This is a basic database indexing an array of ariticles in the social sciences.
- PolicyArchive Indexes reports from a variety of think tanks
President Obama's statement in support of marriage equality on ABC News: video and transcript
- NPR: The Legal Battle Over Gay Marriage - State-By-State Map: The interactive map provides a brief summary of the legislation or court action on gay marriage for each state.
- Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life: Gay Marriage and Homosexuality covers the issue in the form of opinion polls.
- ACLU's LGBT Project: Relationships. Press releases, legal and legislative documents, case profiles, fact sheets, and other resources related to the organization's efforts to secure marriage for same-sex couples and win legal recognition for LGBT relationships.
- National Conference of State Legislatures Under the Issues & Research tab, there is a fact and resource sheet on, "Same Sex Marriage, Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships"
- Center for Research on Gender and Sexuality covers many related issues, even if gay marriage is not one of the main ones.
- Pew Research Center reported that 22% of the public strongly support gay marriage. (April 4-15, 2012)
- Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law
Based at the UCLA School of Law, the Williams Institute provides law and public policy guidance in the field of sexual orientation through research and scholarship. - Human Rights Campaign
The largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans.
For primary resources, use FDsys and Thomas Legislative Information (Library of Congress):
- FDsys (GPO's Federal Digital System) Run a search in the Federal Document System (the new version of the Government Printing Office Access site) to find Congressional Reports, hearings, floor debates, etc. Search for: same-sex marriage; also search for discussion on DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act)
From FDsys: A Government Accountability Office report on DOMA.
From FDsys: 157 Cong. Rec. E336 - PRESIDENT OBAMA'S DECISION TO STOP DEFENDING DOMA
From FDsys: House Hearing, 108th Congress - DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT - Thomas - Legislative Information Search for: "marriage protection" or "marriage equity" or "respect for marriage" -- a search for "marriage+act" will retrieve a variety of proposed legislation
- Public Law: 104-199 (pdf): Defense of Marriage Act (was H.R. 3396)
- United States Code 28 U.S.C 1738B ; 1 U.S.C. 7 - Definition of “marriage” and “spouse”
- Search the Dept. of Justice (U.S.) site to see if the D.O.J. is defending D.O.M.A. Here is a statement from Attorney General Holder, February 12, 2011, on the issue.
- Search the White House Blog. Here is a post that "President Obama Supports Same-Sex Marriage" by Matt Compton, May 9, 2012.
- New York State Legislature: Bills and Laws Bill A8354 and Chapter law 95 (2011) can be found on this site. Here is the text of the Marriage Equality Law
- Proclamation no. 4 by Governor Cuomo proclaimed June 24, 2011 as a "Day to Commemorate Marriage Equality" in the state of New York.
- Governor Cuomo Announces Passage of the Marriage Equality Act.