Forcing the Spring: Inside the Fight for Marriage Equality
*Starred Review* In 2008, when California’s Proposition 8 banned same-sex marriage, gays and gay-rights advocates had a hard decision to make. Should they bypass the tedious state-by-state strategy and force the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court, or would they ruin their chances if they moved too soon? Pulitzer Prize–­winning reporter Becker had unprecedented access for five years to the astonishing legal drama that witnessed a massive shift in public and political opinions about gay rights and marriage equality. The unlikely legal team was lead by Ted Olson and David Boies, who had been opponents in the Bush v. Gore lawsuit. Becker details the behind-the-scenes strategizing of the legal team, movement activists, lobbying groups, political figures, celebrity backers, and others as the case wound its way from California to Washington, DC. Becker profiles the couples named in the court case and their personal struggles to have their relationships legally recognized and protected by marriage, to enjoy the same rights as heterosexuals. She also chronicles the political drama that led to reversals on the issue among several political figures, including President Barack Obama, first elected on the very night that the California ban was enacted. Becker’s chronicle of a legal battle reveals deeper changes in the cultural and political landscape of a nation grappling with old prejudices and changing public opinion that continue to resonate. --Vanessa Bush