License to Wed: What Legal Marriage Means to Same-Sex Couples
by Kimberly D. Richman
New York University Press. 271 pages, $39.
“License” can mean official permission to do something or the chance to go beyond normal constraints, and both meanings are implied in the title of License to Wed. The subtitle sums up what this book is about: the subjective experience of same-sex couples once they’re able to marry legally. It presents the research findings of Kimberly Richman, a professor of sociology and legal studies at the University of San Francisco. In exploring the quest for marriage equality, Richman sets out to answer two questions: what sets state-sanctioned marriage apart in people’s minds, and how does access to legal marriage affect same-sex couples?
