Beyond Marriage

While Beyond Marriage is certain to inspire scholars in the field, it also has great utility in undergraduate and graduate courses on LGBTQ Politics, Law & Society, Minority Politics, Public Law, and even Judicial Process. While Mezey provides rich granular detail that is sure to please those with a deep interest in the law and legal procedures, her narrative writing style and humanization of those involved in legal disputes pulls the reader in and makes the book accessible to undergraduates. The book is highly organized with each chapter focusing on a different topic, and while the author obviously supports LGBTQ rights the book provides extensive analysis without becoming anything close to polemical. Overall, Beyond Marriage is an excellent addition to the literature for both scholars and students. * Law and Politics Book Review *
“Beyond Marriage carries on Susan Gluck Mezey’s consummate chronicle of how courts and other policymaking institutions have handled the civil rights claims of queer folk. The book updates and expands the comprehensive accounts mounted in Mezey’s earlier work through an exhaustive investigation of issues affecting the transgender community as well as how LGBT litigants have fared abroad. Her fascinating narrative about Eighth Amendment cruel-and-unusual-punishment lawsuits brought by prisoners alleging gender-identity discrimination is alone worth the purchase price. This revealing volume fills an important lacuna in the human rights literature.” -- Daniel R. Pinello, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
“[An] important overview of the political and legal developments that shape the past, present and future of LGBT rights. In highlighting the importance of the courts in advancing LGBT rights, she provides a useful and penetrable reference to help scholars quickly understand the trends in litigation. From Title VII and Title IX cases, to lawsuits involving medical care for transgender identified prisoners, Mezey covers it.” -- Jami Taylor, University of Toledo
“Did LGBT groups make the right call when they decided to rely heavily on the courts to further their goal of equal treatment? In this compelling, meticulous, and cogently written book, Mezey argues that they did---despite some pushback and despite remaining challenges. Beyond Marriage falls in the "must read" category for anyone interested in LGBT rights in particular and the role of the courts in democratic societies more generally.” -- Lee Epstein, Washington University in St. Louis
“The movement for full LGBT equality and citizenship has been called “the defining civil rights struggle of our time.” Susan Mezey’s new book explains why that struggle did not end with the achievement of legal marriage, but continues to unfold. Backlash against marriage equality continues. Employment discrimination continues. The quest for transgender dignity must overcome fear and ignorance. Professor Mezey examines these issues and more with a deep knowledge of the movement and a gift for clear explanation.” -- Steve Sanders, Indiana University Maurer School of Law