The Wedding Heard 'Round the World

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"On September 3, 1971, Michael McConnell and Jack Baker exchanged vows in the first legal same-sex wedding in the United States. Their remarkable story is told here for the first time--a unique account of the passion and energy of the gay liberation movement in the sixties and seventies. At the dawn of the modern gay movement (while New York's Stonewall riots and San Francisco's emerging political activism bloomed), these two young men insisted on making their commitment a legal reality. They were already crusaders for gay rights, and Jack had twice been elected the University of Minnesota's student president--the first openly gay university student president in the country. The couple navigated complex procedures to obtain a state-issued marriage license and were married by a Methodist minister in a friend's Minneapolis apartment. After reciting their vows, they sealed their promise to love and honor each other with a kiss and a signed marriage certificate--with immediate repercussions. Michael's job offer at the University of Minnesota was rescinded, leading him to wage a battle against job discrimination. The couple eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court with two precedent-setting cases. Today, living quietly in a Minneapolis bungalow, Michael and Jack exemplify a contemporary version of the American dream. Only now, with marriage equality in the headlines and the Supreme Court decision to make love the law of the land, are they willing to tell the entire story of their groundbreaking experiences. Their long campaign for marriage equality is a model for advocates of social justice and an inspiration for everyone who struggles for acceptance in a less-than-equal world."--Back cover