Outlaw Marriages

Years before gay marriage became a hot-button political issue, same-sex unions flourished in America. In Outlaw Marriages, cultural historian Rodger Streitmatter reveals that gay marriage isn’t a twenty-first-century idea. He spans over a hundred years and profiles fifteen couples who made major contributions to this country in an impressive range of fields–from music and education to journalism and modern art. Among the notables whose lives and loves are profiled are poet Walt Whitman, literary icon Gertrude Stein, movie legend Greta Garbo, playwright Tennessee Williams, novelist James Baldwin, and activist Audre Lorde. While no partnership is the same–some were tumultuous, while others were more supportive and long-lasting–all changed the course of American history.Celebrate LGBTQIA+ history with the untold stories of 15 prominent same-sex couples who defied cultural norms and made significant contributions to the arts, social change, and more.For more than a century before gay marriage became a hot-button political issue, same-sex unions flourished in America. Pairs of men and pairs of women joined together in committed unions, standing by each other “for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health” for periods of 30 or 40-sometimes as many as 50-years. In short, they loved and supported each other every bit as much as any husband and wife.In Outlaw Marriages, cultural historian Rodger Streitmatter reveals how some of these unions didn’t merely improve the quality of life for the 2 people involved but also enriched the American culture. Among the high-profile couples are:. Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams and Mary Rozet Smith.Literary icon Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.Author James Baldwin and Lucien Happersberger.Artists Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg.Legendary poet Walt Whitman and Peter Doyle.Classic Hollywood star Greta Garbo and Mercedes de AcostaWhile no partnership is the same-some were tumultuous, while others were more supportive and long-lasting-all changed the course of American history.