#Winning (Marriage)

THERE WAS A TIME NOT TOO LONG AGO, when no state allowed same-sex couples to marry. It’s weird to think that way, but it was only ten years ago. Sure, back then I was still a young, closeted, high school student not even thinking about the idea of marriage, but that was only me. Ten years ago, there were adults — homosexual adults — fighting for equal rights, so that when I hit that point in my life, marriage would actually be an option.

Back then, there wasn’t even a massive amount of support for gay marriage. We didn’t have presidents (big ups to Obama) openly declaring the support of our people — the L, the G, the B, and the T. It was a different time, and many from my generation will never truly understand just how we got here.

In “Winning Marriage,” Marc Solomon points out that none of this was luck; it was strategy. Solomon also charts how the marriage-equality movement found itself on the brink of victory and provides a blueprint to other movements on how to win it once and for all.

While much has been done to legalize same- sex marriage, the fight for equality is nowhere near completion, a point that Solomon strives to drive home. Sure, it feels like we’ve already come this far, so at this point same-sex marriage is bound to finally be legal in all states. It’s easy to feel complacent and comfortable, but we shouldn’t because until same-sex is indeed legal in every state, our fight for equality is ongoing.

Now it is highly unusual that I (a young, black, and gay man) find myself engaging in this type of book. I tend to avoid novels that involve politics, civil rights, or really anything that isn’t campy, sappy, or full of asinine hilarity. I’ve always felt like I didn’t need to know these types of stories because let’s be honest, I assumed other people would fight the battle and then one day I would reap the reward. It’s not a fair statement by any means, but it’s true. But, when I found myself thumbing through the pages of Solomon’s book that encompassed all those things I avoided, something clicked.

It challenged me. It motivated me. And it enlightened me, making it easy for my lengthy and nimble fingers to keep flipping pages.

Despite being not the lightest of reads, Solomon’s writing and the final product of “Winning Marriage” speaks for itself. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and it certainly wasn’t mine at first, but by the end that charge you get from reading something thought provoking is a feeling everyone should experience.