Outlaw Marriages: The Hidden Histories of Fifteen Extraordinary Same-Sex Couples

By Rodger Streitmatter

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 Acosta
 
While no partnership is the same—some were tumultuous, while others were more supportive and long-lasting—all changed the course of American history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: May 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9780807003350

Reviews for Outlaw Marriages

[ijustgetbored · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book doesn't get any points for being ground-breaking. In most of the cases covered, the people are extremely well-known, and no new insights are being provided. The chapters on each couple are quite short-- almost like encyclopedia entries-- and therefore do no cover much ground. They're also very formulaic: almost every relationship sounds relatively identical after awhile, which is not at all the case, in truth-- it's a product of not-so-stellar writing and presentation: They were born, they met, artistic activity flourished, conflict (if applicable), they died with no acknowledgement of their relationship. Period. Reading the book in one sitting gets very repetitive. And if you're reasonably well-versed in the lives of these people (Walt Whitman, Gertrude Stein, Tennessee Williams-- in most cases, there's a pretty good chance you are), I repeat that there is nothing here that is going to come as groundbreaking news or add to your understanding of these people's lives and work. While it does have fairly extensive research, none of the research is particularly fresh or new. If you really want to dig into these "outlaw marriages," seek a good biography of the people who interest you the most instead of this cursory, brief review of facts.

[sigmundfraud · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The writing is functional. No more, no less. The fifteen stories are brief but interesting. It included several couples that I had no idea that at least one of them was gay. It includes mainly famous couples from the nineteenth century to the twentieth century. Some couples remained "married" for decades and often only friends and family knew; not the public. Most were quite successful and often the so called quiet partner was the energy to success. I can't say you have to run out and read this book but it was a curiosity and I am curious. Since I could borrow it from the NYPL e-library it was a trial that cost me nothing.