Gay Marriage, Real Life is an intimate portrayal of ten same-sex couples, their decision to marry, and how that decision has affected their families. This thought-provoking work features the personal accounts of gays and lesbians, their parents, siblings, children, and friends. The stories present a wide range of experiences and are drawn from couples around the country, old and young, accepted and alienated, including: An Irish-Catholic mother who became a gay rights activist in her 50s when her youngest of six children came out as a lesbian A young girl whose realization that her daddies were not married spurred the men to join the lawsuit that legalized gay marriage in Massachusetts A lesbian couple--a Methodist seminarian and a National Guard member--who have struggled through careers that are traditionally unfriendly to gays and lesbians A gay couple who met at a Bette Midler concert, had two wedding ceremonies that aren't legal, and are hoping the third time's a charm Read individually, each of these in-depth stories will provide a probing and compassionate tale of self-discovery that readers can compare with their own experiences. Read together, the stories create an inspiring volume that captures the powerful and dramatic effect that the legalization and growing acceptance of same-sex marriage is having on our society.