"As the debate over gay marriage is reigniting the culture wars, understanding the interaction between the courts and the legislatures in Vermont-the first state to recognize gay civil unions-is more important than ever. Drawing on newspaper reports, letters to the editor, legislative hearings, and polls, Michael Mello offers a richly detailed account of the political response to the Vermont Supreme ... Read moreCourt's gay marriage decision. In the process, he casts new light on a debate that is now consuming America."-Jeffrey Rosen, author of The Unwanted Gaze and The Naked Crowd "Mello's on-the-ground account of the political and social climate surrounding the Baker decision is thorough and compelling. He invites the reader into the daily media spin and focuses his lens on both the opinion of regular Vermonters and that of individual state legislators on the question of civil unions and marriage equality for same-sex couples."-Michael Adams, Director of Education and Public Affairs, Lambda Legal "Mello's book on the struggle for civil unions in Vermont is a salvo in the gay marriage wars...his legal analysis is cogent."-The New York Law Journal "What sets this book apart from most others about gay marriage is that it engages the particularities of the situation as opposed to speaking in generalities and theoretical academic jargon. I highly recommend this work to scholars, instructors, and students interested in engaged critique of the law."-Argumentation and Advocacy "Professor Mello provides a timely, accessible, and even moving account of how Vermont became the first state to institute gay civil unions. ...[he] offer[s] a compelling story and a sophisticated analysis of legal and political change."-Law & Politics Book Review "[Mello's] pride in the Green Mountain State adds an original and often disarming touch to his book."-The Times Literary Supplement Show Less