Out of the Closets and into the Courts: Legal Opportunity Structure and Gay Rights Litigation

Abstract

Over the past 30 years, the gay rights movement has moved from the margins to the center of American politics, sparking debate from bedroom to boardroom to battlefield. Out of the Closets and into the Courts analyzes the most recent gay rights cases, and explores the complex relationship between litigation and social change. Ellen Andersen describes what happens when these cases - many overseen by the Lambda Legal Defense Fund, the nation's oldest and largest gay rights defense firm - enter the courtroom, and explains why they have met with mixed success. Out of the Closets and into the Courts explores both the promise and the limits of using legal mobilization to effect social change. Crossing disciplinary boundaries, Ellen Andersen draws on the accumulated knowledge of political science, law, and sociology to explain the origins and outcomes of gay rights litigation. The resulting book is essential reading for anyone interested in gay rights, legal change, and social movements.

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