Bringing to life, and showing the human side of, five lawsuits related to LGBT issues of family, harassment, discrimination, marriage, and sex, Carlos Ball’s From the Closet to the Courtroom takes dry legal issues and turns them into prose, without losing the seriousness or implications of these landmark cases.
While the book’s table of contents does not indicate the specific lawsuits discussed, one can quickly identify these through the introductory materials. The cases covered are Braschi v. Stahl Associates (1989), Nabozny v. Podlesny (1996), Romer v. Evans (1996), Baehr v. Lewin (1993), and Lawrence v. Texas (2003), respectively. In the narratives providing the background of each case, Ball also raises awareness of other issues in the LGBT communities occurring at the time, both of the case itself and the times leading up to the individual court case. Subheadings within the chapters organize the narrative into the main players of the case, the background, the lawyer, the law with interpretations, and the impact with implications.
From the Closet to the Courtroom is a valuable book for those interested in LGBT rights, legal history in general, and those wanting to know more about the trials that went forth to bring about a more equalizing of civil rights for LGBT people.
Reviewed by, [s.n.]
