From the Closet to the Courtroom: Five LGBT Rights Lawsuits That Have Changed Our Nation

"A timely chronicle of how key legal battles reflect and raise the visibility of sexual minorities and compel society to take seriously their claims to equal citizenship. By revealing the people and stories behind some of the most far-reaching court cases in the history of the LGBT rights struggle, it brings alive the impact of litigation."---Nathaniel Frank, author of Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America

"We owe Carlos Ball a debt for his uniquely illuminating account of gay rights litigation. He is a balladeer of the hitherto unsung heroes who litigated the major gay rights cases as well as a legal expert who is instinctively alert to laws's reasons and contingencies. Perhaps only Ball could have given us a book on this topic that so delights and instructs."---Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law, New York University School of Law

"Ball deftly tells the rich and fascinating stories about the clients and lawyers whose cases have transformed LGBT life. Timely and relevant, From the Closet to the Courtroom is a powerful testament to the role our lawyers and courts can play in creating social change."---Nancy D. Polikoff, professor of law, Washington College of Law, and author of Beyond (Straight and Gay) Marriage

"This powerful book is a long-overdue tribute to the lawyers and activists whose work has changed many lives and resulted in landmark legal victories. Professor Ball dramatically resurrects each case, bringing together opposing attorneys and litigants to show how ordinary human conflict can translate to extraordinary civil rights gain. This groundbreaking book is crucial if we are to understand the history of the rights we take for granted, achieved by those who accomplished much, and against such tremendous odds."---Mary Bonauto, Civil Rights Project director for GLAD, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders