---
product_id: 27248004
title: "Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial"
price: "€ 41.31"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.gr/products/27248004-speak-now-marriage-equality-on-trial
store_origin: GR
region: Greece
---

# Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial

**Price:** € 41.31
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial
- **How much does it cost?** € 41.31 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.gr](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/27248004-speak-now-marriage-equality-on-trial)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Review: Speak Now - Intriguing book. Very well-written. You'll never look at gay marriage through the same lens, again. In fact, if you're far-right-winged, stodgy, close-minded, and unwilling to be empathically or intellectually challenged -- just don't even pick this book up. You'll probably view it as a complete waste; and the author's insight, perspective, and story-weaving skills will be lost on your proud intransigence. The author portrays the legal case that framed a still-ongoing, true-story struggle over our nation's definition of equal citizenship and, ultimately, personhood. In the end, marriage equality is not a morality issue, a "definition of family" issue, a sexuality issue, or even a sexual preference issue. It's about respect for others' humanity despite our intrinsic differences. It's about basic civil rights, about "these truths we hold self-evident." It's about which kind of people are allowed to participate in our society's ultimate legal act of interpersonal bonding, about who is allowed to love whom and in what official, legal capacity they are allowed to do so. The author also explores some of the pertinent strategies, tactics, and agendas of the two diametrically opposed, behind-the-scenes political machines behind this legal battle, power-players with the ability to shape our lives and thinking in ways we might never suspect -- or even imagine, a terrifying little glimpse of The Larger Picture that's worth the read, in itself. In addition, I found it noteworthy that, despite all the money and ardor thrown into this issue, simply following the step-wise progression of this court case thoroughly unmasks an utter lack of reasonable, substantial, demonstrable, legal or constitutional basis for objection to same-gender unions. Essentially, Kenji Yoshino, by faithfully enumerating each bare historical occurrence and argument in chronological fashion, easily demonstrates that the in-court arguments from the "con" side contained absolutely no substance. Honestly, I read this book with an agenda. I wanted to truly understand both sides of the argument. As a self-identified evangelical Christian I wanted at very least to be able to conclude that both sides of the issue had merit. For this reason, I was dismayed and saddened to see the same old trite, cardboard, juvenile, illogical, un-evolved and jurisprudentially irrelevant "points" trotted out in the courtroom as those I heard decades ago on a similar topic from proudly-ignorant, homophobic, junior-highschool-aged males. The author did not say it, but the book nonetheless made the case with me that the "Cons" merely oppose marriage between two individuals of same gender, not because of some realistic potential harm to themselves but out of a thinly-veiled, readily-palpable hatred for those unlike them. I cannot abide such a mindset. Since the "Cons'" courtroom arguments contained nothing sophisticated, novel, integrated, worthwhile, legally valid or even thought provoking, it's obvious to this reader that the loss was still well-deserved in light of our Constitution. Thank-you, Kenji Yoshino, for the guided tour and a thrilling read.
Review: You need to be intelligent to enjoy this book, but not a lawyer - I'll say this book is nearly flawless. The only flaws are a few adverbs and clunky metaphors: the author loves the latter, and some soar. Others land with with a thud and distract you from the flow of the narrative. However, except for these idiosyncrasies, the narrative races. I needed a racing narrative because I wanted to get myself up to speed for the marriage arguments at the Supreme Court that, as of this writing, are coming up in a few days. The author does an excellent job not only in retelling the history of the issue of gay marriage, but also of giving the arguments of opponents of gay marriage - whose positions he obviously disagrees with - an honorable presentation. You do not need to be a lawyer to enjoy this book, as other reviewers have stated. The author assumes you are not, and even explains legal concepts that would entertain non-lawyers and lawyers alike - his explanation of en banc review, for example, which would take too long to explain here, but you'd have to pay attention to enjoy. You have to be intelligent, therefore, and curious about the subject; though if you are intelligent, the book would make you curious about the subject. His discussions of his own family, weaving in and out, do not distract from the book's purpose, and keep the reader interested with a little personal decoration. The best part for me was his summary of the testimony at trial. I wanted to read the transcript of the trial in question, but reading transcripts can be dull; this summary was enough, and I accept the author's veracity given the charitable rendering he gave to the other side, whom for me are the demons. (And by the way, he also gives a good argument for not demonizing these people as bigots.) Finally, he provides trial lawyers like me great language for taking differing positions to trial and exposing them to the trial of "sunlight" that, as (former US Supreme Court Justice Louis) Brandeis said, "is said to be the best of disinfectants." Highly recommended.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #3,559,332 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #227 in Marriage Law (Books) #958 in Civil Rights Law (Books) #2,104 in Legal History (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 59 Reviews |

## Images

![Speak Now: Marriage Equality on Trial - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61EpM7I9diL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Speak Now
*by R***E on September 5, 2015*

Intriguing book. Very well-written. You'll never look at gay marriage through the same lens, again. In fact, if you're far-right-winged, stodgy, close-minded, and unwilling to be empathically or intellectually challenged -- just don't even pick this book up. You'll probably view it as a complete waste; and the author's insight, perspective, and story-weaving skills will be lost on your proud intransigence. The author portrays the legal case that framed a still-ongoing, true-story struggle over our nation's definition of equal citizenship and, ultimately, personhood. In the end, marriage equality is not a morality issue, a "definition of family" issue, a sexuality issue, or even a sexual preference issue. It's about respect for others' humanity despite our intrinsic differences. It's about basic civil rights, about "these truths we hold self-evident." It's about which kind of people are allowed to participate in our society's ultimate legal act of interpersonal bonding, about who is allowed to love whom and in what official, legal capacity they are allowed to do so. The author also explores some of the pertinent strategies, tactics, and agendas of the two diametrically opposed, behind-the-scenes political machines behind this legal battle, power-players with the ability to shape our lives and thinking in ways we might never suspect -- or even imagine, a terrifying little glimpse of The Larger Picture that's worth the read, in itself. In addition, I found it noteworthy that, despite all the money and ardor thrown into this issue, simply following the step-wise progression of this court case thoroughly unmasks an utter lack of reasonable, substantial, demonstrable, legal or constitutional basis for objection to same-gender unions. Essentially, Kenji Yoshino, by faithfully enumerating each bare historical occurrence and argument in chronological fashion, easily demonstrates that the in-court arguments from the "con" side contained absolutely no substance. Honestly, I read this book with an agenda. I wanted to truly understand both sides of the argument. As a self-identified evangelical Christian I wanted at very least to be able to conclude that both sides of the issue had merit. For this reason, I was dismayed and saddened to see the same old trite, cardboard, juvenile, illogical, un-evolved and jurisprudentially irrelevant "points" trotted out in the courtroom as those I heard decades ago on a similar topic from proudly-ignorant, homophobic, junior-highschool-aged males. The author did not say it, but the book nonetheless made the case with me that the "Cons" merely oppose marriage between two individuals of same gender, not because of some realistic potential harm to themselves but out of a thinly-veiled, readily-palpable hatred for those unlike them. I cannot abide such a mindset. Since the "Cons'" courtroom arguments contained nothing sophisticated, novel, integrated, worthwhile, legally valid or even thought provoking, it's obvious to this reader that the loss was still well-deserved in light of our Constitution. Thank-you, Kenji Yoshino, for the guided tour and a thrilling read.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ You need to be intelligent to enjoy this book, but not a lawyer
*by G***O on April 25, 2015*

I'll say this book is nearly flawless. The only flaws are a few adverbs and clunky metaphors: the author loves the latter, and some soar. Others land with with a thud and distract you from the flow of the narrative. However, except for these idiosyncrasies, the narrative races. I needed a racing narrative because I wanted to get myself up to speed for the marriage arguments at the Supreme Court that, as of this writing, are coming up in a few days. The author does an excellent job not only in retelling the history of the issue of gay marriage, but also of giving the arguments of opponents of gay marriage - whose positions he obviously disagrees with - an honorable presentation. You do not need to be a lawyer to enjoy this book, as other reviewers have stated. The author assumes you are not, and even explains legal concepts that would entertain non-lawyers and lawyers alike - his explanation of en banc review, for example, which would take too long to explain here, but you'd have to pay attention to enjoy. You have to be intelligent, therefore, and curious about the subject; though if you are intelligent, the book would make you curious about the subject. His discussions of his own family, weaving in and out, do not distract from the book's purpose, and keep the reader interested with a little personal decoration. The best part for me was his summary of the testimony at trial. I wanted to read the transcript of the trial in question, but reading transcripts can be dull; this summary was enough, and I accept the author's veracity given the charitable rendering he gave to the other side, whom for me are the demons. (And by the way, he also gives a good argument for not demonizing these people as bigots.) Finally, he provides trial lawyers like me great language for taking differing positions to trial and exposing them to the trial of "sunlight" that, as (former US Supreme Court Justice Louis) Brandeis said, "is said to be the best of disinfectants." Highly recommended.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Compelling and fascinating account of historic trial
*by L***L on April 21, 2015*

I absolutely love Speak Now. It breathes life and passion into an otherwise dense legal narrative -- in ways that both lay readers and legal experts will find gripping. And while the book focuses on the trial that brought marriage equality back to California, the author also sets forth a broader (and in my view, very convincing) argument about the benefits of litigation, and especially trials, to uncover the truth more generally. A lot of people assume that trials are useful only for minor or narrow factual disputes and not broad social issues, but Yoshino shows that this isn't the case. Finally, while Yoshino presents and defends a particular perspective on the Prop 8 trial (and trials more generally), the book is also very fair and respectful when it comes to presenting opposing views. The Prop 8 litigation was very controversial among LGBT groups, and Yoshino does a masterful job explaining the competing views among the advocates (and their adversaries).

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.gr/products/27248004-speak-now-marriage-equality-on-trial](https://www.desertcart.gr/products/27248004-speak-now-marriage-equality-on-trial)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Greece*
*Store origin: GR*
*Last updated: 2026-05-26*