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LGBTQ: Background, Laws, and Same-Sex Marriage

Tips, techniques & links to help you find answers for your research papers & projects

Modern Issues, Laws, and Policies

If you are trying to ge a general overview of an issue (gay marriage for example), track down a specific policy, law, or the background (legislative history) of a law, there are a few great options.  These resources additionally provide opposing arguments to current issues and policies:

Background Info

Sometimes it is useful to get an overview of a topic before beginning your research in order to find a starting point.  These resources will help you look into the history and background of LGBTQ studies and issues.

Reference Resources:

Gale Virtual Reference Library is an online collection of dozens of encyclopedias, handbooks, and guides.  Type in your search term, or the title of a publication.  Here are a few potential LGBTQ sources to look into, in addition to searching the reference database for keywords:Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America, 2004

Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America (2004)

Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender: Men and Women in the World's Cultures (2003)

Other reference materials are located in the encyclopedias within the Reference Database List.

Books:

The Literature of Lesbianism: A Historical Anthology from Ariosto to Stonewall (2003)

Conflict and Counterpoint in Lesbian, Gay, and Feminist Studies (2007)

E-Books:

The Lesbian and Gay Movement and the State (2011)

Further background information can be found through individual articles found by searching keywords such as bisexuality, gay and lesbian studies, homosexuality, etc.  Due to the interdisciplinary nature of W&GS, these articles may be found within reference materials for religion, history, social science, philosophy, sociology, health, and many more.

Same-Sex Marriage by State